Surviving to thriving: A qualitative exploration of direct service providers’ trauma-informed work with human trafficking survivors in Kentucky.

OBJECTIVE: Survivors of human trafficking, including commercial sex and labor exploitation, benefit from comprehensive, trauma-informed services, but more research is needed to establish best practices and identify effective models and strategies. The present study explored the lived experiences of seven direct service providers in agencies that support the recovery and development of human trafficking survivors in Kentucky. The aim of this study was to inform our understanding of how trauma-informed care better addresses the needs of human trafficking survivors in health care and social services settings. METHOD: Using qualitative, narrative inquiry methods, this study identified trauma-informed models and strategies currently employed in Kentucky agencies that serve trafficking survivors and participants' experiences with successful strategies and barriers to promoting trauma-informed care. The theoretical framework that guided this study is Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Participants' stories were collected through artifact presentations, semistructured interviews, guided questionnaires, and a focus group. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed the themes of (a) education and training, (b) responding to needs, (c) safety and transparency, (d) trusting relationships, and (e) standards of care. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for legislation in Kentucky to implement standards of care and support preventative efforts are explored. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).