Buckner International hosted a thought-provoking and informative panel discussion surrounding the findings of a new report on the current human trafficking risks and indicators in North Texas.

Called the North Texas Community Assessment on Human Trafficking, a summary of the assessment was shared with a packed room of community stakeholders at the Buckner Family Hope Center® at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy on June 12, thanks to support from the Eagle Freedom Fund.

Written and presented by Ashleigh Chapman, founder of Engage Together®, the report assessed the North Texas community’s resources, research, a real-time picture of current response efforts, strengths and gaps, culminating in a set of recommendations that include improving identification through additional training, improving exit and recovery capacity and growing multi-sector engagement.

More than 60 community members and leaders with a vested interest in the findings and discussion attended, including staff from the offices of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, North Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, law enforcement, foster care agencies, children’s advocacy groups, forensic nurses, foundations, service providers, church leaders, researchers, and educators, among others.

Following the assessment, a panel discussion included different perspectives regarding human trafficking as it relates to identification, survivor services, criminal justice, and policy. Experts included:

·      Jessica Dotson, Director of Buckner NextStep Program

·      Susan Peters, Founder, Former CEO and Special Advisor for Unbound Now

·      Noreen Rowlett, Team Lead Care Coordinator, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center

·      Lindsey Speed, Executive Director, Traffick911

·      Sgt. Alan Holmes, High Risk Victim and Trafficking Squad, Dallas Police Department

·      Caroline Roberts, General Counsel and Senior Director of Public Policy, Children at Risk

·      Brody Burks, Assistant Attorney General, Human Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime Division, Texas Attorney General

The panel discussed collaborative approaches to identifying and recovery of victims, legislative solutions aimed at prevention and early intervention as well as work aimed at healing and restoration.

Buckner is one of those community organizations whose programming and support services helps prevent exploitation. From the very beginning of the organization’s origins, Father R.C. Buckner was moved to provide a home for vulnerable orphans in the aftermath of the Civil War. Since then, Buckner has steadily moved upstream to prevent family disintegration and to strengthen families so children are protected from harm including exploitation.

These programs include Buckner Family Pathways® which empowers vulnerable single parents by helping them overcome barriers that prevent self-sufficiency, such as education, career prospects, life skills and counseling.

In addition, Buckner NextStep is a residential program for women ages 18-24 transitioning out of foster care, an extremely vulnerable time. The program helps women achieve their educational, career and independent living goals.

These programs strengthen a family by building their skills and resiliency with education and wrap-around support, protecting the family’s future and fostering long-term generational change, explained Dotson. Buckner supports trafficking survivors who may be part of these programs with trauma informed services aimed at recovery and healing, such as counseling, social work support, and life skills programs.

“Strong families reduce vulnerability,” she said. “Programs such as Buckner’s provide primary prevention but also secondary and tertiary. Some young women are being groomed or already victimized when they arrive. We care for the individual person no matter their trauma and we are really good at supporting the journey of healing after.”

The panel gave on the ground context and concrete insights to each of the themes of the assessment- prevention, identification, exit/recovery, long term healing, justice and policy reform. The audience was very engaged in the Q&A and left the event with actionable ways to get involved in the fight against human trafficking and exploitation.

Written by Melissa Grych, senior director of public relations, Buckner International