Everstand Named Recipient of FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for Anti-Trafficking Work in Maryland

The FBI’s Baltimore Field Office has named Everstand as its 2024 recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA), recognizing the organization’s ongoing efforts to support youth and young adult survivors of human trafficking across Maryland.

The award was formally presented on February 24, 2026, by FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul to Everstand’s Director of Behavioral Health Services Andrea Carroll and Regional Navigator Program Supervisor Jasmine Mayo. The recognition highlights Everstand’s Regional Navigator Program, launched in 2021, which provides coordinated, trauma-informed services to individuals impacted by sex trafficking.

According to FBI officials, Everstand has played a key role in bridging investigative efforts with survivor recovery services. The Regional Navigator Program initially began serving Anne Arundel County but has since expanded its reach to assist victims throughout Maryland. The program focuses on holistic stabilization, offering survivors access to emergency housing assistance, behavioral health support, advocacy services, and guidance on navigating state victim compensation systems.

Special Agent in Charge Paul stated that Everstand’s leadership has been integral to strengthening partnerships between law enforcement and community-based service providers. Federal investigators routinely emphasize that successful human trafficking prosecutions depend not only on evidence collection but also on survivor trust, long-term care, and coordinated support structures that prevent re-victimization.

The FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award was established in 1990 to honor individuals and organizations that make significant contributions in combating crime, terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and violence. Each of the FBI’s 56 field offices selects a nominee annually for national consideration. Past recipients have included victim advocacy groups, community-based intervention programs, and nonprofit organizations working in high-risk environments.

Human trafficking investigations in Maryland have involved coordinated efforts between federal agencies, state authorities, and nonprofit partners. Officials continue to identify trafficking networks that exploit vulnerable populations through coercion, fraud, and force. Recovery programs like Everstand’s Regional Navigator initiative are designed to interrupt those cycles by addressing both immediate needs and long-term recovery pathways.

Law enforcement agencies increasingly describe trafficking response as a dual-track effort: aggressive criminal prosecution paired with sustained survivor support. The recognition of Everstand underscores that approach, reflecting the FBI’s broader emphasis on collaboration with community organizations in countering exploitation.

Federal officials encouraged members of the public to report suspected trafficking activity and emphasized that survivors often require sustained engagement and multi-disciplinary services to regain stability and independence.

The Baltimore Field Office’s nomination of Everstand now advances to the broader FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award review process, where one national honoree will ultimately be selected from among field office nominees.

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