Adoption STAR staff attended an informative training on human trafficking today.
The last Tuesday of the month represents the time that Adoption STAR staff unites for an “all staff” staff meeting. As an agency we have staff meetings once a week, but some of these meetings may not always involve/incorporate all agency staff. As a result, we make sure that we bring everyone together at least once per month for these special staff meetings.
The structure of the “all staff” staff meetings also represent an ideal time to conduct staff trainings, as was the case today. Adoption STAR takes the concept of staff development/training very seriously and has developed policies and procedures to ensure that all staff are regularly participating in professional development-related trainings and activities year in, year out.
Today’s presenter was Tara Hughes, the Project Director for Trafficked Youth at the International Institute of Buffalo. She gave a riveting presentation that focused on information regarding the prevalence of human trafficking (both locally and nationally), demographic information regarding people that are being trafficked, and warning signs that may indicate someone is either experiencing human trafficking or is at risk of being trafficked.
WIVB-TV (the CBS affiliate in Buffalo, NY) ran a story on human trafficking in November of 2015. If you’re totally unfamiliar with the concept of human trafficking, this short video is well worth watching: The Face of Human Trafficking in WNY
Adoption STAR would like to thank Tara Hughes and the International Institute of Buffalo for providing this morning’s training and for educating agency staff on this very important topic.