Women exploited through prostitution are understood to have limited social support, and often the relationships they do have are coercive or exploitative. For many women, their relationship with a supportive and skilled practitioner can mean the difference between being able to move away from exploitation or remaining entrenched (Bindel et. al., 2012). However, practitioners are often told that their role is “to support” and are left to figure out the parameters of these complex relationships alone. Practitioners working in this sector have high levels of vicarious trauma and burn-out, and support organizations experience a high staff turnover (Ashley-Binge & Cousins, 2019). The aim of this research is to improve understanding of the dynamics of forming, maintaining, and safely ending formal support relationships, within which the practicalities of exit can be addressed. In-depth interviews were conducted with support practitioners who work with prostituted women (within services including housing, healthcare, addictions specialists, police, mental health) (n=29), women accessing services (n=15), and exited women (n=10). The findings converge into five main areas. Three were identified as essential to strong relationships: modeling positive relationships, mediating messages of broader society, and genuine warmth within safe boundaries. Two were identified as common barriers to successful support: the risks of “mothering” women through support and creating dependence. This presentation ends with the introduction of a practical toolkit for practitioners across non-specialist services to aid the establishment of safe and supportive relationships, with the aim of better supporting exploited women, whichever services they access.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study, including main questions, methodology, and findings

· Introduce a practical toolkit for support practitioners based on the research

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Human trafficking refers to the exploitation of an individual using force, fraud, or coercion. Substance use, in the context of trafficking, is complicated. Traffickers are known to target individuals with mental health and substance use issues, which exacerbates an individuals’ vulnerability to being trafficked. Further, traffickers use substances as a means of coercion, mainly to get victims to comply with their demands, increase productivity, inhibit self-protection, decrease escape attempts, and continue entrapment (Zimmerman et al., 2011). Substances are also used by the victim as a means of coping with their unfathomable trauma. Substance misuse can have devastating results for trafficking victims, including addiction, overdose, self-harm, infections from needle use, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B/C, and brain or liver damage. Additionally, many victims are forced to engage in criminality, such as illicit drug production and transportation (U.S. Department of State, 2014), which may lead to involvement with the criminal justice system. Collectively, these factors increase the susceptibility of individuals being trapped in a life of exploitation, which will be explored throughout the presentation.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the complex connection between human trafficking and substance misuse

· Identify how substance use makes individuals susceptible to being trafficked

· Discuss ways in which traffickers use substances to maintain entrapment

· Identify how victims are forced into criminality, regarding drug production and transportation

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Community safety is of critical importance. People with sexually oriented offenses return to our community every day creating anxiety and fear for both the offender and the community. The need to protect society from perpetrators that inflict violence upon vulnerable others is the purpose for some of the work we do today. Is there ever a time that reformed perpetrators and those in recovery can be useful to the cause to end violence? Some former gang members help professionals understand the issues and return to their communities to support current gang members to change their lives. But is there a space where a recovering rapist can help? Is there a place where a former child sex abuser can help? Can a former trafficker be genuinely helpful to the cause? Whose permission and approval do they need? Are they banished forever and if so, where will they go and what will they do when they get out of prison? How far do your acts of forgiveness and your belief in redemption and recovery go? Is it acceptable to believe recovery is possible for survivors, but not for perpetrators? It is time to be consistent in your beliefs and be challenged. This session will consist of a question-and-answer interview with a former child molester turned anti-trafficking and child protection advocate. He has spent the last few decades in therapy and in researching and learning the process of recovery and change and helps others do the same. He openly and honestly shares his experience, thoughts, research, and work.

Presentation Objectives:

· Challenge audience members to understand the value that people in recovery can bring to a cause

· Discuss the main principles of restorative justice and re-entry

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Survivors of human trafficking have plenty of compelling reasons for telling their story. They may hope to educate allies about how trafficking works, help others avoid the same fate, or take back their power by speaking for themselves in their own words. But figuring out how to tell these stories can be difficult. Survivor speakers realize they cannot fit everything that happened to them into one presentation but, at the same time, they find it hard to decide what to include and what to leave out. They may also struggle with questions about organizing everything, using statistics and other data, dealing with difficult or intrusive questions from the audience, and where, oh where, to start? This session is designed for survivors who are interested in telling their story and would like some professional guidance. Nancy Hardcastle, a public speaking coach who specializes in the anti-trafficking field, will focus on three areas that are crucial to a successful “survivor story” presentation. She’ll explain how to: 1) prioritize self-care throughout the presentation process so that each phase is empowering rather than exploitive, 2) choose the organizational format that is best suited to a survivor’s experience, and which will guide them in deciding what to discuss, and 3) use presentation techniques that will capture and maintain an audience’s attention. Following this session, survivors will have tools to help them create engaging and informative presentations based on their stories, and they’ll also feel more confident to assert themselves through each stage of the event.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss how survivors can prioritize self-care throughout the presentation process so that each phase is empowering rather than exploitive

