In this session, attendees will learn the importance of networking and building relationships from the perspective of a survivor mother and anti-trafficking coalition advocate. They will also gain insight into advancing advocacy work to include civic engagement, non-government partnerships, and government support for combatting human trafficking at the local, state, and federal levels. Carolyn Kinkoph will explain changes in her life and career trajectory because of the human trafficking victimization of her daughter, Courtney. Carolyn’s journey includes separate roles as a mother, an advocate, and a doctoral candidate that often intersect through experience, connections, and education as the co-founder of the Alliance Against Human Trafficking (AAHT). Her experience, ability to collaborate, and education provide insight into transforming an anti-trafficking coalition from a multidisciplinary to an interdisciplinary approach for human trafficking prevention. It is important to understand the complexities and intersections of human trafficking along with the failure of several systems that drive Carolyn’s determination to command change. She will share how encounters with providers, law enforcement agencies, survivors, and professionals in various disciplines such as healthcare, education, social services, and community leadership further her ability to educate and partner with others. Attendees will learn about the importance of utilizing experience and education to encourage a proactive approach to breaking silos and coordinating efforts within and across systems to not only build a multidisciplinary team but also to utilize an interdisciplinary approach to work together to promote trauma-responsive comprehensive care for victims and survivors of human trafficking, exploitation, and abuse.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss the importance of networking and building relationships using an interdisciplinary approach to human trafficking prevention

·  Explain what was learned as a result of the personal and professional experiences of the presenter

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The Safe Shelter Collaborative is a program that finds shelter faster for survivors. Designed in collaboration with agencies that support survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence, the program is fueled by a technology service and by the community of shelters, agencies, and service providers that band together to find swift access to appropriate shelter. Seven years ago, the program was designed in collaboration with agencies across the state of New Jersey and since then has expanded to over 200 member agencies spanning 18 states in the U.S. Each hub of member agencies are autonomous groups that identify collectively the region they serve that fits the needs of their clients and service area. Agencies that comprise the hub in San Diego County have been members of the Safe Shelter Collaborative for over three years, and in that time have formed a steering committee that has driven efforts to expand the number of sheltering agencies in their region, the types of programs that can provide referrals for shelter and has influenced important improvements to the technology service that fuels the Safe Shelter Collaborative. This presentation will describe the Safe Shelter Collaborative and offer attendees an opportunity to see it in action, while hearing stories of how community participation designed the solution nationally and accesses shelter resources locally. A member of the SoCal hub will share how they organized to support finding shelter faster in their region and the lessons they learned to those who want to join the Safe Shelter Collaborative in the future.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe successful models for community collaboration

·  Discuss local and regional options for sheltering trafficking survivors

·  Explain how technology might fit into sheltering operations

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Las Vegas, Nevada is a known hub of sex trafficking in the United States (Bahouth, 2021). The number of sex traffickers and victims in the city at any given time is overwhelming to law enforcement and precision policing is critical. The goal of law enforcement intervening in sex trafficking situations in Las Vegas is to hold sex traffickers accountable without forcing a victim to participate in their trafficker's prosecution. Victim participation in prosecution until now has been essential to prosecution but has caused great harm to victims. This study explains a policing technique using undercover police officers to create situations when sex traffickers reveal themselves and their intention of sex trafficking to the undercover officers. Once a trafficker was identified and they were linked to potential victims, the victims were offered services to exit the sex trafficking situation. The research questions for this study included: 1) What are the characteristics of the sex traffickers? 2) Did they also sell drugs and were they gang involved? and 3) What did they offer the undercover officers? From January 2021 to December 2022, 303 sex traffickers were identified and arrested for pandering with no victim involvement. The sex traffickers were 99% male. They were from 18 other states and nearly 100% had previous criminal involvement. Recommendations from this study include intervening with males in juvenile corrections, communicating with Nevada State Police about the movement of traffickers from different states, and communicating with other divisions in LVMPD about gang and drug involvement of the sex traffickers.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Provide an overview of the VPTI

·  Provide a description of the study of the VPTI over 2 years including the research questions, methods used, and findings

·  Describe the implications and recommendations from this study

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After summarizing the dynamics that influence commercially sexually exploited patient-victims, the presenters will take the audience through a case study of a child who experienced sexual exploitation. This includes an overview of medical needs that providers may observe in a child who may be experiencing sexual exploitation, strategies for engaging and building rapport with the child, what acute and follow up care should look like, how an evaluation at a children’s advocacy center could occur, and how clinic procedures can be adapted to better foster engagement and rapport building. The audience will also learn about complex trauma and evidence-based interventions for treating the therapeutic needs of children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Moreover, Ms. Helms will provide an overview of Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and adaptations that can be made to this intervention that both meet the needs of the patient. The audience will also learn about the Stages of Change, and specific ways that this theory has been adapted and applied to the commercially sexually exploited child (CSEC) population and how the care team sought to embody this theory to better foster collaboration and continuity of care. The overall goal of this presentation is to enhance understanding of the role of children’s advocacy centers in providing care for CSEC youth. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the medical/mental health needs of this population, be able to identify practical steps to advocating for appropriate care, and gain knowledge of evidence-based interventions.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Identify common mental and medical health needs of the CSEC population

·  Discuss appropriate interventions to meet mental and medical health needs of CSEC population

·  Describe what an assessment at child advocacy center (CAC) should look like

·  Discuss how to apply aspects of Stages of Change Model to clients/patients

·  Explain the importance of working as a multidisciplinary team (MDT) in cases of CSEC

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Exploitation of young children typically involves family members or other trusted adults selling the child for money, drugs, or something else of value. Manufacturing of child sexual abuse material also falls under this category. Survivor narratives often point to faith-based institutions as safe-havens for the sexual exploitation of children by the familial trafficker, with trafficking often taking place within the church itself. This begs the question: Is the church a missed opportunity for identification and intervention of trafficked children throughout the community? Do these institutions unwittingly enable the commercial sexual exploitation of children with gendered values, beliefs, and norms (Commonwealth of Australia, 2017)? This presentation will discuss why religion is used as a tool to facilitate familial trafficking, how the trafficker presents within a faith-based setting, and how the church can best respond to allegations of sexual exploitation, as revealed by family trafficking survivors themselves (Hassan, 2018).

