University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors

What University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors does

The University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors is a university-affiliated nonprofit founded in 2016 and headquartered in College Park, Maryland. It provides comprehensive, survivor-centered, and trauma-informed services to sex and labor trafficking survivors of all ages, nationalities, and genders in the Washington D.C./Baltimore metropolitan region. The Center is administratively housed at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) School of Graduate Studies as an initiative of the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State, a joint structure between UMB and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP).

The Center's service portfolio spans four integrated core pillars: Case Management (safety planning, benefits access, court accompaniment, identification assistance), Legal Services (immigration relief including T/U visas, SIJS, and VAWA, plus family, employment, and housing law delivered via in-house attorneys and a pro bono network), Mental Health Services (bilingual counseling including EMDR and CBT, crisis intervention, group therapy, and referrals), and Economic Empowerment (career readiness, vocational training, and specialized hospitality and healthcare workforce programs). Two specialized program verticals anchor the differentiated offering: a nationwide hospitality job-training curriculum developed with Marriott International and the AHLA Foundation (reaching 400+ survivors by June 2025), and the SIRV (Serve, Identify, Respond, eValuate) hospital-identification model implemented across five units at UMD Capital Region Health in partnership with the Maryland Hospital Association. Bilingual (Spanish/English) in-house delivery with interpreter support, a Regional Navigator Program for at-risk youth, prevention programming in Prince George's and Montgomery county schools, and policy advocacy round out the operational surface area.

The Center operates a grant-funded, donation-supported revenue model with no fee-for-service component — all services to survivors are provided free of charge. Funding sources comprise government grants (U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, federal Community Project Funding), foundation and corporate grants (AHLA Foundation, Marriott International, Steptoe Foundation, David and Mikel Blair Family Foundation, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation), pro bono legal services (Steptoe LLP as founding partner), and individual donations. Since founding, the Center has served over 600 survivors and reached 12,000+ community members; in 2024, nearly 60% of cases involved labor trafficking, reflecting a shift from the historical sex-trafficking caseload mix. Its go-to-market is community-led: referral networks from law enforcement, healthcare systems, embassies, and schools, combined with task-force leadership positions and earned media coverage of founder-CEO Susan Esserman.

Name

University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors

Legal name

University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors

Website

https://umdsafecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors is a University of Maryland-affiliated nonprofit founded in 2016 that provides free, trauma-informed case management, legal, mental health, economic empowerment, and prevention services to sex and labor trafficking survivors across Maryland and the D.C. metropolitan region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Trafficking Survivor Services / Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN)

Keywords

• Human trafficking survivor services
• Trauma-informed case management
• Immigration legal advocacy
• Economic empowerment programs
• Human trafficking prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: The SAFE Center receives funding from private foundations (e.g., AHLA Foundation, Marriott International, David and Mikel Blair Family Foundation, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Steptoe Foundation) and corporate donors. These grants support program operations, training curriculum development, and survivor services.
2. Government Grants and Public Funding: The center is funded through public sources including the Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and federal community project funding. These support core services, prevention programs, and policy advocacy.
3. Individual Donations: The SAFE Center accepts individual donations through its website and organized giving programs. Donors include individuals listed on its supporters page.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The University of Maryland SAFE Center provides free, comprehensive, survivor-centered and trauma-informed services to sex and labor trafficking survivors in the Washington D.C./Baltimore metropolitan region. Its offerings integrate case management, immigration legal services, mental health therapy, and economic empowerment (career training, housing support) under a single multidisciplinary team, complemented by school and community prevention programming and professional training for social workers, lawyers, medical professionals, and corporate partners.

