Registration for this year's conference is now closed.
2021 Conference Agenda
Tuesday, August 10th
Modern day labor trafficking: Best practices in the investigation and prosecution of labor trafficking cases | 9 - 10:30 am
Speakers: Chris Parente, Ashley Kizler, Brooks Abramson
AUSA Christopher Parente and FBI Special Agent Ashley Kizler and DOL Special Agent Brooks Abramson have over 25 years of collective experience investigating and prosecuting complex labor trafficking cases. This experienced team will discuss the challenges faced in identifying victims of labor trafficking and building strong cases against labor traffickers. The team will also discuss the importance of working with service providers throughout the investigation to ensure that victims have access to necessary services after their recovery by law enforcement.
Emergency Department Care Plan for Survivors of Human Trafficking: A Panel Discussion with Rush University Medical Center ED Multidisciplinary Health Care Team | 11 – 12:30 pm
Speakers: Nupur Shah, DO, Corey Goldstein, MD, Anna Candoleza, BSN, RN, Christy Birkey, MSN, RN, Jennie Paxton, RN, Michele Mcshea, MSW, Ashley Kuryla, MSW, Emma Brennan (moderator), Jasmine Grewal (moderator)
At Rush University Medical Center Emergency Department, we have a multi-disciplinary team of health care workers trained on principles of trauma-informed care and the red flags of Human Trafficking that collaboratively works together to care for survivors of Human Trafficking. Our collaborative group of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, Registered Nurses, Social Workers, Psychiatrists, and Emergency Medicine physicians rely on each other’s expertise to care for and address the needs of this population. We want to share our model of interdisciplinary collaboration in the ED as an exemplar for other hospitals and health systems to learn from to develop their own.
How Can Transportation Help Combating Human Trafficking? | 2 – 3:30 pm
Speaker: Kezban Yagci Sokat, PhD
The purpose of this seminar is to share state-of-the-art efforts going in the United States about the role of transportation in combating human trafficking to facilitate effective prevention programs and increase identification. It will inform ongoing national efforts on legislation, key initiatives, collaboration, data collection and research on transportation.
Wednesday, August 11th
Righting a Wrong: Criminal Records Relief for Survivors of Human Trafficking | 9 – 10:30 am
Speaker: Maggie Miller, Esq.
A seminar for all audiences regarding the legal response to human trafficking with a particular
focus on the necessity and mechanics of criminal records relief for survivors who accumulated
records in the state of Illinois. Geared toward attorneys and direct service providers, this
presentation will discuss the importance of criminal records relief as a mechanism to afford
survivors their rights under the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act and to remedy the
harms and barriers faced by those with publicly available criminal records. Attendees will learn
of the different types of records relief available, the basics of how to pursue various forms of
relief, and the ways that they can get involved to help survivors take this crucial step toward
reclaiming their narratives and moving forward.
Trafficking in the LGBTQ+ Community: Identifying Needs and Addressing Challenges in Service Provision | 11 – 12:30 pm
Speaker: Wade Arvizu, Human Trafficking Field Expert
LGBTQ+ populations are particularly vulnerable to isolation and marginalization, which often leads to exploitation. When researching demographics and statistics, LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately represented. Gender non-conforming and transgender youth experience increased difficulty in obtaining housing because most residential options are divided by gender. LGBTQ+ youth may be refused from foster homes if they are not in support of their gender identity and/or sexuality. These complexities limit services and safe housing for the LGBTQ+ community and lead to the overrepresentation of queer youth that experience commercial sexual exploitation and violence.
Action Research: Evaluating and Improving Multidisciplinary Approaches | 2 – 3:30 pm
Speakers: Kate Krieger, Sam Charm
This seminar will provide an overview of the importance and purpose of action research and the opportunity it presents to use data to make informed change. It will focus on how action research can be applied to multidisciplinary approaches and collaboration to address trafficking, presenting examples from the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force Action Research project as well as others. The presentation will include considerations and resources for attendees who want to use action research to improve their collaborations.
