Anneke Lucas is a survivor of ritual abuse, mind control, and child sex slavery to the global elite. Now, she is an author and public speaker, leads workshops, and counsels with other survivors. At age six, Anneke was sold by her mother into an international pedophile ring involving world leaders. Like many victims, she was used in a well-oiled system of power where children were used for favors or blackmail. At age nine, she received mind control training to be a sex slave to the global elite and was promised a future of fame and fortune. However, there was a price to pay, and she knew she could not go along, even if it would cost her life. She refused, and though her life was spared, she was severely punished. At age 11, she was dramatically rescued from the ring by an insider, who gave her directions for her survival. Through her experiences at the seat of worldly power, through her long, ongoing healing process, and through service, Anneke developed intricate awareness of power, both on the global and personal level. The choice she made at age nine saved her integrity, and that act of rebellion was the thread that eventually led her back to her healed self. Every choice has an impact and a ripple effect and supports either truth and integrity or the toxic power system.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the experiences of a mind-controlled child sex slave

· Discuss the critical choice to forego power and riches for the sake of integrity

· Explain the need for integrity in a volatile world in order to fight a dark power system

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Youth in the foster care system are disproportionately susceptible to human trafficking, but there are steps able to be taken to prevent their exploitation if we understand why they are more vulnerable (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2017 & Middleton, J., Edwards, E., Cole, J., Ayala, R., & Dobson, V., 2020). In this session, the Empty Frames Initiative team will discuss data that illustrates how youth involved in the foster care system are more susceptible to human trafficking, delve into the situations driving the data, and discuss what can be done to prevent exploitation. Data from multiple sources on the connection of human trafficking to foster care will be reviewed, specifically data from the Polaris Project, Kentucky's Department for Community Based Services, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Youth. Individual situations leading to the exploitation of this population will be discussed, all of the situations mirroring the national issues, but amplified because of foster youth’s lack of connections. An example of this heightened vulnerability would be the common narrative of a disconnected youth looking for companionship, but amplified vulnerability because of a lack of supervision OR where an exploited individual does not see themselves as a victim, but amplified vulnerability because the state does not identify them as a trafficking survivor with the knowledge that trafficking was happening in the home. There will be additional conversation focused on preventing exploitation by ensuring that youth are receiving trauma informed counseling while in care and are connected to foster care specific resources before transitioning out of care. This presentation looks to equip the anti-trafficking community to advocate for and protect youth in and leaving foster care.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the data available about foster care and human trafficking

· Describe the common backgrounds and shared experiences of youth in foster care

· Provide resources to take further preventative action

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The Australian Government mandate to address the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking in the supply of goods and services to comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) (“the Act”) has revealed a spectrum of corporate responses. In 2021-22, Unchained Solutions, in partnership with Macquarie University, conducted research to understand the extent to which Australian entities were effectively reporting on actions taken to assess, address, and monitor the risk of modern slavery to people employed in their supply chains and operations. Stage one comprised deskwork analysis of 150 modern slavery statements registered with the Australian Border Force, utilizing the Unchained comprehensive compliance checklist based on the Government Guidelines for Reporting Entities (Home Affairs, 2019), and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (United Nations, 2011). Stage two comprised interviewing fifteen corporate entity representatives who were instrumental in steering their organisation’s response to Act. The research also drew upon insights from current academic papers and industry studies. Findings focus on four main areas: 1) key external stakeholder engagement; 2) the extent of investigation beyond direct suppliers; 3) the process for measuring effectiveness; and 4) the consultation process. Results indicate that most entities have limited their compliance activities to desk work processes, lack an effective strategy to collaborate and incentivize direct suppliers to conduct due diligence, lack a clear understanding of risk with indirect suppliers, and have not articulated a framework for measuring effectiveness. This presentation concludes with recommendations for further research and clear indicators for continuous improvement.

Presentation Objectives:

· Articulate the main tenets of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)

· Provide an overview of the study conducted in two stages, including main questions, methodology

· Present the key findings from the four main areas of investigation

· Articulate what future steps reporting entities could take for continuing improvement

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The study of resilience has largely relied on definitions and conceptualizations of resilience created by academia, with little knowledge produced being grounded in the experience and perspectives of marginalized and stressed populations (Knight et al., 2021; Mendenhall & Kim, 2019). As the voices of these groups are rarely integrated into sanctioned institutional discourses of knowledge, inequality is easily reproduced (Cruz, 2008). Specifically, there has been little exploration of how survivors of sex trafficking define and conceptualize resilience, risking the development of theoretical perspectives and practice recommendations on resilience that are oppressive, demeaning, irrelevant, or harmful to survivors. Sixteen survivors were thus recruited to answer the research question, “What does ‘resilience’ mean to you?” via interviews. Thematic analysis resulted in five themes: resilience as (1) resistance, (2) transition, (3) a sustained force over time, (4) transformation, and (5) resources. Participants primarily defined resilience as the output of their inherent and enduring power to survive and to shape their lives in preferred ways despite adversity. Academic literature emphasizes that resilience results from dynamic interactions between individual traits and external resources (e.g., Pangello et al., 205; Ungar, 2019). Participants emphasized that while resilience is promoted by external resources and opportunities, it is existent even in their absence. Findings suggest that for resilience inquiry and praxis to resonate with survivors, it must first acknowledge the inherent power of survivors already demonstrated by their survival and that resilience-enhancing programs should be aimed at supporting survivors’ native resilience and providing opportunities for that resilience to be manifested in new and preferred ways, rather than aiming at helping them to “become” resilient.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the study and highlight the importance of survivor knowledge being integrated into the intellectual grounding of the field