Product overview

The University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors provides a comprehensive suite of survivor-centered and trauma-informed services organized as interconnected programs. Core services include Case Management (providing safety planning, healthcare access, court accompaniment, and identification assistance), Legal Services (immigration benefits including T/U Visas, family and employment law through a pro bono network), Mental Health Services (bilingual counseling with EMDR and CBT approaches), and Economic Empowerment (career readiness, education support, and specialized job training in hospitality and healthcare sectors). Prevention Programs include school-based workshops, the Girls Leadership Retreat, and community outreach, while the Housing Program offers wraparound support for safe housing navigation. Training and Technical Assistance services extend to professionals across social services, healthcare, and corporate sectors. The center also operates Survivor Engagement Programs and the Regional Navigator Program for at-risk youth. All services are available in English and Spanish with interpreter support for additional languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Case Management Services Comprehensive social services tailored to each survivor's unique needs, including safety planning, access to medical/dental/mental health care, court accompaniment, assistance obtaining identification documents and public benefits, and youth screening services. Provided free of charge to sex and labor trafficking survivors.
• Legal Services Wide range of legal assistance including immigration benefits (T Visa, U Visa, SIJS, VAWA), family law, employment law, housing, consumer protection, and personal injury, provided directly or through a network of pro bono attorneys. Free to trafficking survivors.
• Mental Health Services Bilingual mental health counseling including crisis intervention, long-term trauma services, individual therapy (EMDR, CBT, solution-focused), group therapy, and referrals for substance use and psychiatric care.
• Economic Empowerment Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped over 600 survivors of sex and labor trafficking since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maryland Hospital Association / UMD Capital Region HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Maryland Hospital Association partnered with the SAFE Center to develop Human Trafficking: Guidelines for Healthcare Providers to help Maryland's medical professionals identify and support survivors. The SAFE Center is implementing this model at UMD Capital Region Health across five hospital units: Emergency Room, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center, OB/GYN, Behavioral Health, and Outpatient Clinic. This SIRV (Serve, Identify, Respond, and eValuate) Model serves as a pilot for adoption across Maryland hospitals.
• Marriott InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Since 2019, Marriott International has been a key supporter of the SAFE Center's flagship Economic Empowerment program. Marriott selected the SAFE Center to pilot an innovative hospitality training program, which trained 40 clients in its initial phase. Building on this success, the partnership expanded to nationwide rollout of hospitality training for survivors with support from the AHLA Foundation. Marriott has also donated clothing and essential items to survivors, and joined a partnership with UK-based HotelSwaps to provide free hotel stays for survivors needing emergency shelter.
• TISTA Science and Technology CorpminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019To address the digital divide experienced by survivors and provide workforce readiness, TISTA has partnered with the SAFE Center since 2019 in multiple ways. TISTA has provided education scholarships, internships, and jobs for SAFE Center clients, focusing on teaching software testing, automation skills, and business analysis. TISTA has also donated laptops, food, and family essentials to survivors.
• Steptoe LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016The Washington, D.C.-based international law firm Steptoe LLP has been a foundational partner to the SAFE Center since its launch in 2016. The firm has provided financial support and pro bono legal assistance, including securing humanitarian visas, assisting on policy issues, and working on civil litigation matters. The firm also offers apprenticeship opportunities for survivors. SAFE Center's Founder and CEO Susan Esserman serves as senior counsel at Steptoe.
• University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the StatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016The SAFE Center is an initiative of the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State — a collaboration between the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP). The UMB School of Graduate Studies is the SAFE Center's administrative home. Through MPower, the SAFE Center leverages intellectual and clinical expertise from schools across both campuses to enhance services and research, and offers experiential learning opportunities through internships and fellowships.
• Maryland Human Trafficking Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force comprises government agencies and nonprofits committed to a victim-centered approach to combating human trafficking. The SAFE Center sits on the Task Force Steering Committee and serves as co-chair of the Medical and Labor Trafficking Subcommittees. The center also participates in Victim Services Subcommittee meetings.
• Montgomery County Human Trafficking Prevention CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SAFE Center co-chairs the Montgomery County Human Trafficking Prevention Committee, which aims to increase awareness of trafficking and develop inter-agency coordination of strategies for response and prevention. Committee members include government agencies, NGOs, and community members. As past co-chair of the Victim Services Subcommittee, the SAFE Center facilitated county-wide collaboration between service providers and law enforcement, creating an assessment-based response protocol for trafficking survivors.
• Prince George's County Human Trafficking Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Prince George's County Human Trafficking Task Force brings together law enforcement, social services, government agencies, and community organizations to build capacity for identifying survivors, investigating and prosecuting cases, and educating the community. The SAFE Center is chair of the Task Force's Victim Services and Labor Trafficking Committees.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Freedom Network USA: Coalition of trafficking-specific legal service providers; relevant peer for SAFE Center's pro bono immigration legal model and T/U visa practice.
• Amica Center for Immigrant Rights: Provides immigration legal services to survivors including unaccompanied minors in ORR custody; closely comparable legal pillar to SAFE Center's immigration work in the DMV region.

Direct peers

• Restore NYC: NYC-based anti-trafficking organization providing case management, legal advocacy, mental health, and economic empowerment to sex trafficking survivors; closely comparable integrated services model.
• GEMS (Girls Educational & Mentoring Services): NYC-based nonprofit serving commercially sexually exploited and trafficked girls and young women with case management, mental health, education, and advocacy services; most direct demographic peer to SAFE Center's female survivor caseload.
• Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST): LA-based nonprofit providing comprehensive case management, legal, mental health, and shelter services to trafficking survivors; one of the closest direct service peers in terms of multidisciplinary model.
• Sanctuary for Families: NYC-based nonprofit providing comprehensive case management, legal, mental health, and economic empowerment services to trafficking and domestic violence survivors; directly comparable multidisciplinary co-located service model.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities / Migration and Refugee Services: Large national network providing immigration legal services (including T/U visas), case management, and refugee resettlement; comparable on the legal immigration and case management functions, broader scope.
• Polaris Project (Abolition International): National anti-trafficking organization operating the National Human Trafficking Hotline and policy advocacy; comparable broad incumbent serving trafficking survivors with policy, training, and direct services across the U.S.

Emerging players

• Thistle Farms: Nashville-based nonprofit social enterprise providing housing, trauma-informed recovery, and employment for survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction; comparable economic empowerment/job-training pillar.
• Living in Freedom Together (LIFT): Maryland-based peer organization focused on human trafficking survivor services with similar regional DMV footprint; directly comparable geography and mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UMDSAFECenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-maryland-safe-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors