Around 1,080 professionals, advocates and leaders in the anti-trafficking field joined us this year at the 2018 JuST Conference, October 16-18 in San Diego, CA.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan gave us a warm welcome to San Diego, sharing opening remarks before the keynote.

We networked, collaborated and learned with:

• 28 Exhibitor/Vendor Organizations,
• 137 presenters and;
• over 70 survivor leaders and thrivers.
• There was representation from over 40 states, D.C., Canada and France with first place going to California (268), 2^nd place from Texas (105) and third place to Arizona (96). These numbers reflect final attendance.

Every year at the JuST conference we address our collective belief that juvenile sex trafficking is one of the greatest injustices in the United States and this year, our plenary presenters helped us answer the question, “what does justice look like for the issue of juvenile sex trafficking?” Our keynote presenter, Leslie Briner, inspired us with her discussion on how justice must be rooted in compassion. Dr. Tanisha Knighton and Nathan Earl addressed how we cannot achieve universal justice without seeing those who are marginalized by the systems in place. And, our closing panel discussed the importance of survivors access to justice through financial recovery.

This theme resonated with attendees as they attended our 75 workshops hosted by our presenters from all over the country.

In addition to educational content, attendees were present for Shared Hope International’s award ceremony that took place on Wednesday. This year’s Pathbreakers were District Attorney Summer Stephan, The Honorable Robert Lung and in memoriam, Vernon Smith.

Attendees also joined Shared Hope International in celebrating its 20^th Anniversary at the birthday themed Networking Reception which took place on Tuesday at the event. Hosted outside at the Town & Country Resort with a DJ and karaoke, attendees enjoyed BBQ and celebrated under the San Diego sunset.

  This year Shared Hope also announced it’s 2019 location, the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, OH!

The Shared Hope team, can second some of our attendee’s excitement for next year. We can’t wait to join our national audience again to share ideas in our fight to end juvenile sex trafficking!

This was an amazing conference! I took away something from every single session I attended. Topics were relevant and presenters were well informed. I will definitely make plans to attend next year.
Becky, TN

I am looking forward to next year. Best conference ever! Carrie, LA

 

 

Shared Hope International is pleased to announce this year’s Pathbreaker Award Recipients, District Attorney Summer Stephan, The Honorable Robert Lung, and in memoriam, Shared Hope Co-Founder Vernon Smith.

Plan to join us on facebook live at 1:15 PT on Wednesday, October 17 to watch the presentation of the awards live from San Diego at the 2018 JuST Conference!

About the Award

In 2000, the U.S. Department of State enlisted Shared Hope International to host Pathbreaking Strategies conferences in six countries to energize the conversation about trafficking and share innovative approaches to combat the problem. During this process, we created the Pathbreaker Award to recognize the pioneering efforts of those who broke the trend of inaction and initiated proactive responses to prevent sex trafficking.

This year, Shared Hope International is proud to honor these individuals who have developed innovative strategies to combat demand, expose trafficking, and seek justice.expose trafficking, and seek justice.

Summer Stephan – San Diego County District Attorney

District Attorney Summer Stephan has devoted her life to protecting children and families and providing justice to the voiceless and most vulnerable. She is a national leader in the fight against sexual exploitation and human trafficking, who has served as a Deputy District Attorney in San Diego County for 28 years. During this time, she combined extensive courtroom experience with over 15 years of management and leadership experience. She rose through the ranks to appointments as Chief of the DA’s North County Branch and Chief of the Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Division, a Special Victims Unit she pioneered.

