Minnesota has made ground-breaking strides in legislation and service provision for sexually exploited and trafficked youth. However, victims of sex trafficking often have a variety of needs and encounter significant structural barriers in accessing services (Gibbs, et al., 2015). In 2018, the state initiated a project, led by the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA), to coordinate multidisciplinary teams working to develop community-specific protocols to improve the systems response to survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking. Using the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) model, a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to improving the response to sexual assault in local communities, can be used effectively to coordinate services for victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking (Vietor & Hountz, 2018). This interactive presentation will describe the protocol development process for responding to sexually exploited and trafficked youth, including successes and lessons learned from the field. The presenter will focus on practical skills and techniques for developing tailored protocols that reflect the unique needs of each community, as well as best practices for team formation and coordination.

Presentation Objectives:

· Explain and demonstrate the need for community-specific, multidisciplinary response protocols

· Discuss how protocol development is a tool for systems change

· Assist attendees in designing a process for development and implementation of protocols

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This presentation will address some of the issues when working with persons living with C-PTSD and dissociative disorders. Characteristically, abusers use a combination of fear, shaming, and conditioning to ensure their victims remain silent. Abusers have a strong interest in denial of abuse and in attempts to discredit the accounts of victims. This conditioning can be called several things: Brainwashing, Grooming, Stockholm Syndrome. This conditioning can lead to significant mental health hurdles and labels and barriers to exiting their situation. Individuals who have been deeply hurt by traumatizing, silencing, non-validating, and blaming abusers need access to systems of care, protection and justice that are knowledgeable, understanding, accepting, and validating, and which can offer interventions that become part of the solution rather than part of the problem. The presenters will discuss how they design treatment modalities that include the need for "therapeutic flexibility" by the therapist, family, and other care team members. Practices related to therapeutic flexibility start with understanding that the person being helped must be included in all stages of therapeutic engagement/treatment planning. Care team members need to work collaboratively and honestly/transparently share all input, fears, concerns, and successes when possible. Engagement with the person includes work in traditional and non-traditional settings utilizing several treatment approaches (talk, sensory integration, exposure therapy, etc.). Developing clear goals and recognizing the benefit of out-of-the-box approaches will create an environment for safety, growth, and healing.

Presentation Objectives:

· Briefly define C-PTSD and the scale of dissociative disorders and how they relate to therapeutic flexibility by understanding "out of the box" diagnosis and how therapeutic flexibility is necessary

· Describe how conditioning happens especially in childhood sexual exploitation and interpersonal familial violence

· Discuss how grooming, Stockholm Syndrome, and trauma bonding can create barriers to exiting situations and getting proper treatment.

· Describe the stance of therapeutic flexibility and why it is important for those who have experienced trafficking or CSEC

· Explore the challenges associated with the lack of properly trained therapist and inpatient care units

· Share real life scenarios and allow for conversation about out of the box solutions

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How can we better support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) survivors of trafficking? This session will address this question by starting with the basics – core concepts, terminology, and simple, but powerful actions we can all take. This basic knowledge is essential to serving survivors of human trafficking. At least within the sex trafficking realm, research suggests that LGBTQ+ individuals are disproportionately impacted. In other words, the percentage of LGBTQ+ human trafficking survivors is greater than the percentage of LGBTQ+ individuals in the general population. LGBTQ+ individuals experience unique challenges and have historically been marginalized and underserved. Moreover, human services professionals in the trafficking realm generally recognize that “relationship IS the intervention.” This fundamental principle forms the basis of this presentation. These human service professionals need basic knowledge of LGBTQ+ concepts and terminology, as well as supportive actions for LGBTQ+ individuals, in order to develop relationships. This session will review what it means to be LGBTQ+, some of the various identities that fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, working with pronouns, and tips for creating safer and more affirming spaces. The presentation will be activity based and emphasize application, asking participants to identify how they will incorporate lessons into their work once they return home. The presenters welcome those who are unfamiliar or apprehensive about the topic and will strive to create a space where participants can openly voice their questions and apprehensions.

Presentation Objectives:

· Define basic concepts related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, as well as common terminology used by LGBTQ+ communities

· Provide concrete tips and skills for better supporting LGBTQ+ survivors and creating safer and more affirming environments for them

· Discuss how attendees can apply lessons to their own work

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