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss familial exploitation, including key indicators of exploitative family dynamics

·  Describe the presentation of the familial trafficker within a faith-based setting and how the trafficker uses religion to facilitate exploitation of young children

·  Identify missed opportunities for intervention and explore best responses by religious communities

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Kyrgyzstan is a source, transit, and destination country for severe forms of human trafficking (HT) (Ryazantsev et al., 2015; Akee et al., 2010). Migration (Critelli et al., 2020), poverty, unemployment, ethnic tensions, mass migration, and an unstable political situation have created extreme vulnerability—and thus, favorable conditions for HT. Further, extensive corruption exacerbates the spread of HT in Kyrgyzstan with law enforcement believed to be complicit in the trafficking industry (Madi, 2010). Much of what is known about HT in Kyrgyzstan comes from media reports (Begalieva, 2020; Akylbekova, 2017; Akylbekova, 2014; UN Women, 2019). This study aimed to examine processes of recruitment, conditions of exploitation, and facilitators leading to exit among those exploited in the commercial sex and labor markets in a member country of the former Soviet Union--an area of the globe where empirical data have, to date, not been collected. This investigation collected survey data (N=487) and currently collecting qualitative data (conducted 11 interviews with target N= 30) from survivors of labor and sex trafficking through semi-structured interviews. The survey captured the Kyrgyz population awareness and knowledge of HT and their exposure to HT online or in person. Interview data from survivors will yield information on recruitment strategies, domestic and international trafficking routes, and service needs to mitigate revictimization. The findings of the research will have a noteworthy impact on scholarly work in identifying trafficking mechanisms of recruitment as well as facilitate the development of preventive interventions among vulnerable populations of Kyrgyzstan.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Provide an overview of the initial goals and methods of the research

·  Describe how and why the study aims and methods changed through time

·  Describe initial results of survey data collected from Kyrgyzstan and interview data from victim/survivors

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Lived experience experts are advocates and leaders who combat exploitation, support peers, and drive the anti-trafficking movement. There is limited published research that explicitly focus on survivor experts’ lived experience in their roles (Lockyer, 2020; Helpingstine et al., 2021). The investigator aimed to explore survivor experts’ experiences in their advocacy and leadership roles and to examine the assets and resources they utilize to successfully fulfill their purpose. Empowerment and resiliency theory served as the guiding frameworks for this qualitative dissertation study. A strengths-based, trauma-informed semi-structured interview guide vetted by a survivor advocate was used to conduct in-depth interviews with 15 lived experience experts. Six themes emerged from the study: 1) Dynamic Multi-faceted Advocates, Experts, and Leaders; 2) Driven to Make Meaningful Impact; 3) Scaling Mountains of Adversity, Barriers, and Challenges; 4) Harnessing One’s Expert “Superpowers” and “Superhero” Assets; 5) Skillful Utilization of Resources and Supports; and 6) Expansion of Thriverhood. The results of this study expand on burnout and attrition risk factors that experts overcome to stay engaged in anti-exploitation/anti-trafficking efforts. The results highlight promotive and protective factors of resiliency and resourcefulness that experts use to thrive in their roles. Practical system and organizational level recommendations to support and promote thriverhood for all lived experience experts in the anti-trafficking/anti-exploitation movement will be discussed. Also, key areas for continued research will be identified.

Presentation Objectives:

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

·  Describe the implications and recommendations based on the research to support and promote thriverhood for all lived experience experts in the anti-trafficking/anti-exploitation movement

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Disability familial exploitation is happening every day, everywhere; this needs to be brought to light. Brenna has a unique understanding of disability exploitation by outside agents or family members, witnessing how people treat differently-abled people like they are less than human. Brenna will use 15 stories from her own experiences of both intentional and unintentional cases of exploitation. Since people with disabilities often communicate differently, people treat them like they do not have voices, choices, or dreams, making decisions for them, instead of respecting their choices. People with disabilities often have it reinforced if they say no, they will be labeled as combative, defiant, resistant, or confrontational. If they do not like something, they will be confined and drugged until they submit. Learned helplessness is a damning legacy that is forced on people every day. This needs to change; it's time that these abusers are recognized as perpetrators of a hate crime. Recognizing these victims is crucial to their safety, as is dealing with them using a trauma-informed client-centered approach. Every human being is entitled to the same respect, dignity, and sovereignty as everyone else. People just want to be loved and accepted for who they are. That does not happen all the time, and organizations, governments, and individuals need to make real changes. During this session, familial trafficking survivor, Brenna Wallace, will discuss her experience during and after her exploitation.

Presentation Objectives:

·       Raise awareness of familial disability exploitation and trafficking

·       Provide a call to action for people working with individuals with disabilities

·       Share her lived experience as a familial trafficking survivor with a disability

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