The mission of the Texas Tech University Health Science Center (TTUHSC) Human Trafficking Collaborative (HTC) is to combat human trafficking in Texas communities and help those directly impacted by human trafficking through education, research, and advocacy by collaborative involvement of partners with diverse expertise.
The United States reported 11,500 cases of human trafficking in 2019, according to the Human Trafficking Hotline. Texas made up 1,080 of those cases, but not all cases get reported.
Collaborative Vision
End human trafficking in Texas and help those coming out of human trafficking recover and thrive through centralizing efforts with community partners.
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Numerous organizations have formed in the fight against Human Trafficking in Texas. Additionally, the state of Texas also has a few initiatives. The names of these organizations, initiatives, and links to these resources are listed below.
- Office of the Texas Governor – Child Sex Trafficking Team: www.gov.texas.gov/cstt
- Attorney General of Texas: www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/initiatives/human-trafficking
- Office on Trafficking in Persons, an office of the Administration of Children and Families: www.acf.hhs.gov/otip *This is from the Department of Health and Human Services and is housed out of Washington, D.C.
- National Human Trafficking Hotline: www.HumanTraffickingHotline.org Call: 1-888-373-7888 Text: HELP to BEFREE (233733) or Email: www.HumanTraffickingHotline.org
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children www.MissingKids.com
- International Rescue Committee (IRC): https://www.rescue.org/search/site/human%20trafficking
- In addition, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has partnered with Shared Hope International to help Texas congregations learn how to protect their youth and give them tools to protect their community. Learn more by emailing: humantrafficking@dfps.state.tx.us
- Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) – multiple organizations throughout Texas; available information on both the Texas Governor’s website as well as the Attorney General of Texas
- Texas Department of Health and Human Services: https://hhs.texas.gov/services/safety/texas-human-trafficking-resource-center* This website is responsible for posting the approved training for healthcare providers in compliance with HB 2059.
- Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website: https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Investigations/Human_Trafficking/resources.asp
a. There are links to other organizations via this website for National, Statewide, and Local resources including the Department of Homeland Security, which houses the Blue Campaign: https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign
- Related legislation:
a.HB 2059: https://legiscan.com/TX/drafts/HB2059/2019, https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB2059/id/2026167/Texas-2019-HB2059-Enrolled.html
b.Human Trafficking has now been declared a public health concern: https://www2.texasattorneygeneral.gov/files/agency/human_trafficking_2008.pdf, https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/86R/billtext/html/HC00035S.htm
- Office of the Texas Governor – Child Sex Trafficking Team: www.gov.texas.gov/cstt
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Work Group Responsibilities & Roles:
- Gather & disseminate research related to human trafficking
- Provide education and training related to human trafficking
- Students, providers, faculty, staff, policy makers, community members
- Increase public awareness
- Advocate for policy change
- Strengthen collaborative partnerships in the community and state
- Develop opportunities for training and research through grant opportunities
- Serve as a resource for anti-human trafficking efforts
The Human Trafficking & Social Justice Collaborative has four work groups. For more information or to join a work group, please contact one of the chairs/co-chairs.
Education and Interprofessional Education
Services and Mental Health
Research, Policy and Advocacy
Prevention
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Collaborative Background
A group of faculty and community partners in Abilene had been working together to address human trafficking in the Big Country (along with the Big Country Human Trafficking Coalition). HB 2095, effective Sept. 1, 2019, requires all patient care providers to have HT training as provided by Governor Abbott. The group in Abilene began receiving calls about HB2095. The work group reached out to the state and others at TTUHSC to explore efforts related to human trafficking within TTUHSC. In February 2020, the TTUSHC President’s Office and Council of Deans appointed a Human Trafficking Initiative (HTI) Work Group with representatives across all schools and campuses and includes community partners. The HTI work group was tasked to develop recommendations on how to collaboratively address the social injustice of Human/Sex Trafficking and the growing need for human trafficking awareness and intervention in Texas. As the #2 state in the nation in human trafficking incidences and the #1 state in number of reported cases, Texas has a unique opportunity to join the fight against human trafficking. In September 2020, the work group proposed TTUHSC form the Human Trafficking Collaborative that includes all faculty, staff, students, and community stakeholders who are working to stop human trafficking. The HTC meets quarterly.
