Breakout Room 1 (Governor's room)

Speakers: Sarah Florman, trafficking policy coordinator, Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Allan Bakke, southwest regional navigator, Southwest Crisis Center; John Bowen, assistant county attorney, Wright County Attorney’s Office; Katherine Cross, Goodhue County Safe Harbor Protocol Team coordinator; and Lauren Ryan, assistant county attorney, Ramsey County Attorney’s Office

The Minnesota Department of Health initiated a project in 2018, led by the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, to coordinate five multi-disciplinary teams across Minnesota working to develop community-specific protocols for response to victims/survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking. This interactive presentation describes the protocol development process, from the perspectives of the coordinators of the pilot sites. It focuses on successes and lessons learned throughout the project, and shares practical skills and tools for development of protocols that reflect the unique needs of each community. 

  Breakout Room 2 (Pelican room)

Speakers: Linda Eagle Speaker, Sacred Journey’s program director and ceremonial elder in residence, Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center; Suzanne Koepplinger, director, Minneapolis Foundation Catalyst Initiative; and Donna La Chapelle, elder in residence, Native American Community Clinic

Historic, multi-generational trauma creates a unique set of vulnerabilities to exploitation and to long-term recovery for American Indian people. Responses must be grounded in culture and include families and communities. Toxic stress and vicarious trauma are also challenging dynamics in building survivor leadership and organizational capacity to be effective change agents. This workshop focuses on teaching how culturally led mind body healing practices can ameliorate symptoms of reactivity, triggering in survivors, providing frontline teams with generative tools to cope with toxic stress and the trauma associated with exploitation.

 Breakout Room 3 (Heartland I-II)

Speakers: Mary Cowen, program manager, Life House; and Ahna Pelto, psychotherapist, Essentia Health

Youth who have been trafficked experienced power and control to the extreme, forced to engage in sexual acts and often not having control over the simplest parts of their lives, like what to wear, when to sleep or who they can talk to. It is essential that service providers give power back to youth. Join a discussion about the value of building trust through transparency. Drawing from years of combined experience, the presenters will share examples and strategies to tackle difficult situations, such as making mandated reports and reporting youth on the run, while preserving and strengthening therapeutic relationships. 

 Breakout Room 5 (Minnesota I-II)

Speakers: Sarah Ladd, human trafficking child protection coordinator, Minnesota Department of Human Services; Trevor Berberick, east metro regional navigator, Minnesota Children’s Resource Center; Katie Erickson, child protection investigator, Hennepin County; Christos Jensen, assistant county attorney, Ramsey County; Dariann McCormick, human trafficking child protection coordinator, Minnesota Department of Human Services; BobbiJo Pazdernik, commander, Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; and Michelle Seymore, Hennepin County. 

Minnesota’s child welfare agencies have been required to respond to all reports of child sex trafficking since 2017. This session is an opportunity to learn from a panel of multi-disciplinary partners who worked to create the new responses, tools and policies in “Minnesota’s Best Practice Response to Trafficking and Exploitation of Children and Youth: A guide for child welfare agencies.” 

Breakout Room 1 (Governor's Room)

Speakers: Jenna Andriano, Safe Harbor evaluator, Minnesota Department of Health; Julie Atella, research scientist, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation; Michele Garnett McKenzie, deputy director, The Advocates for Human Rights; Lauren Martin, associate professor, University of Minnesota School of Nursing; and Lindsay Turner, research associate, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. 

Research and evaluation are critical to shaping the future of Safe Harbor. This workshop includes presentations and a panel discussion from partners at the Wilder Foundation, University of Minnesota and Advocates for Human Rights, who are actively engaged in studying Safe Harbor, as well as the overall response to trafficking and exploitation. The discussion will include: What is being done to delve deeper into understanding behaviors? Who is missing in the data? What related data should be considered? What methodologies are needed? What are the challenges in collecting data? How is misleading data countered to expand understanding of the true harm?  

Breakout Room 2 (Pelican room)

Speaker: Lenny Hayes, owner, Tate Topa Consulting 

An overview of information about the historical roles and identities of Two-Spirit/Native LGBTQ youth and how Native American historical and intergenerational trauma has impacted this community. History reveals that because of the effects of historical and intergenerational trauma, this once honored and respected individual is now ostracized within the tribal and other communities. This has resulted in this community being an underserved and often forgotten population. The presenter will share information about the high rates of violence and the vulnerabilities of Two-Spirit/Native LGBTQ adults, youth in foster care and community. Ultimately, the Two-Spirit/Native LGBTQ community is individually and collectively trying to bring balance, beauty, and acceptance back into tribal communities.

 Breakout Room 3 (Heartland I-II)

Speakers: Lindsey Greising, staff attorney; and Madeline Lohman, senior researcher, both with The Advocates for Human Rights

Non-citizen survivors of human trafficking face a difficult path to safety, justice and recovery, made worse by the complex, intimidating and punitive U.S. immigration system. Service providers, advocates, and law enforcement should know the challenges non-citizen youth face, and the benefits available to them. This presentation will uncover the different types of trafficking experienced by non-citizen victims, how these youth can be identified, various responses and services available, and the risks (perceived and real) non-citizen survivors face in coming forward. Participants will work through real-life scenarios, developing the knowledge and skills to identify victims and help them avoid further harm. 

 Breakout Room 4 (Heartland (III-IV)

Speakers: Emily Bennett, counselor; and Karin Nystrom, Hennepin County Functional Family Therapy program supervisor

Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a high quality intervention program that serves youth and their family. The FFT model has received international recognition for its outcomes in helping troubled youth and their families to overcome delinquency, substance use and violence. Learn how this treatment model, built on a core value of respect, uses powerful intervention strategies to pave the way in motivating individuals and families to become more adaptive and successful in their lives. Examples of how this model has been used to support sexually exploited youth and their families will be presented.

Breakout Room 5 (Minnesota Room)

Speakers: Mel Alvar, northeast regional navigator, PAVSA; Allan Bakke, southwest regional navigator, Southwest Crisis Center; Trevor Berberick, east metro regional navigator, Minnesota Children’s Resource Center; Anne LaFrinier-Ritchie, west central regional navigator, Someplace Safe; Kate LePage, central regional navigator, LSS Brainerd; Stacy Schultz, west metro regional navigator, The Link; and Andrea White, Safe Harbor advocate, Dodge, Fillmore and Olmsted County Victim Services

An open dialog facilitated by navigator representatives from all eight regions of the state, on identifying youth within current casework. Through open conversation, participants will be educated regarding common trends, recent statistics, and consults stemming from various county entities. Taking a look at red flags commonly seen within different disciplines and various intake and screening tools currently being used across Minnesota, aim to send participants away with tangible knowledge to use alongside current systems to help identify commercial sexual exploitation in youth.