Twenty years’ experience as an actor, producer and director, attest to the ways plays, musicals, and television adaptations embody the imperative to attend to social injustice. This presentation examines three works -works spanning 130 years and two continents- that indicate clearly that adults fail to trust the young people in their charge. In the words of the French saying: the more things change, the more they remain the same. In Spring Awakening, adults fail to comprehend the magnitude of the young people’s concerns. Youths’ earnest attempts to process their experiences of suicide, sex, sexuality, rape, abortion, and sexual abuse are denigrated and denied.  Their efforts to become responsible stewards of their own lives are systematically undermined by adults who lack empathy and pedagogical insight. Too often, we fail to educate young people appropriately. We infantilize them. We condemn their fumblings and their brilliance indiscriminately. We mock their attempts to grapple with foundational issues. At times, we damn their findings as unreal. Sometimes we stultify their unique contribution to the world. Who knows what gems we have lost as a result of this denial? This presentation examines three versions of Frank Wedekind’s Spring Awakening: Tragedy of Childhood. First, the original text published in 1890, then the 2006 Broadway musical adaptation, and finally the segments as included in the 2018 television show, Rise. The presenter concludes that our resistance to acknowledging young people’s agency in their own lives hampers their ability to handle the most serious issues they face.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explore how theatre can be used as a tool in examining social injustice.

·  Examine three versions of one work of theatre and how it can be used as a tool for social justice.

·  Inspire other artists to use academic rigor and arts in tandem.

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Shamin, an exited sex worker, registered social worker, and activist in Manitoba uses her story and spoken word to explore the impacts of trauma on the healing process that takes place after involvement in the sex trade. She talks about the realities of the sex trade and barriers to healing with youth, their communities, and the staff of survivor-serving organizations. Additionally, she has both worked with, and healed alongside, a full spectrum of sexually exploited youth and adults (at-risk, emerging, entrenched, transitioning and exited). Shamin will draw from her experiences as well as from the work of Shame and Empathy Researcher Brene Brown, who has spent over sixteen years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Brene Brown's TED talk, The Power of Vulnerability, is one of the top five most viewed TED talks in the world. Through her healing journey and experiences with youth and adult survivors, Shamin has observed shame to be a primary barrier to developing the kinds of relationships necessary to foster healing. She will explore what her recovery has taught her about the relationship between trauma, shame, and trust as well as share what she believes are the keys to creating a foundation of safety within which trusting relationships with survivors can grow from.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explore the developmental impacts of trauma in her own life.

·  Illustrate the relationship between shame and trauma in her life.

·  Examine ways to demonstrate unconditional support and build trust with survivors like herself.

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The Opportunity Project is an initiative through the Toledo Legal Aid Society designed to produce better outcomes for marginalized persons that are involved in the criminal justice system through earlier identification of client needs (alcohol/drug dependency; mental health issues; homelessness, etc.) and a more meaningful connection to appropriate services. The prime objectives of this project include: 1) Early identification of client needs; 2) Assistance in connecting/reconnecting with services; 3) Reduction in unnecessary use of jails (bond modification; identifying appropriate and less restrictive for alternatives to incarceration); 4) Provision of earlier opportunities for alternatives to prosecution (Diversion; Intervention in Lieu of Conviction); and 5) Production of better outcomes (Fewer felony convictions; Decreased recidivism).

Presentation Objectives:

·  Define the project including history, purpose, and target population.

·  Define the method and model being established.

·  Review the results thus far and potential implications/next steps.

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During this session consisting of interactive lecture, video, and Q & A, you will learn about various human trafficking trends impacting Central and Southeast Asia including trafficking of fishermen, Chinese brides, domestic servitude, bacha bazzi (dancing boys), and sex trafficking. Mike will draw from key research findings from US Department of State, ILO, IOM, UN ACT, and speak from his personal experiences serving in Cambodia with the international non-profit, Hagar International, from 2014-2017. The region, regarded as an epicenter for human trafficking, slavery, and significant gender inequality, must play a key role in the abatement of such inhumane practices. Mike will share about the rewards and challenges of serving abroad and leading the Cambodian trauma recovery programs, as well as Hagar’s involvement in counter-trafficking work in the region. You will also learn about their partnership work to improve government and sector understanding on the impact of trauma on survivors, more effective identification of victims, best practice judicial system responses for survivors, engaging corporations in the fight against trafficking, as well as Hagar’s prevention efforts.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe key types of human trafficking in Central and Southeast Asia and connections back to the USA.

