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Spokane County proclaims January 2026 Human Trafficking Prevention Month; Lutheran Community Services outlines survivor supports
Summary
The Spokane County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 6 adopted a proclamation recognizing January 2026 as Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Abigail Doherty of Lutheran Community Services described grant‑funded survivor services including housing units, case management and a mental‑health clinician funded by an Office of Crime Victim Advocacy grant.
The Spokane County Board of Commissioners adopted a proclamation on Jan. 6 declaring January 2026 Human Trafficking Prevention Month and encouraging public awareness and support for survivors.
Following adoption of the proclamation, Abigail Doherty, lead trafficking advocate for Lutheran Community Services (LCS), described services her agency provides to survivors of human trafficking and related forms of sexual and interpersonal violence. Doherty said a grant from the Office of Crime Victim Advocacy funded adult‑survivor services that enabled LCS to partner with Transitions to dedicate a unit within Miriam's House to clients, provide case management and vocational training, and hire a mental‑health clinician who specializes in trafficking-related care.
Doherty recounted a client who, after receiving those services, obtained stable housing, medical insurance and a protection order, and said the grant-funded supports were critical to her recovery. She also referenced on‑site collaboration with a Spokane County Sheriff's Office detective working on illicit massage business investigations and said survivor-centered responses were part of recent enforcement work.
Doherty and Shelley Hahn (identified as district director and present with her) thanked the board for adopting the proclamation and urged continued and increased funding for victim services. The board did not indicate further action on funding during the public portion of the meeting.