Thursday, August 12th
The Integral Role of Prevention in Eradicating Human Trafficking| 9 – 10:30 am
Speaker: Ashlie Bryant
In this seminar-style presentation suitable for all audiences, presenter Ashlie Bryant will discuss the significance of prevention through education and trauma-informed survivor empowerment within the movement to abolish human trafficking. Ms. Bryant will address prevention methodology through the lens of 3Strands Global Foundation’s (3SGF) organizational experience, demonstrating the extensive impact of a deliberate focus on prevention by sharing survivor participation and school community data. At a fundamental level, Ms. Bryant will equip session attendees with the tools needed to identify and respond to signs of human trafficking.
Understanding Whiteness and Racial Trauma: A Somatic Perspective to Equip White Anti-Trafficking Advocates | 11 – 12:30 pm
Speakers: Meggie Twible, LCSW, Becky Carter, LCPC, SEP
This presentation is an intermediate level workshop for white service providers, law enforcement, first responders, and community members invested in supporting survivors of sex and labor trafficking. Through exploration of Systemic Racial Trauma and Somatic Experiencing concepts, we will support participants to become more aware of their unconscious biases against people of color, and will equip them with tools to challenge these biases in order to best support human trafficking survivors. We will highlight concepts from authors such as Resmaa Menakem, Robin DiAngelo, and Ibram X. Kendi in their exploration of how white bodies can unknowingly perpetuate racism and how to cultivate an expansive and curious approach toward examining racial biases. Participants will engage in body-based exercises as a method of learning about the somatic concepts of titration, pendulation, constriction, and expansion in relation to race-related topics.
Practicing and Promoting Self-Care | 2 – 3:30 pm
Speakers: NAMI Staff
In NAMI Chicago’s Practicing & Promoting Self-Care presentation, we will highlight the current challenges to mental health posed by COVID-19 and will dive into concepts of wellness, individual self-care, and community care. Participants will learn about self-care strategies to utilize for themselves and for others, as well as the impact of compassion fatigue and secondary trauma.
Tuesday, August 10th
Modern day labor trafficking: Best practices in the investigation and prosecution of labor trafficking cases | 9 - 10:30 am
Speakers: Chris Parente, Ashley Kizler, Brooks Abramson
AUSA Christopher Parente and FBI Special Agent Ashley Kizler and DOL Special Agent Brooks Abramson have over 25 years of collective experience investigating and prosecuting complex labor trafficking cases. This experienced team will discuss the challenges faced in identifying victims of labor trafficking and building strong cases against labor traffickers. The team will also discuss the importance of working with service providers throughout the investigation to ensure that victims have access to necessary services after their recovery by law enforcement.
Emergency Department Care Plan for Survivors of Human Trafficking: A Panel Discussion with Rush University Medical Center ED Multidisciplinary Health Care Team | 11 – 12:30 pm
Speakers: Nupur Shah, DO, Corey Goldstein, MD, Anna Candoleza, BSN, RN, Christy Birkey, MSN, RN, Jennie Paxton, RN, Michele Mcshea, MSW, Ashley Kuryla, MSW, Emma Brennan (moderator), Jasmine Grewal (moderator)
At Rush University Medical Center Emergency Department, we have a multi-disciplinary team of health care workers trained on principles of trauma-informed care and the red flags of Human Trafficking that collaboratively works together to care for survivors of Human Trafficking. Our collaborative group of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, Registered Nurses, Social Workers, Psychiatrists, and Emergency Medicine physicians rely on each other’s expertise to care for and address the needs of this population. We want to share our model of interdisciplinary collaboration in the ED as an exemplar for other hospitals and health systems to learn from to develop their own.
How Can Transportation Help Combating Human Trafficking? | 2 – 3:30 pm
Speaker: Kezban Yagci Sokat, PhD
The purpose of this seminar is to share state-of-the-art efforts going in the United States about the role of transportation in combating human trafficking to facilitate effective prevention programs and increase identification. It will inform ongoing national efforts on legislation, key initiatives, collaboration, data collection and research on transportation.