Collaborative Members
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
- Julie St. John, DrPH, MA, CHWI
Associate Professor Associate Chair (DPH)
Assistant Dean (GSBS)
Public Health (Abilene)
julie.st-john@ttuhsc.edu
(325) 696-0473 - Emily Sledge
MPH Student
Public Health (Lubbock)
emisledg@ttuhsc.edu
(940) 447-2864
School of Health Professions
- Donna Ables
Lead Advisor
Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences (Lubbock)
donna.ables@ttuhsc.edu - Itxia Acevedo, MPAS, PA-C
Assistant Professor
Physician Assistant Program (Midland)
Itxia.Acevedo@ttuhsc.edu
(432) 620-1131 - Sarah Stringer, MPAS, PA-C
Assistant Professor
Physician Assistant Program (Midland)
Sarah.Stringer@ttuhsc.edu - Debra Flores, PhD, M.A., CCHWI
Assistant Professor, Program Director
Dept. of Healthcare Management & Leadership, MSHA (Lubbock)
debra.flores@ttuhsc.edu - DJ Gililland, Jr. EdD, ATC, LAT
Assistant Professor
Master of Athletic Training program, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (Lubbock)
DJ.Gililland@ttuhsc.edu - Rebecca Sametz, PhD, CRC, LPC, VRT
Director of Clinical Rehabilitation/Director of Veterans Certificate Program/Assistant Professor
Dept. of Clinical Counseling & Mental Health, Clinical Rehab. Counseling Program (Lubbock)
Rebecca.Sametz@ttuhsc.edu
School of Medicine
- Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Psychiatry (Midland)
rakesh.jain@ttuhsc.edu
(432) 335-5311 - Anastasia Ruiz, MD
Resident, Instructor
Department of Psychiatry (Lubbock)
anastasia.ruiz@ttuhsc.edu - Amy Stark, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry (Amarillo)
amy.stark@ttuhsc.edu - Michelle Tarbox
Assistant Professor
SOM, Department of Dermatology (Lubbock)
michelle.tarbox@ttuhsc.edu - Simon Williams
Professor
SOM, Department of Medical Education (Lubbock)
simon.williams@ttuhsc.edu
(806) 743-5668 - Mimi Zumwalt, MD
Professor
Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation (Lubbock)
mimi.zumwalt@ttuhsc.edu
(806) 743-2465 - Nancy Trevino, PhD
Director, TTMHI
Dept of Psychiatry, Texas Tech Mental Health Initiative (Lubbock)
nancy.trevino@ttuhsc.edu
(806) 743-1634
School of Nursing
- Becky Geist, DNP, RN, PHNA- BC
Faith Community Nurse & Assistant Professor
School of Nursing (Lubbock)
rebecca.geist@ttuhsc.edu
(806) 778-1740 - Heather Guest, PhD, RN
Regional Dean
School of Nursing (Abilene)
Heather.Guest@ttuhsc.edu
(325) 696-0551 - Pearl Merritt, EdD, MS, MSN, RN, FAAN
Regional Dean & Professor
Administration (Abilene)
Pearl.Merritt@ttuhsc.edu
(325) 696-0503 - Donna Paris
DNP, RN, CNE, Assistant Professor
School of Nursing (Abilene)
donna.paris@ttuhsc.edu
(325) 696-0519 - Gayle Stegall
MSN, RN, CNE, Assistant Professor
School of Nursing (Abilene)
gayle.stegall@ttuhsc.edu
(325) 696-0547
School of Pharmacy
- Jeanie Jaramillo-Stametz, PharmD
Assistant Professor
Pharmacy Practice (Amarillo)
Jeanie.Jaramillo@ttuhsc.edu
(806) 414-9402
TTU
- Elizabeth Sharp, Ph.D
Professor | Director, Gender SEAMS
Human Development & Family Studies/Human Sciences (Lubbock)
elizabeth.sharp@ttu.edu
(806) 834-8652
Managed Care (TDCJ)
- Melinda Schalow, MD
CHC Regional Physician
Managed Care, TTUHSC (Lubbock)
Melinda.Schalow@ttuhsc.edu
(806) 745-1021
Community Partners
- Juanema Christensen
Executive Director
Lubbock Country Medical Society (Lubbock)
juanema@lcgcms.org - Kristen Murray
Executive Director
Voice of Hope: Rape Crisis Center (Lubbock)
kristin@voiceofhopelubbock.org
Kristin.n.murray@gmail.com - Kelli White, RNFA, MSN, FNP-BC
Local NP
Community (Abilene)
krwhite0509@gmail.com
- Julie St. John, DrPH, MA, CHWI
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Julie St. John, DrPH, MPH, MA, CHWI
HTC Chair
Associate Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Associate Professor, Julia Jones Matthews Department of Public Health
Abilene Campus, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Centerjulie.st-john@ttuhsc.edu
www.ttuhsc.edu/public-health- Office 1102, 1650 Pine Street, Abilene, TX 79601-3044
- Office: (325) 696-0473
- Cell: (325) 513-4943
- Fax: (325) 696-0459
Heather Guest PhD, RN
HTC Co-chair
Regional Dean
TTHUSC School of Nursing, Traditional Undergraduate Program- 1674 Pine Street, Abilene TX 79601
- Office: (325) 696-0551
Kelli White, RNFA, MSN, FNP-BC
Local Nurse Practitioner, Neurosurgery Associates of West Texas
Founder of Beyond Trafficking
Researcher - West Texas Human Trafficking Research Collaborative as appointed by Governor Greg Abbott- Cell: (325) 428-6833