Resource Specialist, CST RST

TITLE:                                     Resource Specialist 1, Child Sex Trafficking Recovery Services Team (RST) Remote, Region 2 

LOCATION:                            LOCATION: REMOTE, Must Live in Region 2 which includes Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, or West Virginia.

DATE REVISED:                    August 2026

FLSA:                                      Exempt

DIVISION:                              Analytical Services Division (ASD)

DEPARTMENT:                     Child Sex Trafficking Recovery Services Team
 
NOTE: A cover letter is highly preferred when applying. Cover letter can be added within "additional documents" section of the application process. 

TRAVEL REQUIREMENT:             

Ability to travel as needed (conferences, training, presentations, etc.).

HOURS and SCHEDULE:                

Hours are Monday – Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm in the time zone that encompasses the majority of states served (minimum 37.5 hours within five (5) days per week; unless otherwise required or approved by management.  Availability for after-hour and weekend response for this position, as needed.  

REPORTS TO:    

Position reports to the Supervisor or Program Manager, Child Sex Trafficking Recovery Services Team.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUBLIC CONTACT:

This position requires daily contact with social workers, foster parents/guardians/care givers, victim advocates, law enforcement and at times private attorneys and/or probation officers on sensitive issues. This contact requires courtesy, discretion, and sound judgment.

LICENSING AND CERTIFICATION:

None required, but preferred: Licensed Social Worker (LSW), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA).

Must be eligible to apply for Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN) certification which requires either U.S. citizenship or having been a lawful resident of the U.S. for the past 10 consecutive years. VCIN certification requires background screening, to include fingerprinting, criminal history check, and professional references.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Child sex trafficking (CST) survivors have experienced significant trauma.  Advanced recovery planning and specialized victim assistance can mitigate challenges, streamline resources and allow for coordinated, trauma-informed interventions. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is uniquely situated to provide guidance and technical assistance to inform local multi-disciplinary recovery efforts with our knowledge of missing children and CyberTipline reports concerning child sex trafficking. 

The Resource Specialist 1 will serve on the CST Recovery Services Team, a team of regionally assigned subject matter experts in child sex trafficking response and promising practices in trauma-informed and youth-centered intervention. Efforts of this team will focus primarily on children reported missing from the care (CMFC) of child welfare to NCMEC who have indicators of exploitation through sex trafficking. Resource Specialists will reach out to child welfare professionals and other multidisciplinary team members who are supporting youth with active NCMEC missing child cases in order to offer individualized case-specific assistance. This assistance can include recovery planning, safety planning, strategies for youth engagement, connection to local, specialized resources, and troubleshooting around system barriers and complex case scenarios.

This position is fully remote and requires access to high-speed internet and a workspace that guarantees the safety of sensitive information. Each Resource Specialist covers a multi-state area of responsibility and must live in the region (or be willing to relocate to a state in the region) that they cover to allow for relationship building, increased knowledge of location-specific resources, and ease of access to travel throughout the region. 

In addition, the CST Recovery Services Team will establish and maintain a national network of specialized child sex trafficking contacts and resources.  This position will develop relationships with providers and networks in their area of responsibility and maintain up to date knowledge of the laws, resources, and unique challenges of their region.

Reports and information received as part of cases involving child sex trafficking victimization may contain child sexual abuse material or exploitative content or links to child sexual abuse material or exploitative content online.  This content may depict minors and/or adults.  Such assistance requires an employee that can handle exposure to sensitive content.  In addition to being self-aware of personal limits, this position must understand the impact of vicarious trauma and how to promote individual and organizational self-care. 

This position requires employees to live in a state within the designated region as a condition of employment

The position may require occasional after-hour and weekend response and collaboration with fellow staff members. Occasional travel and public speaking engagements are required.   A qualified candidate will also possess the ability to enhance and deliver on assigned projects of work. 

