IMPACT REPORT:

Richmond's 1st Medical Training on Commercial Sexual Exploitation and the Sex Trafficking of Youth in the United States

Experts believe that Virginia's central location along major interstate corridors and its international points of connection make it vulnerable to trafficking activity. In 2016, Virginia had the 15th most cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline. The hotline received 610 calls reporting 116 cases of human trafficking in Virginia, the majority of which have been for women forced into sex work against their will. In 2015, the hotline received 624 calls referencing 145 cases of human trafficking from Virginia.

https://www.oag.state.va.us/media-center/news-releases/878-january-31-2017-herring-samaritan-house-hampton-roads-law-enforcement-sign-moa-creating-hampton-roads-human-trafficking-task-force

The top country of origin of
federally identified victims of
Human Trafficking in the U.S.
between 2012 - 2017
were from the United States.

Victims of human trafficking come from every socio-economic background. There is no one face of a victim. Human traffickers target vulnerability with no regard to age, race, nationality, citizenship, ethnicity, gender, GPA, community lived-in, school attended, education level, or income level. The greatest risk factor to being trafficked is AGE.

2016 research confirms that 1:6 endangered runaways

reported to NCMEC were likely sex trafficking victims.

A Trucker trusts his instincts and calls police

with his suspicions of human trafficking.

"A victim of either labor or sex trafficking has protected victim status, meaning, victims of human trafficking cannot be deported. My agency has the authority to authorize immigration relief for two years with Continued Presence....."

Federal regulations did not allow us to record Brian's remarks during the panel session.

"This is a horrific crime. One of the biggest challenges we need to overcome in order to actually change things is to be able to ask the tough questions, the uncomfortable questions, the sexualized questions...."

"If you identify early, at the beginning or before their exploitation, and you focus on prevention, you can really, truly, effect change and get someone on a different path."

"Sex trafficking is a public health epidemic. We need to go from recognition to action and tackle this problem like the public crisis that it is. It's important to shift our perspective and ask: What are wew going to do about the problem?"

"I was seen as a criminal. I was talked to like a criminal. So I felt like I had to take responsibility for everything in my life, going back to when I was 15 years old, skipping school to hang-out with Greg."

"Please understand that you nor anyone else can save or rescue a victim of trafficking. What you can do and what we need from you, is to provide us with the tools that we need in order to save ourselves."

"Lack of awareness is the biggest obstacle. Meningitis is a big scare or emergency - we don't understand human trafficking in the same context. I think this is something we can fix. It's on us to give this its proper context. If we are that point of context, with people who could be of help, if only they were aware and had a protocol to follow, that is doable. We can make it happen. We need to examine how we are approaching this with our own training programs and with those who are already out in practice. I truly believe people don't understand the scope of this."

Participants Left to Right:

Ravinderpal (Ravi) Singh, M.D.
Chief Fellow, Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,

Virginia Commonwealth University

Wendy Barnes, Guest Speaker and Trainer

Survivor Expert and Author

Brian R. Hood, Assistant United States Attorney for the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

Deepa Patel, LCSW, Executive Director of Trauma and Hope, LLC

Deanna Wallace, Victim Assistance Specialist, ICE/HSI DC, Department of Homeland Security

Angella Alvernaz, Human Trafficking Specialist, Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia

Dr. Marsha D. Rappley, MD, VCU Vice President for Health Sciences and VCU Health System Chief Executive Officer

"Victims of human trafficking have almost certainly experienced complex, repeated severe trauma. And this, combined with their additional distrust of authorities, their fear, their shame, their humiliation, makes it very difficult for health care providers to interact with them in a way that’s appropriate. It’s quite a challenge. It’s not easy for a health care provider to consistently respond with support and understanding if a patient appears hostile, disinterested in receiving help or protective of the trafficker. But these reactions may be all related to trauma. The victim is responding to their trauma, and it’s imperative that health care providers understand that and not respond inappropriately. But again, a calm, nonjudgmental, supportive approach may be the only way to convince a victim to disclose their victimization." - Dr. Jordan Greenbaum

"Never underestimate the power of caring about someone, of making eye contact, sharing a smile, a gentle touch. Those seemingly simple gestures could be the difference between someone attempting suicide and choosing to live. To all the nameless people who smiled at me when I didn't think I existed, who gave me a helping hand along the way: I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Excerpt of Wendy Barne's book "And Life Continues: Sex Trafficking and My Journey to Freedom

Wendy Barnes was introduced to sex trafficking by her first love, the father of her children. And Life Continues is her story: how she became a victim of human trafficking, why she was unable to leave the man who enslaved her for fifteen years, and the obstacles she overcame to heal and rebuild her life after she was rescued.

"I wrote my book so that others will understand. I held nothing back and allowed the world to see my heart, my mind, my thinking, my soul. In order for you, the reader, to understand, I opened my life up to judgment and criticism. My hope is that for those who choose to see victims of trafficking through the eyes and heart of a victim that they will be better equipped to approach victims and help them.