Wednesday, August 11th
Righting a Wrong: Criminal Records Relief for Survivors of Human Trafficking | 9 – 10:30 am
Speaker: Maggie Miller, Esq.
A seminar for all audiences regarding the legal response to human trafficking with a particular
focus on the necessity and mechanics of criminal records relief for survivors who accumulated
records in the state of Illinois. Geared toward attorneys and direct service providers, this
presentation will discuss the importance of criminal records relief as a mechanism to afford
survivors their rights under the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act and to remedy the
harms and barriers faced by those with publicly available criminal records. Attendees will learn
of the different types of records relief available, the basics of how to pursue various forms of
relief, and the ways that they can get involved to help survivors take this crucial step toward
reclaiming their narratives and moving forward.
Trafficking in the LGBTQ+ Community: Identifying Needs and Addressing Challenges in Service Provision | 11 – 12:30 pm
Speaker: Wade Arvizu, Human Trafficking Field Expert
LGBTQ+ populations are particularly vulnerable to isolation and marginalization, which often leads to exploitation. When researching demographics and statistics, LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately represented. Gender non-conforming and transgender youth experience increased difficulty in obtaining housing because most residential options are divided by gender. LGBTQ+ youth may be refused from foster homes if they are not in support of their gender identity and/or sexuality. These complexities limit services and safe housing for the LGBTQ+ community and lead to the overrepresentation of queer youth that experience commercial sexual exploitation and violence.
Action Research: Evaluating and Improving Multidisciplinary Approaches | 2 – 3:30 pm
Speakers: Kate Krieger, Sam Charm
This seminar will provide an overview of the importance and purpose of action research and the opportunity it presents to use data to make informed change. It will focus on how action research can be applied to multidisciplinary approaches and collaboration to address trafficking, presenting examples from the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force Action Research project as well as others. The presentation will include considerations and resources for attendees who want to use action research to improve their collaborations.
Thursday, August 12th
The Integral Role of Prevention in Eradicating Human Trafficking| 9 – 10:30 am
Speaker: Ashlie Bryant
In this seminar-style presentation suitable for all audiences, presenter Ashlie Bryant will discuss the significance of prevention through education and trauma-informed survivor empowerment within the movement to abolish human trafficking. Ms. Bryant will address prevention methodology through the lens of 3Strands Global Foundation’s (3SGF) organizational experience, demonstrating the extensive impact of a deliberate focus on prevention by sharing survivor participation and school community data. At a fundamental level, Ms. Bryant will equip session attendees with the tools needed to identify and respond to signs of human trafficking.
Understanding Whiteness and Racial Trauma: A Somatic Perspective to Equip White Anti-Trafficking Advocates | 11 – 12:30 pm
Speakers: Meggie Twible, LCSW, Becky Carter, LCPC, SEP
This presentation is an intermediate level workshop for white service providers, law enforcement, first responders, and community members invested in supporting survivors of sex and labor trafficking. Through exploration of Systemic Racial Trauma and Somatic Experiencing concepts, we will support participants to become more aware of their unconscious biases against people of color, and will equip them with tools to challenge these biases in order to best support human trafficking survivors. We will highlight concepts from authors such as Resmaa Menakem, Robin DiAngelo, and Ibram X. Kendi in their exploration of how white bodies can unknowingly perpetuate racism and how to cultivate an expansive and curious approach toward examining racial biases. Participants will engage in body-based exercises as a method of learning about the somatic concepts of titration, pendulation, constriction, and expansion in relation to race-related topics.
Practicing and Promoting Self-Care | 2 – 3:30 pm
Speakers: NAMI Staff
In NAMI Chicago’s Practicing & Promoting Self-Care presentation, we will highlight the current challenges to mental health posed by COVID-19 and will dive into concepts of wellness, individual self-care, and community care. Participants will learn about self-care strategies to utilize for themselves and for others, as well as the impact of compassion fatigue and secondary trauma.