Kiricka Yarbough Smith

For over 15 years, I have been dedicated to combating human trafficking and supporting survivors in North Carolina. As the Director of Human Trafficking Programs at NC Council For Women, I oversaw the development and implementation of statewide initiatives, policies, and trainings to address this complex issue. I also worked as an Investigator for Project NO REST, a five-year research project that examined the prevalence and impact of child trafficking in the child welfare system. Additionally, I served as the Chairperson of the NC Coalition Against Human Trafficking, a network of professionals and advocates that promotes collaboration and coordination among various stakeholders. In these roles, I applied my skills in program management, fundraising, and nonprofit administration, as well as my domain expertise in human trafficking, sexual assault, and social work. I am passionate about advancing the rights and well-being of marginalized and vulnerable populations, and I strive to bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the team. I am currently the Principal Owner of Yarbough Smith Consulting, where I provide consulting services to organizations and individuals working on human trafficking and related issues.

Kiricka Yarbough Smith was the Director of Human Trafficking Programs (DHTP) for 8 years at the Council for Women and Youth Involvement (CFWYI) under the North Carolina Department of Administration. During her time at CFWYI, she also served as the Family Violence Prevention Act Coordinator developing and implementing several successful advocacy programs to enact policy changes on a statewide and community level to improve access to services for individuals, especially youth, who have experienced interpersonal and gender-based violence. In 2017, Kiricka also established the NC Community Advocates Advisory Committee (NC CAAC), an interagency committee that works toward ensuring all survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking have access to appropriate and culturally specific services that meet their individual needs. She also initiated the LEAD (Leading, Empowering, Advising and Developing) program for rural communities in North Carolina to connect youth and families in marginalized and low-income communities to local resources and services such as transportation, counseling, and academic support, while also promoting career exploration and community engagement. Since its inception, over 155 participants have been connected to services as well as received local resources and mentorship/employment opportunities from stake holders and gate keepers in their communities.

Kiricka has co-authored several publications, including a journal article, “How Anti-Sex Trafficking Efforts Should Align with Criminal Justice Reform” with the Human Trafficking Institute, which addresses how sex trafficking has disproportionately harmed black women and girls. Kiricka also serves as a consultant for the Office for Victims of Crime at the U.S. Department of Justice assisting communities with building their capacity to serve victims of crime.  As a consultant and trainer for the Office of Trafficking in Persons at the Administration for Children, Youth and Family, National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kiricka focuses on finding ways to ensure that all survivors have equitable access to services. This includes building resiliency in marginalized and low-income communities by developing and coordinating culturally specific resources and increasing service providers’ capacity to serve all survivors equitably.

When developing and delivering training and technical assistance, Kiricka uses an equity and inclusion framework that teaches others how to apply this same approach to service provision and outreach. She actively serves as a faculty member with Futures Without Violence, providing training and technical assistance on cultural inclusion and the development of culturally specific resources and services. Trained as a social worker, Kiricka addresses human trafficking, child abuse, and domestic violence through an intersectional framework with issues including mental health, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, and sexual violence.  She has over 20 years of combined experience working in these areas.

Kiricka was also the Human Trafficking Program Manager for the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, implementing various advocacy programs focused on supporting marginalized communities. Kiricka also assisted as an Investigator for Project No Rest through UNC-Chapel Hill a statewide effort to increase awareness and prevention around human trafficking and how it affects children in the child welfare system. As one of the founding members of the North Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NCCAHT), Kiricka also served as the Chairperson of the NCCAHT Executive Committee from 2014-2019. As a 2021 Human Trafficking Leadership Academy Fellow, Kiricka helped develop recommendations to address institutional inequities and barriers to accessing services for survivors of human trafficking and communities of color.