· Explain different ways survivors can organize their story and how to choose the organizational format best suited to their experience

· Demonstrate techniques suitable for both virtual and in-person events that will help survivors capture and maintain their audience’s attention

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Human trafficking intervention relies on the 3p’s paradigm. However, insufficient guidelines are offered regarding resource allocation for each “p.” The Murray et al. (2015) “Victim Intervention Marketing” framework can offer guidelines. In the framework, victims enter and remain in human trafficking situations voluntarily (i.e., the absence of interpersonal coercion), semi-voluntarily (i.e., pressure by a loved one), or involuntarily (i.e., children and coerced adults). Murray et al. (Archives of Criminology, 2021) expanded the framework to include the 3P’s. Each p is emphasized for a specific victim entry/continuance mode. For instance, prevention and prosecution should be de-emphasized for voluntary entrants, who are typically impoverished. In the short run, preventing them from working, and/or prosecuting their traffickers is likely to render them worse off. Thus, an emphasis on protection (e.g., food donations) should be emphasized. Prevention and prosecution are approached with similar logic. The result is a 3x3 matrix, where each cell has an optimal mix of p’s. When victim percentages are determined for each cell, minor computations indicate the percentage of resources that should be allocated for each p (ceteris paribus). Specifically, for each p, the row and column percentages (of victims) are summed and divided by two. Based on a sample of 55,000 global human trafficking victims from the CTDC, Vernon Murray and Sherry Dingman determined that global trafficking interventions should allocate 60% of its resources to prosecution, 30% to protection, and 10% to prevention. Global strategists should incorporate the above percentages into strategic plans. Co-author on this research project was Sherry Dingman.

Presentation Objectives:

· Present the "Victim Intervention Marketing" and the "Extended Victim Intervention Marketing" framework

· Present the current global percentages in each cell of the extended framework

· Show the mathematical equation for allocating global resources to each of the 3p's

· Show the percentages of the worlds human trafficking resources that should be allocated to each p.

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Domestic Sex Trafficking (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children) has been and continues to be a huge problem for our youth. When the general public hears “sex trafficking”, they think about the adult woman brought over from another country forced into prostitution (Bales & Soodalter, 2009). The average person does not know that our children here in the United States are being forced into prostitution every day. This presentation will introduce the audience to the culture of domestic sex trafficking, also known as “The Game.” Those involved in this subculture have rules to live by; rules that must be followed to avoid severe consequences. They use their own unique language and live by a certain code. Any trafficker can manipulate a minor into this seedy world of trafficking. However, one youth may be more susceptible than another. Victimology will explain to the audience how, through no fault of her own, a youth gets manipulated into “The Life.” It will also discuss how a trafficker manipulates a youth into entering the world of trafficking. A little girl does not often think of becoming a prostitute, but after being manipulated, it is all they believe they were meant to be. This discussion is based on the speaker’s knowledge and experience working with youth. In working with a youth to get her out of “The Life,” the best path is the multi-disciplinary approach. A wraparound team to include social services, mental health, advocates, and law enforcement must work together with the youth to be successful.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the culture of “The Game”

· Describe how a trafficker manipulates a youth into sex trafficking

· Describe how a youth gets manipulated into trafficking

· Discuss the realities for a youth in “The Game”

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Special Agent Nicholas Riba and Regional Navigator Kate LePage will discuss online solicitation of youth and when it becomes a criminal case. The presenters will showcase aspects in online cases of exploitation and how they differ from in-person sex trafficking and exploitation transactions. The presenters will use case scenarios, federal and Minnesota statutes, as well first-hand experience facilitating chat stings and seeing cases through to prosecution in order to equip attendees with knowledge as it relates to the criminal components needed in online solicitation to move forward in the court system. The presentation will also provide attendees with avenues for the monitoring of online activity, a minor’s rights to privacy, criminal aspects of the issue, and how to collaborate effectively with community and system-based partners. Lastly, the presenters will discuss consistent social media platforms and various up-and-coming platforms that have gained traction in Minnesota since FOSTA (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) was passed in 2018. Participants will leave with a general understanding of what makes a case of online solicitation criminal, and the following steps that can be taken by law enforcement, social services, advocacy, and parents or caregivers. This session will accomplish these objectives through lecture, sharing personal experiences, and case scenarios.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the criminal aspects of “sexting” and when a criminal case is possible

