Athena’s Court describes diversion model for trafficking survivors, urges county partnerships and housing supports

At its June meeting, the Rutherford Opioid Board heard a detailed presentation from Athena’s Court, a Nashville diversion court serving adult survivors of sex trafficking, and discussed ways Rutherford County could partner with the court on housing and wraparound services.

Judge Anna Espar, a general sessions judge in Davis County who presides over Athena’s Court, said the court offers a treatment‑focused alternative to continued arrest and probation violations for people who identify as survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. “We are the only human trafficking court that we know of in Tennessee,” Judge Espar said, describing a team approach that substitutes sanctions with treatment, stabilization and graduated rewards for milestones.

Athena’s Court staff described program logistics: the court accepts voluntary participants with Davidson County charges (it also sometimes accepts participants with open charges from other counties), operates as a five‑phase program with minimum 90‑day phases, and generally limits active participants to 12 at a time. Staff said participation can last up to 24 months and includes intensive outpatient treatment, random drug screening, psychological and medical evaluations, supervised family/overnight visits in later phases, and case management.

Marjorie Rice, the team’s licensed social worker, summarized common coercion tactics and risk indicators staff use to identify trafficking survivors, including false promises, physical threats, isolation and coerced drug dependency. Rice said many participants have histories of childhood trauma, homelessness and substance use disorders; she added that the court treats relapse through treatment adjustments rather than incarceration.

Kelsey Stewart, client specialist, and Kelly Alvarado, a certified peer recovery specialist, described their roles: Stewart oversees probation supervision and legal navigation when defense or prosecutor offices refer candidates; Alvarado provides peer support and linkage to recovery resources. Grant writer Grace Guerra described the program’s funding model and said Athena’s Court uses grant dollars to pay for housing, identification restoration and other immediate needs.

Board members pressed Athena’s Court staff on how Rutherford County funds would be targeted. Chairman Peake and other board members asked whether a Rutherford County arrest or Rutherford residency was required for the board’s grant proceeds to benefit a person. Athena’s Court staff replied that the program has previously accepted participants with charges from other counties when local judges agreed and that, for housing and client‑specific assistance, the court can track county beneficiaries and propose a spreadsheet for accountability.

Board members also raised an operational gap for minors and juveniles. Athena’s Court staff said juveniles are treated under Tennessee law as trafficking victims (they said Tennessee law treats anyone under 18 as unable to consent to prostitution) and noted that emergency shelter resources for minors in the region are limited (they cited a short‑term Oasis Center program that provides up to two weeks of emergency shelter with parental consent). The board discussed whether local residential capacity or longer‑term placements for juveniles should be part of future funding requests.

Judge Espar and staff invited the board to consider a formal application for Rutherford County funding and asked board staff to coordinate next steps. “We would love to see this replicated in other cities in Tennessee,” Judge Espar said, describing the court as an intervention that aims to reduce revictimization and improve long‑term recovery outcomes.

The presentation closed with board direction to connect Athena’s Court with county staff: board members asked staff member Sarah to meet with the court’s grant writer to draft an application for possible future funding and tracking mechanisms. No formal grant or contract vote took place at this meeting for Athena’s Court.

Ending: The board recommended follow‑up: Athena’s Court will provide assessment tools and referral forms on request, and county staff will explore whether Rutherford County can fund three months of transitional housing, IDs and other immediate needs for local beneficiaries if an application is developed.