Bella Hounakey Speaks at Freedom Requires Action Summit

Be part of the solution for policy change by joining us in Washington D.C for the Freedom Requires Action Summit.

Safe House Project is honored to host the 2nd “Freedom Requires Action” event at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. on January 23rd. This 2-hour event brings together policymakers, corporate executives, survivors leaders, and community advocates to highlight the multidisciplinary strategy that is being used to combat trafficking in the United States, and galvanize communities in the next frontier in the fight against trafficking.

Click here for tickets and more information. 

Ms. Bella Hounakey is a Program Management for ACF’s ORR with specific expertise in child welfare, migration, and mental health. Ms. Hounakey has worked with unaccompanied children from Central and South America as well as unaccompanied refugee minors in foster care operations for over seven years. Prior to ORR, Ms. Hounakey was an Asylum Officer with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services under the Department of Homeland Security and a monitoring and evaluation specialist at The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Ms. Hounakey holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Western Michigan University  and a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Criminal Justice Western Michigan University.

U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking

The United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, established by the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act  (JVTA), enacted on May 29, 2015, provides a formal platform for trafficking survivors to advise and make recommendations on federal anti-trafficking policies to the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF). Each member is a survivor of human trafficking, and together they represent a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. The Council is appointed by the President for two-year terms.

Pursuant to the JVTA, the appointed members of this Council:

• Provide advice and recommendations to the U.S. government, specifically the Senior Policy Operating Group (SPOG) and the PITF, to strengthen federal policy and programming efforts that reflect best practices in the anti-trafficking field.
• Review federal U.S. government policy and programs intended to combat human trafficking, including programs relating to the provision of services for victims.
• Gather information from U.S. government agencies, states, and the community for the Council’s annual report.
• Publish an annual report that contains the findings derived from the reviews conducted of federal government policy and programs.
• Serve as a point of contact for federal agencies reaching out to human trafficking survivors for input on anti-trafficking programming and policies in the United States.
• Represent the diverse population of human trafficking survivors across the United States.