Therapeutic alliance, rapport, boundaries: terms professionals have all heard, but how are they put into practice? How can care providers foster relationships that have a positive and lasting impact on the treatment experience? This session will take a closer look at the importance of the relationship between treatment providers and clients. Everything from first-impressions through final sessions have a significant impact on treatment success, especially as setbacks arise. This session will examine how to build or repair therapeutic relationships that are often disrupted by disappointment, trauma, and shame. Time will be provided to discuss the practicalities of building rapport while maintaining boundaries and self-care. Additionally, there will be resources to gain perspective on how trauma impacts building a therapeutic alliance. Finally, there will be discussion regarding the importance of professional relationships and how these connections impact client care.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Develop understanding of positive relationships as Trauma Informed Care.

·  Describe the importance of the therapeutic relationship and ways to build and model healthy relationships.

·  Identify ways to develop a positive therapeutic relationship and ways to recover from challenges.

·  Describe personal boundaries and self-care in the therapeutic relationship.

Read More

This presentation will discuss two main issues involving the internet/social media and sex trafficking: (1) recruitment of victims on the internet; and (2) selling victims on the internet. Traffickers are increasingly using Facebook and social media apps to reach out to victims and lure them into the sex trade. Maureen will discuss recent cases and evaluate potential legal and other means that can be utilized to counteract this growing trend. She has done extensive case research on civil and criminal cases involving Backpage and other internet service providers. Traffickers and pimps use Backpage and other internet sites to sell children and women for sex. The presentation will examine ways that traffickers and internet sites are working together to profit off the exploitation of sex-trafficking victims. Maureen will then discuss recent legal, technological, and educational approaches to curbing the tide of sex-trafficking online. This presenter will draw from the federal bills that were introduced and the legislation that was passed in this area, from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee’s Report on Backpage and on other reports drafted on this topic, and from some news accounts of recent activities regarding internet service providers such as Backpage.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Outline the growing problem of traffickers' using social media and the internet to recruit and advertise sex-trafficking victims.

·  Depict recent cases involving social media and the internet and explain the complexities involved.

·  Examine recent legislative approaches to addressing this issue and whether the laws will curb the tide of sex-trafficking.

·  Discuss potential solutions to the growing issue of internet sex-trafficking.

Read More

In partnership with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), the Arizona State University Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research (ASU STIR) developed a research plan to explore and analyze sex trafficking case files from 2013 to 2016. This study allowed for an inside look at the development of VICE cases and case actions. These files included police reports, records of interviews of alleged sex traffickers, interviews of

alleged sex trafficking victims, and case-related information including evidence collected and case update notes by LVMPD staff. The purpose of the study is to explore the efforts of law enforcement in identifying and investigating incidents of sex trafficking in Las Vegas, and to identify trends and patterns that might inform future research or practice. Findings include trends in the sex trafficking of minors and adults, including recruitment methods, transportation of victims, place of origin, elements of force, fraud and coercion, gang involvement, and criminal histories of the traffickers. Trafficker typology will also be discussed, as well as patterns in trafficker criminal histories and tactics. In addition, this information will help to establish a baseline of knowledge regarding the details of sex trafficking of minors and adults in Las Vegas, NV, with which to develop recommendation for future research, as well as policy implications and practice implications.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss trends in sex trafficking of minors and adults in Las Vegas, NV.

·  Present findings on trends of trafficker tactics including recruitment, transportation, entrapment, gang involvement, and criminal histories.

·  Explore future research, policy implications, practice implications.

Read More

The purpose of this study was to explore how individuals within the faith-based organization in a Midwest town could bring about awareness and education regarding human trafficking to individuals in the local community. The community that was studied is geographically located in the center of the United States, along major highways leaving the entire community at risk of human trafficking. The primary research participants are members of the local Midwest “Free Now” (pseudonym) group consisting of approximately 10 individuals who are college students, professionals and retirees. The organization’s mission is to end modern-day slavery. The majority of the participants were female, Caucasian, and all were connected to a faith-based community as the core commonality. Participatory Action Research (PAR) was the method used in this study. PAR offers community members and the researcher a collaborative relationship in which interviews and focus groups are conducted to address the concerns of human trafficking. An anticipated outcome of this study was to mobilize community members to engage and learn how to bring awareness and education about human trafficking by transforming how individuals respond to this social injustice. In addition, this research study was to inform individuals and help strengthen their voices. A recommended potential intervention was that the local group would collaborate with service providers to develop strategies to bring awareness and education on the issue of human trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Convey the basics of how PAR is conducted.

·  Highlight skills to utilize interview and focus group tools to collect data from one’s community.

·  Describe how to mobilize community members to determine how to address the issue of human trafficking in one’s community.

Read More

According to the Prison Policy Initiative (2017), more than 200,000 women are behind bars in the U.S. Moreover, the number of women in state prisons nationwide has been growing more than twice as fast as that of men since 1978. Attendees will learn about two programs providing direct support of and advocacy for incarcerated women and how they complement each other in their different approaches. Chicago Books to Women in Prison (CBWP) distributes free books to women in state and Federal prisons nationwide, as well as in Chicago’s Cook County Jail. They provide a critical intervention by offering the self-empowerment, education and entertainment that reading provides to people with little or no access to books. The organization has integrated human trafficking education in its work. They stock recommended books on human trafficking, feature the books on their order form, and distribute helpful bookmarks. CBWP uses the trust it has earned from the women it serves to help fight human trafficking. Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) Behind Bars provides extensive support to incarcerated men, women and trans folks: newsletters, books, pen pals, scholarships and reentry support. The organization advocates for sex workers, who rarely receive the comprehensive support that would enable them to leave the industry—if they choose. SWOP Behind Bars works to remove the stigma around sex work and thereby protect the human rights and dignity of women in it. By decriminalizing both the buying and selling of sex, efforts can better focus on those who truly need assistance. 

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explain how books-to-prisoners programs fill a critical need for incarcerated people.

·  Describe the role of books-to-prisoners programs in educating incarcerated people about human trafficking.

·  Discuss the importance of supporting and advocating for sex workers, including those who are incarcerated and in reentry.

Read More

Caught Up features snippets from the narrative hip hop film TURNT to illustrate some of the tactics used by sex traffickers to recruit victims, highlighting the specific impact on one of the most vulnerable populations: foster care youth. The audience will follow the journey of a teen who is recruited, groomed and forced into sexual exploitation. Through video and engaging discussion, the presenters will reveal the dark truth about being caught up in The Life. Designed for audiences 9th grade and up, Caught Up also offers information on what sex trafficking is, risk factors for exploitation, who, how and where pimps recruit, and tips on how to avoid being Caught Up. The presenters will provide an overview of the Caught Up training and how they use media to teach at-risk youth the realities of being recruited into the life. The presenters will also discuss some of the ways traffickers recruit online and was to protect against that. This discussion is intended to give attendees an idea of the tools they use to support organizations that serve youth.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Define sex trafficking and describe risk factors of sex trafficking in youth.

·  Describe recruitment tactics and red flags of pimps and trafficking victims.

·  Identify ways to protect against exploitation

Read More