· Explain how to screen and follow up with cases involving online transactions for photos or videos

· Provide resources to support social workers, foster families, and guardians in the monitoring of online safety for youth

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The Bedia is a historically marginalized De-notified Tribe in India that is engaged in “traditional” intergenerational community-based commercial sex. The community faces discrimination due to their engagement in commercial sex. While Agrawal (2008) questions the “traditionality” of this practice, under-age Bedia girls continue to engage in commercial sex to support their families. While scholars (Dalla, et al. 2020) have laid the foundation for analyzing structural factors that perpetuate caste-based commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) among the Bedia, it is imperative to understand the particular familial and financial conditions that make a Bedia child vulnerable. A case narrative-based enquiry, substantiated by quantitative data collected from 544 Bedia households across 13 villages in 5 districts of Madhya Pradesh in January 2021, was conducted to answer two questions: 1) What familial conditions (and connections) exacerbate vulnerability for Bedia girls? and 2) How can one utilize household economic analysis to predict vulnerability for Bedia children? Findings illuminate a complex web of relationship between gender norms, financial dependency, family income and family size, age of a girl, etc. Factors such as a family’s social circle, a girl’s peer network, and unforeseeable events (such as the pandemic, or death in the family) further act as push and pull factors. The presentation concludes with how Samvedna, a Bhopal-based organization that works with the Bedia community to combat caste-based CSE, is designing and implementing interventions using this analysis framework, and the challenges the organization faces in doing so.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss a framework based on familial relationships and economics to assess a Bedia child’s vulnerability to CSE

· Describe the research design and implementation of interventions based on the mentioned framework

· Discuss the challenges faced in implementing these interventions

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Healthcare is becoming a key partner in the anti-trafficking field, providing needed medical and mental health services for victims. The healthcare setting is also a unique opportunity to identify victims of trafficking and link them with resources to exit their trafficking situation. Several important efforts have been made to create a screening tool whereby healthcare personnel can ask patients questions so that trafficking victims can be identified. CommonSpirit Health has taken an alternative approach, using instead indicators of trafficking that may be observed in the course of treatment and providing a link to resources, without seeking a disclosure. The protocol for this has been described as the PEARR steps: Provide privacy, Education, Ask, Respect, and Respond. This protocol has been piloted at Dignity Health facilities within CommonSpirit Health and has been utilized by several other healthcare systems across the country. In an effort to advance the work in the field, CommonSpirit Health partnered with Arizona State University’s Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research (STIR) to study the PEARR protocol. Healthcare personnel at three hospitals in Bakersfield, California were trained on human trafficking and the use of the PEARR steps. Findings from the study will be shared, including the impact of the protocol on the following: 1) quantity and quality of victim identification and response, 2) healthcare personnel’s ability to respond appropriately to victims, and 3) outcomes for victims, including linkage to community resources. Participants will discover how trauma-informed practices can help identify and respond to victims in a healthcare setting.

Presentation Objectives:

· Explain the rationale behind the PEARR approach

· Describe the key steps of the PEARR approach

· Present research findings on validating the protocol

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Human trafficking involves experiences of trauma in which a survivor’s autonomy is systematically stripped from them through psychological, physical, and emotional abuse, and other tactics of force, fraud, and coercion (Polaris, 2021). Trauma-informed practice (TIP) involves recognition of the impact of trauma on survivors and the centering of their autonomy (SAMHSA, 2014). TIP is crucial to service delivery for human trafficking survivors (e.g., Heffernan & Blythe, 2014). This action-research developmental evaluation set out to answer the following questions: 1) What does it look like to implement trauma-informed practice with human trafficking survivors effectively; and 2) What are the barriers to implementing truly trauma-informed practice with this population? Findings are based on a national survey of 157 providers, 32 provider interviews, and interviews with 10 trafficking survivors. This study found that while most providers report an understanding of TIP, they need more support in implementation, particularly when survivor autonomy and provider perceptions of safety are in conflict. Secondly, effective TIP implementation requires on-the-ground experience. Staff turn-over poses a critical threat to the continuity of effective TIP for survivors. Finally, the disproportionate allocation of resources, expertise, and research to sex trafficking over labor trafficking presents a substantial barrier to the provision of TIP to labor trafficking survivors. This presentation concludes with recommendations for organizational leaders, providers of training and technical assistance, and policy makers. Intervention at each of these key points is necessary to dismantle barriers to providing truly trauma-informed services to trafficking survivors.