Please understand that you nor anyone else can save or rescue a victim of trafficking. What you can do and what we need from you, is to provide us with the tools that we need in order to save ourselves.

I hope that you will read my book and through my book you will understand and obtain answers to some of the ‘why’s’.

-Wendy Barnes, Survivor Expert, Author of "And Life Continues: Sex Trafficking and My Journey to Freedom."

Human trafficking is a public and private health issue, and health care providers play a critical role in identifying victims. They need training to know how to recognize victims and how to respond appropriately. And specifically, this includes trauma-informed care—how to respond, how to ask questions, how to do that in an empathic way that doesn’t discourage victims from coming forth. They need to be able to work with community providers, to reach outside the medical system, to help bridge that gap so that survivors have somewhere to go. Then we need to train them on how to do that.

- Dr. Jordan Greenbaum

"I believe that everyday, hundreds of victims are visiting clincis and ERs all over the US, being treated for their conditions and discharged, with no one ever asking about the possibility of exploitation. To prevent these lost opportunties, to offer exploited persons help in leaving their situation, it is imperative that the HCP recognize signs of at-risk youth and adults, ask questions appropriately and provide trauma-sensitive care to identified victims." - Dr. Jordan Greenbaum, Testimony before the House of Representatives Committee, May 12, 2017.

"Victims of human trafficking have almost certainly experienced complex, repeated severe trauma. And this, combined with their additional distrust of authorities, their fear, their shame, their humiliation, makes it very difficult for health care providers to interact with them in a way that’s appropriate. It’s quite a challenge. It’s not easy for a health care provider to consistently respond with support and understanding if a patient appears hostile, disinterested in receiving help or protective of the trafficker. But these reactions may be all related to trauma. The
victim is responding to their trauma, and it’s imperative that health care providers understand that and not respond inappropriately. But again, a calm, nonjudgmental, supportive approach may be the only way to convince a victim to disclose their victimization. But that’s not an easy thing, and health care providers are not necessarily trained to do that.
In medical school, we are not trained to do that. In nursing school, they are not either. So this is something that has to be learned, and we have to set about training professionals on doing that." - Dr. Jordan Greenbaum

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

― Barack Obama

SIMUNC (Student Invitational Model United Nations Conference) is an independent, student-run conference staffed by students from a multitude of schools throughout the Central-Virginia Area. We host an annual MUN conference in the Richmond, Virginia area, inspiring a culture of diplomacy & advocacy in a city we proudly call home. We have spent numerous hours fundraising, organizing, and preparing to make this conference a memorable and exciting experience for both our delegates and our staff.

Interested? Contact Divya Atluri, Co-founder, at

tennisdivya101@gmail.com

The Latisha’s House Foundation a 501 (C) 3 has a unique place in the community. It provides a safe, residential home for young women who are victims of human sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. The overriding mission is to rescue women survivors and restore their shattered lives to wholeness by providing: Long term housing, Educational support, Assistance in recovery from substance abuse, Trauma based counseling, Medical intervention, Structure, guidance, life-skills and job training. In conjunction with more than 25 community partners, Latisha’s House is committed to increasing the opportunities for these female survivors to holistically build new lives with dignity, purpose, value, independence and free choice.

The 1st program in Virginia that combines research and evidenced-based classroom curricula with an integrated and coordinated school and community-based safety net for students who self-identify as potential victims or actual victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. PWCS freely shares their impact data with the public. This program was built from the ground-up by PWCS educators in partnership with law enforcement and other community partners. Truly, a model to follow.

Survivors are referred to GRAY HAVEN from all over Virginia. Many survivors referred to us are from the Metro Richmond area. We provide training across the commonwealth, as well as assist organizations in serving survivors and ensuring their freedom.

​SHERRY W. BLACK, MBA, CME COORDINATOR,
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF RICHMOND AT VCU &
PETER BUCKLEY, MD, DEAN, VCU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Wendy believes that it is only through understanding that compassion grows, and it is only through compassion that we break down the mental and emotional barriers to create a better world. Understanding begins with education, which is why Wendy wrote her book, And Life Continues: Sex Trafficking and My Journey to Freedom.

VIRGINIA HAD THE 13TH MOST CASES REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESOURCE CENTER HOTLINE

FROM JANUARY 1, 2016 - JUNE 30, 2016

- OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, VIRGINIA

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time;

they just have the heart.”

~Elizabeth Andrew

“You make a living by what you get.

You make a life by what you give.”

~Winston Churchill

"Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve.

You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.

You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve….

You don’t have to know the second theory

of thermodynamics in physics to serve.

You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."

~Martin Luther King, Jr

“Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth

who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience,

and just plain loving one another.”

~Erma Bombeck

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.”

~Oscar Wilde