This position requires an enthusiastic and a self-motivated candidate who possesses abstract thinking and a tenacious perspective to further NCMEC’s efforts related to combating child sex trafficking in the United States.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Acquire and maintain up-to-date knowledge on promising practices in CST intervention and trauma-informed recovery planning efforts for victims/survivors of child sex trafficking.
• Conduct strategic outreach and cultivate relationships with victim service providers, child welfare agencies, child advocacy centers, task forces and other local/regional/tribal resources serving the needs of child sex trafficking victims in an assigned region of the country.
• Maintain and continuously update available resources in assigned region of child sex trafficking survivor services and resources, including but not limited to CST service providers, Safe Harbor Navigators, MDT Coordinators, child welfare agencies, law enforcement and victim advocates, and all other individuals involved in effective recovery planning and CST response.
• Conduct outreach to child welfare workers and other relevant MDT members to support the development of intentional, victim-centered, and trauma-informed recovery plans.  This includes but is not limited to CST psychoeducation, safety planning, assessing youths’ stage of change, providing coaching on strength-based youth engagement, and connecting to specialized resources.
• Document case efforts and all other case activity within required timelines while demonstrating a high level of accuracy and thoroughness in their work product.
• Coordinate with internal NCMEC team members including case managers and analysts to obtain and share relevant information about the missing child to inform outreach and assistance plan.
• Demonstrate proficiency in navigating current key players, policy and processes of child sex trafficking response for all states in the assigned region of responsibility. 
• Contribute to the development of materials and resources for use when providing support and psychoeducation to child welfare professionals and other multidisciplinary team members in order to increase understanding of CST and trauma impact.
• Connect child welfare professionals to various specialized resources, including but not limited to task forces, multidisciplinary teams, coordinators/ navigators, specialized service providers, and other individuals that should be proactively engaged in developing victim assistance plans.
• Provide technical assistance to child-serving professionals in the development of operational child sex trafficking recovery plans inclusive of victim assistance and trauma-informed considerations.  At times this may include “live”, short duration enforcement operations and may include evening, overnight, or weekend shift work.
• Work with members of Recovery Services Team to continuously share information on promising practices, research, case examples and other resources on recovery planning, victim engagement, and specialized resources.
• Effectively communicate and provide case-based, individualized and practical application of components of trauma-informed response, meaningful victim engagement, safety planning, and rapport building to various audiences.
• Work closely with analysts, supervisors, and managers in the Analytical Services Division (ASD), Missing Children Division, Family Advocacy Division, and Exploited Children Division on specific projects or cases involving missing or exploited child victims of sex trafficking.
• Provide presentations and trainings to share information on NCMEC resources and RST services within your assigned region.
• Effectively demonstrate proficiency in explaining NCMEC programs, resources, and data in conversation with internal and external stakeholders. 
• Promote and exhibit dedication to the cause of protection children nationwide and the work of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
• Promote a professional image.
• Communicate with co-workers, NCMEC management, the public, law enforcement officials, child welfare and other agencies in a courteous and professional manner.
• Respond promptly when returning telephone calls and replying to correspondence.
• Conform with and abide by all regulations, policies, work procedures, and instructions.
• Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice or a related field
• Minimum of 6 years professional experience providing direct services to survivors of child sex trafficking combined with practical knowledge and experience providing individualized technical assistance support to professionals on complex topics such as trauma-informed response, stages of change, safety planning, and strength-based youth engagement.
• Demonstrated experience of participating in recovery response or planning efforts related to victims of child sex trafficking.
• Experience professionally challenging misunderstanding, bias, and attitudes about youth who have run away and are being exploited through child sex trafficking.
• Experience working within or interfacing with child welfare agencies, strongly preferred.
• Specialized knowledge and experience working with various populations impacted by child sex trafficking.  Experience working with marginalized youth and communities including but not limited to youth in tribal communities, youth in rural communities, male survivors of CST, and youth with histories of gang involvement, strongly preferred.
• Individuals with lived experience of CST or other relevant specialized experience encouraged to apply.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to successfully pass the background screening, to include fingerprinting, criminal history check, and professional references.
• Strong knowledge and familiarity with topics related to child sex trafficking in the United States such as child victim vulnerabilities, tactics used by traffickers to exploit children, available victim services, survivor-informed efforts, and existing relevant policy and legislation.
• Demonstrated success managing and forging relationships with diverse local and national stakeholders in the anti-trafficking field.
• Demonstrated track record of synthesizing complex topics and effectively communicating it to relevant audiences.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication (verbal and written), active listening, and mediation skills.
• Ability to work with difficult or disturbing case situations.
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks.
• Strong computer skills including the use of MS Office Suite including PowerPoint and Excel and the ability to learn new software systems.
• Ability to balance projects, meet deadlines, and ensure staff project deadlines are met.
• Maintain an acceptable time and attendance record.
• Adaptability, flexibility and ability to work as part of a team or in an individual capacity.
• Ability to handle and maintain the integrity and confidentiality of highly sensitive material and information.
• Passion for combating child sex trafficking in the United States, empowering survivors and to support NCMEC’s larger mission related to find missing children, reduce sexual exploitation and prevent future victimization.