·  Explore current strategies in recovery services to survivors and ways to reduce trafficking in the region.

·  Communicate barriers to, and possible solutions for, effective trauma recovery program delivery in low-resource settings.

·  Discuss the importance of partnership in the fight against human trafficking.

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Data demonstrates that runaway and homeless youth are at risk for exploitation and human trafficking. Using the Youth Experience Survey from Arizona State University, the New Day Center identified that homeless youth reported a desire for connection back to their family despite being on the street. Thirty-one percent of those youth also reported being victims of sex trafficking and thirty-three percent of labor trafficking. The New Day Center, a family homeless shelter in Arizona, identified their role to utilize the existing programs to conduct awareness, education and connection to services for families impacted by trafficking. This approach not only looked at the minors as potential victims but identified that many adult family members may also be victims. The goal was to build stronger family connections, address trauma and awareness around human trafficking to avoid youth homelessness. The New Day Center developed a strategy to provide education and awareness to parents, while empowering young adults around safety, the risks and how to seek help during their shelter stay. This approach seeks to support parents and children while addressing and linking families impacted (both adult and children) to the proper supports at the agency and in the community. This was the first-time human trafficking screenings and trainings were introduced to the shelter staff. The presenter will share lessons learned for a campus-wide approach. Attendees will understand how the data guided the programs into developing a response, while sharing the strategies, groups and conversational tools to replicate in other shelters.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explore how the Youth Experience Survey data specific to youth and family connection developed a response within a family shelter.

·  Explain how to utilize domestic violence protocol to develop human trafficking protocol within an agency.

·  Demonstrate how to identify existing programs in your agency or community to introduce human trafficking and coordinate supports for anyone who might identify as a victim.

·  Specify the importance of shelters, including family-based shelter, to be aware of human trafficking and prepared on how to support those that might identify and need support.

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Through community-based practice, occupational therapy has impacted clients lives through sensory approaches of calming and alerting techniques to manage symptoms and increase occupational engagement. Using sensory-based approaches and a trauma-informed-care mindset expands treatment opportunities. Implementing sensory modulation techniques is beneficial to expand innovative treatment approaches for clients, especially those who have experienced trauma. Interventions related to sensory processing include activities and modalities with specific types and amounts of sensation, at strategic times of use, for a therapeutic purpose (Champagne, 2009).  Interventions through the use of the sensory modulation program created by Tine Champagne will assist in expanding growth in clients to decrease symptoms and increase occupational engagement to build skills for independent living. Increasing awareness to self-regulation, building sensory tool kits, developing sensory diets, and establishing sensory spaces will expand treatment with individuals with PTSD and other behavioral health needs. In this session you will gain an understanding of sensory based approaches and how to implement them to enhance treatment for survivors of human trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Identify specific assessments to use for sensory modulation treatments.

·  Examine sensory modulation treatment approaches to calm and alert clients to expand self-regulation skills.

·  Discuss how to put together a sensory diet for individuals with PTSD and/or other behavioral health needs.

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Through a European, Canadian and Mexican comparative study, it is possible to compare the legislation but also the public policies of these states in order to propose an improvement of the legal systems. Federal or confederal, these states have decided to adopt very different strategies in the area of human trafficking. If, at the Canadian level, federal immigration legislation needs to be studied, this must also be done at the European level. Taking into account the specificities of these states, the areas of criminal law, migration law and more broadly public policies will have to be analyzed. The ultimate goal of this presentation is to propose a process of improvement of these states according to the strengths and weaknesses of each. As a result of this research, the presenter’s aim to propose an interdisciplinary study in the field. Highly related to the law but more broadly to the social sciences, trafficking in human beings is an international crime to be fought in order to help their victims.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Compare legislation and public policy.

·  Examine how to improve the legal system through a comparative approach.

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