Branch House Family Justice Center provides resources for human trafficking victims

Human trafficking is a crime not often thought about in the foothills of East Tennessee, but resources in the area are all too familiar with how often the crime can happen. One of those resources, the Branch House Family Justice Center, is known for the aid it provides to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. Alecia Irick, coordinated community response specialist for Branch House, said the nonprofit organization's mission is to help provide essential resources under one roof to anyone seeking help. "Another thing with Branch House is it's trauma informed, so whenever somebody comes in, they can tell their story one time without having to go to various agencies and have to repeat their story," Irick said. "If someone's already been through a traumatic event, the last thing we want for them is to keep having to relive that event just by telling their story to everybody." Some of the free services provided to their clients include legal assistance, sexual assault forensic exams, counseling, orders of protection and crisis intervention. Irick said once one of the employees, called a navigator, gathers the story of the person, the navigator fills out that person's paperwork for what is needed, and the individual is then given the proper services and referrals to improve their situation. "A lot of times, people come in and they truly just don't know what they need or the resources that's available," Irick said. "...We just get their basic information and do a risk assessment to see how high-risk someone is as far as danger, and sometimes those assessments allow a client to double-think about their situation and be like, 'I am in trouble. I do need to get out of this situation.'" Irick said while the nonprofit's demographic is not primarily human trafficking survivors, four people involved in a trafficking situation received help from the Branch House from October 2025 to October 2026. She added oftentimes, domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking cases can cross over one another, though the resources available to them are equal depending on each person's specific need. Irick said in order to help human trafficking survivors receive the aid they need, she recommends the public to be vigilant towards typical signs someone needs help. "Human trafficking can happen anywhere," she said. "A lot of traffickers use different tactics. They use manipulation, threats, isolation, debts, housing, drugs, emotional control – we see that a lot with domestic violence. Some of that overlaps with human trafficking. I really just think you don't have to be certain someone's being trafficked to take a concern seriously." The Branch House is located at 313 Foothills Drive in Blountville. Those seeking help can find more information about its services at www.branchhousetn.org.