January 16 - 20, 2023

5th Annual Medical Symposium
on Human Trafficking



Our distinguished speakers will discuss issues that make a person vulnerable to human trafficking, specifically, substance use disorders and justice-involved circumstances. If the intersections are clear, how can we successfully treat and care for incarcerated persons and those in recovery so they are able to move forward and away from repeated exploitation? How can we help highly vulnerable individuals break the cycle of violence so they can reclaim their lives, hopes and dreams?

VCU School of Medicine
McGlothlin Medical Education Center
1201 E Marshall St, 5th Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23298



Presentations are in-person unless otherwise noted *





2022 - 2023 Medical Student Coordinators



Sarah Beaverson, M4



President
Students Fighting Human Trafficking


About Sarah

Lauren Hanley, M4



Vice President
Students Fighting Human Trafficking


About Lauren

Caitlin Womack, M4



Treasurer
Students Fighting Human Trafficking


About Caitlin

Tuesday, January 17th



G. Montovanni Gay, MD
Tuesday, Jan 17, 9 AM - 10 AM, 5th Floor



Dr. G. Montovanni Gay will help us understand the effects of substance abuse on the brain, the numbers behind the opioid epidemic, and why medication assisted treatment (MAT) remains stigmatized and under-resourced in correctional settings. Dr. Gay will discuss why increasing adoption and implementation of evidence-based treatments such as MAT for alcohol or opioid-dependent individuals in criminal justice settings should be prioritized and become the overarching goal of Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies.


Video Recording

Bailey Stobart Hilliard, MSW
Tuesday, Jan 17, 10:30 - 11:30 am, 5th Floor



Created in 2016, The HARP program (Helping Addicts Recover Progressively) is a jail-based two-phase model that “utilizes...therapeutic, medical, and educational approaches to overwhelm” the individual in order to help them discover the tools to shape their road to recovery. The HARP model recognizes the multifaceted nature of recovery with the understanding that approaching recovery from various angles is necessary. HARP operates as a medical ward more so than a jail.

Bailey will share how and why HARP has reduced recidivism post-release compared to non-HARP graduates and why it is crucially important to build a program founded on the fact that addiction is a disease and not a crime.


Recording
About Bailey
2022 Docu-series on HARP

Sara Kruzan, Survivor Expert
Tuesday, Jan 17, 1:30 - 3 PM EST
* ZOOM Presentation *



"Dear future physicians, this is what I want you to know ..."



Sara Kruzan was 11 years old and living in California’s Riverside County when she was first trafficked into sexual slavery by a local pimp. She suffered years of childhood abuse until—at 16 years old—she fatally shot her pimp, on the orders of a local gangster who had set her up to rob him. In 1995, when Kruzan was 17, a jury found her guilty of first-degree murder, handing her a life sentence with no possibility of parole. After nearly 20 incarcerated years, seven years of litigation, countless hours of volunteer and legal assistance, and several sharp turns and false hopes, Kruzan gained parole and freedom in 2013.


Since leaving prison, she’s become a national advocate for changing the way the criminal justice system treats kids, and for reforming laws that ignore the abuse of trafficking when it comes to sentencing.



Recording
Sara's Book
Sara's Law

Wednesday, January 18th



Caitlin MArtin, MD, MPH
Wednesday, Jan 18, 10:15 - 11 AM, 5th FL



Caring for women with substance use disorders: person-centered medical approaches



Dr. Martin is one of only a few providers offering integrated OB/GYN and addiction medical services in Virginia. During this session you will learn about the evidence-based life-saving treatments that are being used at VCU to help women with substance use disorders move forward in positive and empowering ways.


Recording
About Dr. Martin
Video Clip
The OB Motivate Clinic

Minh Dang, MSW, PhD, Survivor Expert
Wednesday, Jan 18, 12 - 1:30 PM EST
* ZOOM Presentation *



"Dear future physicians, this is what I want you to know ..."



Minh Dang, MSW, PhD is the Executive Director of Survivor Alliance, an international NGO that empowers survivors to be leaders in their own communities. She is also a Research Fellow and Lead in Survivor Scholarship and Wellbeing at the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab. Her doctoral thesis, Wellbeing in our own Words: Survivors of slavery defining wellbeing, emphasizes the importance of moving beyond psychopathy when discussing survivors’ mental health and focusing on wellbeing. Minh was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area region of California and is a proud two-time UC Berkeley alum. Minh earned her B.A. in Sociology and Masters in Social Welfare, with an emphasis on Community Mental Health. Minh loves the outdoors, is a fan of farmers' markets, and the person making silly faces at your child in the supermarket. You will rarely find her without a journal or post-it notes, and hopes that someone will pay her to launch a stationery line called Minhspiration.