In 2018, the voters elected Summer as District Attorney in the most resounding victory recorded for DA races in San Diego County. She holds leadership positions in public safety on the national, state and local level and was selected to serve on the Governor’s Task Force for High-Risk Sex Offenders and Sexually- Violent Predators. Among her many leadership positions in the fight against human trafficking, Summer chaired the San Diego County Human Trafficking Advisory Council and serves as Chair of the Human Trafficking subcommittee for the National District Attorneys Association-Women Prosecutors Section. Her numerous local, state and federal awards include an FBI commendation for organized crime prosecution and the 2016 “Voices for Justice” award by the Interfaith Center for Worker Justice. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Davis and her Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

The Honorable Robert R. Lung – Colorado’s Eighteenth Judicial District

As a judge, Robert Lung presides over a docket focused on kids experiencing trauma, neglect, abuse, and family issues. In addition to presiding over this diversified docket in Colorado, Judge Lung provides presentations nationally and internationally on issues such as human tracking, childhood trauma, and resiliency. Judge Lung was recently appointed by the Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice to serve as the Judicial Representative on the Colorado Human Trafficking Council. In 2016, he was selected to serve as a consultant to the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), and as consultant to the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (NHTTAC) of the recently created Office of Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). In 2017, Judge Lung was selected to serve as a member of the National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States, which will advise the U.S. Attorney General and the Secretary of DHHS on trafficking. Most recently, in 2018, Judge Lung was appointed by the President to the nine-member U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking tasked to advise the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF). He received a triple major B.A. from Regis University and his J.D. from the University of Dayton. He is a survivor of juvenile sex trafficking and is currently working on his first book, a biography of trafficking, trauma, resiliency, faith and above all else, hope.

Vernon Smith – Co-Founder, Shared Hope International

Vernon Smith was a man who engaged in the fight against trafficking long before most men gave it even a passing thought. In 2006, sex trafficking was considered by many to be a woman’s issue; men who were involved were primarily law enforcement or other professionals pulled into the battle by reason of their occupations. But this man had a vision to mobilize men from all walks of life to speak out against the trafficking of America’s youth. That vision birthed the Defenders USA—the Men of Shared Hope.

Vernon invoked the name “Defenders” because he believed that men were God-ordained to defend and protect the vulnerable. He knew that men were the root cause of the sex trafficking of our children…and yet, a vital part of the solution! He saw that ending demand was the only real way to eradicate the problem and he called all men to the fight by first explaining the truth about sex trafficking and its link to pornography. He never lost faith that good men could be mobilized to stop others from getting involved in sexual exploitation.

Vernon stressed the need to end the objectification of women and treat them with respect and dignity. Not only was this his ideology, but it was also something he modeled in his 50 year marriage to Linda. He had a quiet spirit but that did not stop him from being a powerful force to be reckoned with, working tirelessly behind the scenes as foundational pillar and Vice President of Shared Hope and holding the men around him accountable to the Defenders Pledge.

Early on, Vernon discerned how the issue of pornography was inextricably linked to trafficking, grooming men and boys to become buyers. He perceived it as a public health crisis long before many used that term, and taught classes that exposed the dangers of pornography. Vern was a mentor to many men, as well as accountability partner in their personal fight against pornography. Because of his passion, the influence of The Defenders USA is felt today as more than 5000 men stand strong in the fight against domestic minor sex trafficking.

This pledge meant everything to him; he held it close to his heart and lived it every day:

• I am taking a stand to fight against pornography, prostitution or any form of the commercial sex industry.
• I will hold my friends accountable for their actions toward women and children.
• I will take immediate action to protect those I love from this destructive market.

Vernon Smith’s assignment on earth ended on July 31, 2018. He will ever be remembered as the Defender and extraordinary Pathbreaker he was.

About This Year’s Awards

We award the Kaleidoscope because it is an apt representation of a Pathbreaker’s approach to the problem of sex trafficking. Viewed from the outside, the problem, like the kaleidoscope appears solid and impenetrable; but a look inside stirs the viewer’s imagination with creative possibilities that are shaped and colored by the lens through which they are considered.

Pairing Faith-Based and Private Agencies for Hope and Healing

**This is the fourth guest blog in a series of posts by the 2018 JuST Faith Summit speakers. Check back for new posts highlighting the critical topics that will be featured at this year’s Faith Summit. Join us, June 20-22 at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, for this exciting Summit. Visit this link to see the full agenda and lineup of speakers.

By Robyn Metcalf, Statewide Director, Voices for Florida’s Open Doors Outreach Network 

One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein – “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

That’s why I was drawn to working for Voices for Florida and absolutely love coming to work each day. Voices for Florida specializes in bringing people together to apply innovation and out of the box thinking to solve complex social problems – including improving Florida’s response to sex trafficking.

Einstein’s quote also accurately depicts the “why” behind our most recent innovation, the Open Doors Outreach Network, a public-private partnership to improve care, coordination and collective impact for commercially sexually exploited (CSE) children and young adults in Florida.

Florida ranks 3^rd in the country for the prevalence of human trafficking. In 2016, 356 child victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) were verified in Florida, representing an increase of 54% from the prior year. It is expected that this number is very low in representing the true magnitude of this complex problem. Throughout Florida, large gaps exist within restorative services, cross-sector collaboration, professional training and trauma-focused crisis intervention that meet the complex needs of sexually exploited and trafficked victims.

In recent years, state agencies, thought leaders, and direct service providers throughout Florida have all acknowledged that to provide high quality services to CSE victims in a diverse, heavily populated state, an all-hands-on-deck approach from a variety of stakeholders and sectors would be required. Government alone cannot solve this complex social problem.

Voices for Florida has answered this call for a new, coordinated systems approach by developing and rolling out a pilot called the Open Doors Outreach Network.

For Open Doors, Voices serves as the backbone organization by guiding vision and strategy, supporting aligned activities,  establishing shared measurement practices, and advancing policy, training and funding.  We partner with direct service providers throughout the state to deliver immediate and on-going victim-centered, survivor-led services 24/7/365.

How does the Open Doors Outreach Network care for victims?

Upon identification, a highly trained professional team, referred to as the Open Doors Outreach Team consisting of Survivor-Mentors, Regional Advocates and Clinicians work together to offer quality immediate and ongoing services to each exploited and trafficked victim. Each team member serves a unique role in meeting the distinct needs of everyone served. Our treatment model uses a survivor-led lens that is also community-based and trauma-informed. Members of the Outreach Team are on-call 24/7 and available to assist victims upon identification and referral to the Open Doors Outreach Network.

Being survivors of sexual exploitation themselves, Survivor-Mentors have similar lived experience to the population being served. As such, they can better identify their needs and build a trusting relationship through shared experiences. Regional Advocates are well-connected advocates and experts on the available services throughout their region.  They work closely with Survivor-Mentors to ensure the individuals being served receive appropriate referrals to meet their needs. Clinician provides important individual, family, and group counseling that can help all involved process the grief and trauma that has been experienced due to the victimization.

Why is it important for faith-based and private agencies to partner on the Open Doors Outreach Network?

Our philosophy is we’re better together. That’s why one of the many partners that we work with is Florida Baptist Children’s Home, also knows as, One More Child. We believe bringing the faith-based community to the table is critical to achieving true collective impact for improving victims’ lives. Faith-based organizations have an important voice and unique access to resources needed to fully build strong community safety nets of support for victims on their journey to survivorship. In meeting the needs of this population, everyone can and should be involved.

[easy-tweet tweet=”We believe bringing the faith-based community to the table is critical to achieving true collective impact for improving victims’ lives.” user=”SharedHope” hashtags=”FaithSummit2018″]

So, what can you do?

1. Become informed and learn to recognize the signs of sex trafficking. If you see something – say something and make a report! To become more informed about Voices for Florida and the Open Doors Outreach Network, follow us on Facebook @VoicesForFL and visit our website, voicesforflorida.org to sign up to receive our monthly updates.
2. Think outside the box! Voices for Florida Open Doors Outreach Network seeks to address sex trafficking by connecting organizations that have never worked together before. This creates collaboration and community in an innovative way that has paved the way for real solutions.
3. Attend our session at the Faith Summit and learn how vital it can be for faith-based organizations to partner with public and private organizations to provide solutions to some of our most complex issues, including sex trafficking.

[easy-tweet tweet=”What can you do? 1) Learn to recognize the signs of trafficking, 2) Think outside the box! 3)Attend out session at the Faith Summit and learn more about our model.” user=”SharedHope” hashtags=”FaithSummit2018″]

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By Robyn Metcalf, Statewide Director, Voices for Florida’s Open Doors Outreach Network