Presentation Objectives:

· Situate the current study in the field of relevant literature about the need for trauma-informed practice for human trafficking survivors

· Provide an overview of the study, including research questions, methodology, and findings

· Describe recommendations for organizational leaders, providers of training and technical assistance, and policy makers based on study findings

· Provide space for attendees to consider implications for their own work, research, and practice

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Through the lens of complex trauma and posttraumatic growth, this workshop will share recent findings from a qualitative study of 15 domestic sex trafficking survivors that focused on the impact and experiences of domestic sex trafficking survivors (Padgett, 2017). Through rich data from interviews and photovoice captioned images, workshop participants will hear and see direct evidence of the aspects of complex trauma as well as the capacity for posttraumatic growth (Tedeschi and Calhoun 2004; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2006; Spinazzola et. al., 2001; Choi et. al., 2009). Finally, workshop participants will receive recommendations directly from the voices of survivors on what factors help or hinder community reintegration (Evans, 2022).

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss complex trauma and how it is observed in victims of domestic sex trafficking

· Discuss posttraumatic growth and how it is observed in victims of domestic sex trafficking

· Provide recommendations for post-trafficking community reintegration that come directly from survivors of sex trafficking

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There is a “growing body of research” documenting human exploitation being uncovered during disaster events, or displaced persons being exploited during the post-disaster recovery efforts. Our State and Federal emergency management agencies are trained and prepared to respond to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, and pandemics. But they are not suitably trained to identify and respond to the criminal element that seeks to prey on the displaced and vulnerable victims of the disaster. This presentation will review illustrative case studies indicating trafficking activity related to Hurricane’s Katrina (2005) and Harvey (2017), The Haitian earthquake (2010), and the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. The presenters will highlight how disasters can create or exacerbate victim vulnerabilities; how traffickers are quick to exploit these weaknesses; how emergency management agencies can better prepare to identify and respond to this threat through education out-reach and recovery contract review; and identify developing/emerging best practices by specialized task forces in pre-exploitation disaster environment intervention. Participants will gain a deeper appreciation for the interplay between disaster events and exploitation as well as emerging best practices for pre-exploitation disaster environment intervention.

Presentation Objectives:

· Articulate how traffickers exploit vulnerabilities during/post natural disasters

· Identify how emergency management agencies can prepare, respond, and protect vulnerable people from exploitation

· Identify basic awareness and identification of potential HT victims in a disaster

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Child welfare (CW) agencies are working to create a continuum of care to address the needs of commercially sexually exploited youth (CSE) and youth at risk of CSE. A key aspect of this has been the development of residential services that specialize in serving CSE or at-risk youth, including shelter, foster, congregate, and residential treatment care facilities. The Families First Prevention Services Act has furthered efforts to define what high quality service standards are for residential settings and has created an opportunity for states to invest in programming that supports CSE youth and prevents initial or subsequent victimization. In interviews of two providers that serve CSE youth combined with a review of research on CSE programming responses that included 128 additional providers were used to answer the following question: What does it mean to provide quality supportive services in congregate care settings to children and youth who have experienced or are at risk of sex trafficking? The findings of this analysis focus on 4 main areas: 1) the impacts of sex trafficking on survivors, 2) challenges in defining a target population, 3) considerations for defining program standards for congregate care settings serving young people who are survivors or are at risk of sex trafficking, and 4) coordination by state actors. In addition to reviewing the research findings, this presentation also includes a comprehensive discussion on how this information is being utilized in the development and implementation of child welfare policy and practice related to standards of care in specialized residential facilities.