Recording
2010 News Clip
2017 TEDtalk

Tanya Gould, B.A., Survivor Expert
Wednesday, Jan 18, 2:30 - 4 PM, 5th Floor



"Dear future physicians, this is what I want you to know ..."



Honorable Tanya Gould is currently the Anti-Human Trafficking Director for the Virginia Commonwealth Attorney General's Office. She is an activist striving to impact anti-trafficking legislative policy and raise public awareness. She currently holds her second term and is co-chair on the U.S. Advisory Council on Human trafficking. This year Tanya received the Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking in Persons. She also serves on the Governor’s Commission on Human Trafficking Prevention and Survivor Support. Tanya has given lectures at universities, local schools, and churches raising awareness in Hampton Roads and across the United States. She has served as a consultant to various anti human trafficking organizations, as well as DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime, DHS’ Blue Campaign, and DOS’ TIP office. She also serves on boards and organizations such as Polaris, Beloved Haven and Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum Taskforce on Human Trafficking. Tanya Gould shares her story of being trafficked as part of her advocacy and gives credit to Survivors, family and friends of her community who has helped her in achieving her goals.



Recording
Tanya's Story
2022 Podcast

Thursday, January 19th



Mark H. Murphy, MS, LPC, CSOTP, CCE-Juv
Thursday, Jan 19, 10 - 11 AM, 5th Floor



Education in Juvenile Justice Settings: Tips for teaching highly vulnerable youth about health, wellness, and human trafficking


Recording
About Mark

Jesse Wysocki, CPRS
Thursday, Jan 19, 1 - 2 PM, 5th Floor



Education in Recovery Settings: Tips for teaching vulnerable adults about health, wellness, and human trafficking



Jesse is the Chief Operating Officer for the McShin Foundation in Richmond, Virginia.


Recording
About Jesse
2019 Podcast Interview

Shareka Eldridge, LPC
Thursday, Jan 19, 2:30 - 3:30 PM, 5th Fl



Special Considerations: Teaching Justice-involved individuals about Health, Wellness, and Human Trafficking



Shareka Eldridge is a person centered, trauma-informed Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia. She has been in the field providing mental health services since 2014 and was selected as one of Richmond, VA Best Therapist in 2022 by OnlineTherapy.com. Since then, Shareka has had the opportunity to work with a variety of clients to include: urban/inner city youth and family, 1st generation youth and family, LGBTQ youth and young adults, incarcerated youth, sexually abused survivors, trafficked survivors, and more. She is passionate in helping others increase their skills to develop greater emotional regulation skills and learn the overlaps of multiple diagnoses. She has been trained in DBT, CBT, and TF-CBT. Currently, Shareka specializes in working with adolescents, teens and young adults. Shareka is a proud member of National Association of Black Counselors (NBCA) and Virginia Counselors Association (VCA).


Recording
Founder, LegaCEE Counseling & Consulting

Friday, January 20th,



Sadie Elisseou, MD
Friday, Jan 20, 8:30 - 9:30 AM EST
* ZOOM Presentation *



"Trauma informed Care: putting the patient in control of their environment, their body, their experience."



Over the past ten years, Dr. Elisseou has cared for thousands of patients with a trauma history. Her patients taught her that there is a need for a universal, trauma-informed approach to care. In order to help meet this need, Dr. Elisseou created a novel framework to enhance patient safety during medical appointments. Dr. Elisseou will share this work, including what a trauma-informed physical examination can look like.


Recording
About Dr. Elisseou
AAMC Article

Brenna Cook, M3, VCU School of Medicine
Friday, Jan 20, 9:45 AM - 10:30 AM, 5th Floor



Creating a web based platform for medical student education and research on human trafficking



Brenna, a third year medical student, will discuss how she is integrating the anti-trafficking work created by VCU medical students enrolled in the human trafficking elective.


Recording
About Brenna

Holly A. Gibbs, B.A., Survivor Expert
Friday, Jan 20, 12 - 1:30 PM, 5th Fl



"Dear future physicians, this is what I want you to know ..."



As Dignity Health’s Human Trafficking Response (HTR) Director, Holly launched a systemwide program to ensure that trafficked patients were identified and assisted with victim-centered, trauma-informed care and services. Holly helped champion California's first medical clinic for trafficking victims and survivors where a team of specially trained physicians provide healthcare and coordinate resource referrals. This model of care gives survivors access to specialized care geared for their complex needs.


Holly Austin Gibbs, is a survivor of child sex trafficking and is a nationally known expert, speaker and author. Her book, "Walking Prey," is an academic account about the sex trafficking of children in the United States.


About Holly
Recording
Shared Learnings Manual
Holly's Book

Blue Heart is the International Symbol against Human Trafficking
Join Our Grassroots all-Volunteer Organization
ImPACT Virginia is also known as People Against Child Trafficking in American Schools
TAX ID #47-3931846 We are a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization