AUSTIN, Texas – The Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (IDVSA) at The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work will co-sponsor Austin’s 7th Annual Conference on Human Trafficking.
The conference, hosted by the Central Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking and co-sponsored by Seton Healthcare Family and the School of Social Work, will be held Wed., Oct. 24, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the school’s UTOPIA Theatre, 1925 San Jacinto Boulevard. The event is free and open to the public. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m.
The conference keynote address will be delivered by Ambassador-at-Large Luis CdeBaca, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State. In May 2009, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca was appointed by President Obama to coordinate U.S. government activities in the global fight against contemporary forms of slavery. He serves as Senior Advisor to the Secretary and directs the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, which assesses global trends, provides training and technical assistance, and advocates for an end to modern slavery.
Ambassador CdeBaca formerly served as Counsel to the House Committee on the Judiciary, where his portfolio for Chairman John Conyers, Jr. included national security, intelligence, immigration, civil rights, and modern slavery issues. At the Justice Department, Ambassador CdeBaca was one of the country’s most-decorated federal prosecutors, leading the investigation and prosecution of cases involving money laundering, organized crime, alien smuggling, official misconduct, hate crimes, and human trafficking. He received his law degree from the Michigan Law School.
Associate Professor of Social Work and IDVSA Director Noël Busch-Armendariz will co-present an afternoon conference session entitled “Typology of Traffickers and Trauma to Victims” with Judith Averill, LCSW, Director of Clinical Services, Refugee Services of Texas.
A complete conference agenda is available here. (PDF)
The Central Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking was formed in 2003, founded on the belief that law enforcement and social services must work together not only to provide a seamless continuum of services, but to help in the identification of victims and successful prosecution of traffickers. As the coalition has grown in numbers and experience, it has been able to offer an annual conference on human trafficking specific to law enforcement and social service collaboration.
For more information about Austin’s 7th Annual Conference on Human Trafficking, contact bpalm@refugeeservicesoftexas.org.