Presentation Objectives:

· Create understanding of the impact of Families First Prevention Services Act on specialized residential facilities for CSE youth

· Provide an overview of a study on standards of care and aspects pertaining to specialization in serving CSE youth in specialized residential settings, including methodology and findings

· Discuss the implications of this study on the development and implementation of child welfare policy related to standards of care

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The restavék system is a form of forced child labor practices and child trafficking (Kennedy, 2015). Children in domestic servitude are also often deprived of food, have poorer education, worse sleep quality, do not have time to play or do their homework, and are forced to perform excessive labor (Cooper et al., 2012). In the worst-case scenarios, they are victims of physical and sexual violence (Cooper at al., 2012). As a result, restavék children are likely to experience worse mental health outcomes than children not in domestic servitude (Kennedy, 2014). The presenter will explain the need for more detailed research surrounding causes and outcomes of restavék populations. Haiti Now is a non-profit organization that focuses on supporting the needs of restavék children and understanding the underlying roots of the rise in restavék children. This presentation not only describes the programming that Haiti Now has accomplished, but also Haiti Now’s current research project investigating the following areas: domestic abuse, access to education, mental health, access to healthcare, and socioeconomic factors impacting the growth or decline of children in the Restavèk’s system. The presenter will explain how this research will contribute to the development of a residential school to support restavék children. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of the damage that results from the restavék system, some of the ways in which Haiti Now and other organizations have already intervened, and next steps for addressing this problem.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the impact of the restavék system on youth educational and health outcomes

· Explain the root causes of the restavék system and challenges to intervening

· Describe how the development of residential schools could improve youth outcomes in Haiti

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Dr. Navdeep Kang is a psychologist and thought leader for clinical best practices in mental health and addiction medicine. His experience leading teams within hospital systems and in specialty healthcare provide a well-rounded perspective on assessing acuity, managing care transitions, and ensuring long-term success for patients. Mental health and addiction are intricately interwoven with experiences of human trafficking, with substance use or mental illness frequently presenting as symptoms of trauma. People with past trauma, especially survivors of human trafficking, often face a multitude of psychological, social, and biological issues. Treatment modalities for survivors of human trafficking should include, at the very least, a full assessment of mental health and substance use treatment needs. It is also important to understand that psychological, relational, and social wounds are often chronic and rarely solved with a short-term program alone. Ongoing support and treatment are frequently the best way to ensure long-term success for patients after trauma. The objectives of this presentation are to: 1) empower audience members to identify symptoms such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and substance use disorder that are common diagnoses of trauma survivors, 2) assist the audience in managing the care transition to evidence-based providers with long-term plans for patients, 3) highlight appropriate language when working with this population to reduce stigma, and 4) introduce some concepts from addiction medicine to help survivors understand their legal rights, create support systems, connect with local resources, and rebuild relationships post trauma.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss trauma and mental health issues as they relate to human trafficking and post rescue

· Describe Substance Use Disorders and why they are so connected

· Explain trauma signs and best practice treatments for MH and SUD issues

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Learn from the only former Pimp willing to speak out, has transformed his life, and is now dedicated to helping sex trafficking survivor advocates and others from going down his same path. Across the United States, awareness for sex trafficking is spreading like wildfire. With this new awareness, a new criminal element has been identified and laws are becoming stricter on the “Trafficker”. With this new awareness comes many questions that have remained unanswered. With unanswered questions, many experts have come up with their own answers and hypotheses to fill the void. The problem with this is the answers and conclusions that these “experts” have come to are incomplete and oftentimes misleading and/or over-sensationalized. This presentation brings a voice to the table that has gone unheard during this time of awareness. A voice that needs to be at the table if we, as a whole, are going to fully combat domestic sex trafficking. This presentation on domestic sex trafficking will finally enable the listeners to dispel the myths on this issue that have been put out and have gone undisputed. Listeners will be able to go into the mind of a trafficker, gain knowledge to better combat the issue, and be able to move from awareness to action.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe how the “Trafficker/ Pimp” enters the life of being a trafficker and why they do what they do

· Discuss the start of the epidemic and the true current state of domestic sex trafficking

· Help attendees identify the myths and their own subconscious bias when it comes to domestic sex trafficking, survivor advocacy, and the trafficker

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Service providers or caregivers to people with the lived experience of human trafficking need tools to effectively manage their own trauma. Often, the service providers have lived experience, and many times, they are allies that do not have the experience. In either case, the toll that is taken on service providers as well as the individuals themselves can leave them depleted, which often leads to burn-out or vicarious trauma. You love what you do, but you need to take care of yourself to re-energize for the next level. This session will help you identify where you are and give you tools to re-enforce and rebuild your personal resilience. You cannot feed anyone from an empty plate. It is important for you to learn how to digest what you hear, manage the effect it has on you, and develop a plan to recover. Self-care is not a luxury, it is an absolute necessity. The American Psychological Association published “Self-care has never been more important” in July 2020 encouraging service providers to take care of themselves. The first line on the National Association for Mental Health’s page titled “Taking Care of Yourself” states - “To be able to care for the people you love, you must first take care of yourself”. We often overlook self-care or think it is unimportant. Building personal resilience is a must to help us keep moving forward and providing effective care. You need to take make taking care of yourself a priority.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the stages of Compassion Fatigue