· Describe survivors’ conceptualizations and definitions of resilience and compare these with academic conceptualizations and definitions of resilience

· Discuss implications and recommendations for resilience-enhancing research and praxis

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Stories matters. Voices matters. Experiences matters. Autonomy matters. In a time where our stories and our voices can be so quickly shared, widely accessed, and just as easily distorted, the I Want You to See Me Project, is a platform for individuals who have been oppressed, marginalized, or exploited and gives them the reigns on how they want to be seen, heard, understood, and supported. The I Want You to See Me Project (“See Me”) is a creative, collaborative piece with the intention of shining a light on the stories and experiences that are often ignored, forgotten, or altered and amplifies the voices of those who have been silenced by society or among their community. This presentation highlights the results collected and lessons learned from implementing the “See Me” Project with various populations. By exploring the intersection of theatre and therapy, this presentation shares tools on how to create spaces to amplify the voices of others, instead of telling the stories of others. Audience members will learn the personal and societal barriers that prevent us from truly seeing one another, while also exploring the concept of storytelling through a digital era and will obtain a deeper level of understanding and connection across communities and populations. Participants will walk away with a greater understanding of how to support clients, friends, peers, and strangers through the process of claiming their stories.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide education on the concepts of Narrative Therapy, therapeutic storytelling, and the intersection of theatre and healing

· Describe how to support clients in finding autonomy, authenticity, and purpose through the act of telling their story

· Explore the ways in which increased digital connection has impacted storytelling in the global community

· Explain the concepts, principles, and outcomes of the “See Me” Project(s)

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Trauma impacts a disproportionate number of people with disabilities (Harrell, E., 2021). While many mental health practices provide trauma care as a specialty, many mental health professionals feel unprepared to treat individuals with disabilities who have experienced trauma. This session will provide training on general issues related to disability, as well as specific information on adapting interventions, to increase both competence and confidence for mental health support to individuals with disabilities. Participants will also learn about the “medical model” vs. the “social model” of disability and the impact that they have on the ability of individuals with disability to access appropriate trauma intervention. Dual diagnosis (disability plus a mental health diagnosis) will be discussed as an important consideration in developing treatment plans. The presenter will review trauma basics and discuss their application to individuals with disabilities and the impact of trauma in the lives of individuals with disability. She will also discuss risk factors that contribute to high incidence of trauma in the lives of individuals with disabilities. Participants will learn about communication differences, as well as challenges in perspective taking (Theory of Mind), that can influence the mental health professional’s choice of intervention approach, especially in work with clients with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Finally, the presenter will discuss specific tools and strategies that can be used in conjunction with evidence-based trauma interventions to support clients with disabilities in their trauma processing.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe trauma-informed care for survivors with disabilities

· Discuss the current gaps in mental health services for survivors with disabilities

· Describe resources that victims/survivors with disabilities have and why more mental health specialists needs to be trained specifically to serve this population

· Explain the best practices when providing services to adult victims with disabilities

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How to best assist LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness and reporting sex trafficking victimization is a developing field of knowledge. This study aimed to understand sex trafficking risk factors for LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness through the 2019 Youth Experiences Survey (2019 YES) and 16 follow-up interviews. The main findings include a) the odds of being LGBTQ+ and experiencing homelessness and reporting sex trafficking victimization were 2.41 times greater (95% CI: 1.22, 4.74) than being a cisgender heterosexual experiencing homelessness and reporting sex trafficking victimization; and b) risk factors that contributed significantly to a binary logistic regression model to predict being an LGBTQ+ young adult experiencing homelessness and reporting sex trafficking victimization included having a current medical issue, having a history of dating violence, having a childhood history of sexual abuse (ACEs sexual abuse), having a history of binging/vomiting, and having a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The interviews back up quantitative data for contextualization purposes. The findings of this study confirm the need for more services for LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness and reporting sex trafficking victimization.

Presentation Objectives:

· Explore the particular vulnerability of LGBTQ+ young adults and the ways in which traffickers seek to exploit these vulnerabilities in order to compel young adults into commercial sex

· Discuss implications for service providers and researchers

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The presenters of this session will discuss the importance of taking a collaborative approach to ensuring survivors of human trafficking have equitable access to healthcare. The session will highlight some of the situations that clinicians face that can be addressed when healthcare works with other disciplines to meet the survivors needs. These situations may range from having access to specialized clinicians able to provide specialized care to addressing language and communication barriers that may exist for the survivor. The presenters will highlight the importance of strong collaborative relationships between community and healthcare respondents in the process of advocating on behalf of the medical needs of the survivor and ensuring that healthcare is delivered in an equitable manner. The presenters will define a medical forensic examination and discuss the benefits of incorporating healthcare in the response to human trafficking. The session will reinforce the need for equitable access to healthcare by use of case studies that will identify complexities that can present challenges that require additional resources across all disciplines involved in providing a response. Identifying and addressing gaps in providing equitable services to such an already vulnerable population promotes a better experience for both the survivor and those providing the services. At the completion of the session, attendees will be able to recognize the role of healthcare and ways to work with healthcare to overcome existing barriers for survivors of human trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discus the importance of a collaborative approach to equitable access to healthcare for human trafficking survivors

· Explore the benefits of a medical forensic examination for survivors

· Identify and address challenges associated with providing an equitable access to healthcare for survivors

· Explore techniques to incorporate strategies for relationship building with community partners responding to human trafficking

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