Creating Thrivers: Empowering Sex Trafficking Victims to Thrive through Sustained Employment

Kathy Vasquez, Celia Williamson, Kizzy Williams, Lisa Belton, Chris Demko & Brittney Thames | September 10 | 2:45 - 3:45 PM | Room 2584

From funded grants and evidenced based practice, our collaborators were able to empower 6 sex trafficking victims to move beyond becoming survivors, to becoming thrivers, working full time in the helping professions. This panel will discuss the Community Health Worker project in Lucas County from conception to implementation. We will provide definitions of victim, survivor, and thriver, and why it’s necessary to finish the support needed by creating economic empowerment for those that have been victims of sex trafficking. Members of the panel will discuss each component of the project toward creating successful thrivers.

About the Presenter

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Kathy Vasquez

Kathy Vasquez, is Associate Vice President for Government Relations at the University of Toledo and Director of the UT and Ohio Statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC) for Ohio's seven medical schools. She is also Project Director of the MedTAPP Health Care Access grants for Community Health Worker training. Her areas of specialization are, public policy and advocacy, program development and implementation, healthcare workforce policy, community-based education, and collaborative ventures. Kathy holds a Master's of Science and Education and holds the rank of Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, as well as in the Public Health Program

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Celia Williamson, PhD

Dr. Celia Williamson founded the first anti-trafficking program in Ohio, completed 9 studies, 17 articles/reports, and edited 2 books on sex trafficking. Dr. Williamson serves as Director of the Human Trafficking & Social Justice Institute at the University of Toledo. Williamson occasionally completes other studies such as the Suicide Study

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Lisa Belton, MSW

Lisa Belton, MSW, is a Research Associate in the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute at the University of Toledo. She has served as a member of the Ohio Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Commission’s Research and Analysis subcommittee and as a regional epidemiologist for Ohio’s Mental Health and Addiction Services. 

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2015Firas NasrKathy Vasquez, Celia Williamson, Kizzy Williams, Lisa Belton, Chris Demko & Brittney Thames10:2:45