Aligning with current human trafficking initiatives across the state, Attorney General Tim Fox will be introducing one of two trainings being presented at St. Peters Hospital in Helena on Tuesday February 5th. (One at their clinic at noon and one at the main hospital at 2:00 P.M.). The training is presented by The America Unchained Project, a human trafficking awareness campaign aimed specifically at educating professionals who present the highest likelihood to come into contact with human trafficking victims on the job - medical professionals and law enforcement. (www.americaunchained.org). AG Fox will be presenting at the 2:00 presentation at St. Peter’s Hospital.
“When medical personnel learn how to identify the signs of human trafficking and how to develop internal protocols to follow, they are empowered to save another human being from a life of slavery and abuse,” said Attorney General Tim Fox. “It can be a challenge to identify victims and provide support, even for service providers, but by participating in this training, clinicians who are on the front lines of the fight will get the tools they need to help law enforcement end human trafficking in Montana.”
According to the U.S. State Department, between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year. Combine with the number of victims who are already in the U.S. or who are citizens, the total number of human trafficking victims in the U.S. reaches upwards of 400,000 or more. Of those, 80% are female and half are thought to be children. Perhaps most notable: 87.7%* of these victims will go on to see a medical provider during their captivity and leave the clinic with their captor.
“This statistic of almost eighty-eight percent - as well as many others like it - is what spurs on the urgency of medical training such as the trainings being done in Helena,” says Charity Parenzini, the founder of The America Unchained Project. “We can’t ignore that victims go to clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms far more than people think. We need to educate providers on how to identify them and what protocol to follow afterward. We have to rescue these kids.”
In addition to all medical staff and providers learning vital information to help identify and rescue human trafficking victims, St. Peter’s is able to offer this training as a CE for nurses. Please contact Sevda Raghib at SRaghib@sphealth.org for more information.
If you would like more information please contact Charity Parenzini at: charity@americaunchained.org
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