· Explain the importance of self-care

· Provide instruction, examples, and tools to establish a self-care program/routine

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Anecdotal reports from the front lines of the COVID-19 tell of a spike in human trafficking due to the pandemic. This analytic research explores the intersection between human trafficking and COVID-19. The main research questions are how to measure the impact of COVID-19 on human trafficking, which changes from the pandemic are changes are temporary (e.g., a spike in homelessness) and which are long-term (e.g., more online recruiting), and how to adjust policies and programs to respond to these changes. Much of the literature published so far, such as a special issue of the Journal of Modern Slavery, offers views from experienced experts (UNDOC) and anecdotal reports from field workers (G. Byrne, et. al., 2020), but little hard data. In this study, a data-driven approach compares year-over-year changes in human trafficking in the United Stated with the pre-COVID baseline to assess the impacts. Changes in key drivers due to the pandemic are analyzed to assess their impact on trafficking. The study finds that drivers of human trafficking most affected by the pandemic include increases in poverty, disproportional impact on marginalized communities, affluence and financial support for trafficking, and commoditization of labor and debt bondage. Housing instability has decreased during the pandemic, temporarily reducing this driver. In conclusion, COVID-19 has worsened human trafficking through financial disruption resulting in more victims, a temporary rise in online sexual exploitation, and likely permanent increases in online recruiting, selling, criminal funding, and management. Focus is needed on locations with the greatest increases and developing resources for the growing online marketplace for trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

· Use a statistical analysis to show attendees what groups of people are most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

· Show which risk factors have been aggravated by the pandemic

· Discuss which consequences of the pandemic should be short-term and long-term

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IN OUR BACKYARD (IOB), a national anti-trafficking nonprofit that links arms across America in the fight against human trafficking, was established in 2009. IOB operates seven programs focused on education, mobilization, and partnership. Bringing awareness to four million people daily was accomplished through one of IOB’s seven programs, Convenience Stores Against Trafficking, which equips communities to respond to and prevent human trafficking in 49 states. IOB developed the Convenience Stores Against Trafficking program in 2015 to drive over 500,000 IOB Freedom Stickers now placed across all 50 states. Freedom Stickers contain the National Human Trafficking Resource hotline to reach survivors safely inside a public restroom. Together, IOB links arms with convenience stores, government agencies, law enforcement, partner nonprofits, and the local community to stop this atrocity through its cost-free programs. Communities across America are invited to link arms with IOB to prevent and respond to human trafficking through industry-specific strategies such as Convenience Stores Against Trafficking to reach over half the U.S. population daily.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss why convenience stores care

· Provide documented recoveries through convenience stores

· Explain how to implement a community outreach through Freedom Stickers

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Child welfare is a key part of a comprehensive systems-level response to human trafficking. In recent years, child welfare agencies across the U.S. have initiated or strengthened strategies to address sex trafficking of children and youth in their states. Much of this work has been in response to requirements within federal legislation, such as Family First Prevention Services Act, Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, Preventing Sex Trafficking and Trafficking Victims Protection Act. While federal mandates create commonalities in required actions across states, child welfare response models for addressing sex trafficking of children and youth vary greatly. State-level responses have included policy and practices related to training, screening, child protective investigations, case management, multidisciplinary approaches, specialized services, and more. Having worked on developing responses within their respective states, the presenters have seen the importance of ensuring child welfare professionals, service providers, and other stakeholders understand child welfare’s role in serving youth who have experienced trafficking and responses that have been developed for identifying and serving these youth. This understanding can enrich collaborative responses at both the state, community, and case levels. This presentation will address child welfare’s role in responding to CSEC through the lens of federal requirements and the broader lens of safe harbor principles. Presenters will discuss common questions about child welfare’s response, including information on child welfare’s roles, responsibilities, and jurisdiction. To highlight variance in child welfare responses at the state level, presenters will also provide a comparative analysis of two differing response models in Florida and Minnesota.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide a better understanding of the relevant intersecting federal laws directing child welfare’s role in serving CSE children and how these federal requirements are being implemented at the state and local level

· Discuss common questions about the role of child welfare in responding to CSEC

· Highlight/compare the distinct response models for CSEC, including policy and practice in Florida and Minnesota

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