Safe Harbor Protocol Writing Guidebook

Safe Harbor protocols are developed by multidisciplinary teams within communities to improve individual practices, agency policies, and systems procedures, and to increase collaboration among the disciplines that respond to sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of youth.

In an effort to provide communities across Minnesota with a starting point for developing these protocols, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office (RCAO) and the Sexual Violence Justice Institute (SVJI) at the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) developed the Safe Harbor Protocol Guidelines, released in 2017 and updated in 2020. That document1 outlines best practices for working with sexually exploited and trafficked youth across various disciplines and should be used extensively throughout protocol development. This guidebook is a companion document intended to provide guidance on how to write your community-specific protocol, and includes samples for formatting and organizing your document. The guidebook includes select language directly from the Safe Harbor Protocol Guidelines, as well as adapted content intended to ensure your response is rooted in best practices. This guidebook may serve as a template for protocol development teams to adapt as they write their community protocol.

Throughout the guidebook you will find standardized language and information as well as customizable sections. The guidebook has been written to adhere to plain language and accessibility principles. This includes using a 14-point, sans serif font. Any acronyms or abbreviations should be spelled out and explained upon the first use.

This guidebook has been designed to maximize usefulness, increase communication and collaboration, and to be a much-needed resource for Safe Harbor Protocol Development Teams. Good luck and happy customizing!