Suffolk County officials will be joined by federal and state authorities Thursday morning to announce a new initiative to combat human trafficking.

The county says the initiative has been in the works for months and would create a new system of sharing information between county, state and federal officials when a child goes missing.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney tells News 12 that human trafficking is "prevalent" in Suffolk.

The program would also provide mental health services for victims and their families after a child is returned home.