Utilizing Telehealth in Identifying and Resourcing Trafficking Victims

Description

Sex trafficking and labor trafficking can happen anywhere — and often go unrecognized, even by professionals trained in trauma-informed care. But what if you could sharpen your ability to detect the subtle indicators of exploitation and know exactly how to connect survivors to life-changing resources, even through the screen of a telehealth session?

This course provides behavioral health professionals with the practical knowledge and tools to confidently identify and support victims of trafficking in virtual clinical settings — a growing and urgent need in the era of remote care.

Alia El-Sawi, Victim Assistance Specialist for Homeland Security Investigations, leads this course with insights drawn from 15 years of experience in trafficking prevention, survivor support, and public education. Joining her are Mel Meyer, Director of Out of Darkness at the Atlanta Dream Center, and Dr. Vanessa Snyder, a trauma expert and Director of the Richmont Trauma Center. Together, they offer a multi-disciplinary, survivor-informed perspective rooted in both direct clinical care and systemic response.

With clarity and compassion, these seasoned experts guide learners through the practical application of trauma-informed approaches, culturally responsive care, and safety-sensitive engagement — all tailored to the nuances of telehealth delivery. Through real-life examples and field-tested strategies, participants will gain clarity, confidence, and competence in addressing this complex issue.

Topics explored include the legal definitions of trafficking and sexual exploitation, common myths and misconceptions among behavioral health professionals, vulnerability factors and red flags in telehealth settings, trauma-informed screening, barriers to survivor self-identification, the importance of partnerships and trust-building, and how to locate local and national resources, including housing, legal, and immigration support. The course also highlights the needs of vulnerable populations such as undocumented individuals, transgender and LGBTQ+ clients, people with developmental disabilities, and male survivors.

Key Takeaways:

• Improve detection in telehealth settings: Learn to recognize nuanced behavioral cues and environmental signs that may indicate a client is being trafficked.

• Increase access to services: Know how to connect survivors with appropriate support, including crisis intervention, shelter, medical care, and legal advocacy.

• Enhance your impact: Apply trauma-informed practices to foster safety, trust, and healing in the therapeutic relationship.

Why this course?

• Expert-led content: Learn from national leaders in human trafficking prevention and survivor care who bring law enforcement, nonprofit, and clinical expertise to the table.

• Trauma-focused and telehealth-specific: Unlike generic trainings, this course directly addresses the challenges of trafficking identification within telehealth behavioral health services.

• A mission-driven organization: Telehealth Certification Institute equips clinicians with the skills they need to provide high-quality, ethical, and trauma-informed care, regardless of setting.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize and identify victims of sexual exploitation in a virtual setting

• Identify and locate resources for victims of sexual exploitation

Whether you're a seasoned clinician or new to telehealth, this course offers essential insights for serving some of the most vulnerable clients you may encounter. Strengthen your clinical skill set and be better prepared to make a meaningful difference — even when the signs of trafficking are subtle and hidden in plain sight.

Enroll today to develop your skills, boost your confidence, and enhance your impact as a behavioral health professional.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 1 hour of video instruction and a post-test.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructors

We were pleased to bring together experts in the field of commercial sexual exploitation to help caregivers in identifying and finding resources for victims.

About Alia El-Sawi 

Alia El-Sawi currently serves as the Victim Assistance Specialist for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). She has worked on human trafficking cases for 15 years. Alia’s area of responsibility includes all of Georgia and Alabama (and she formerly covered North and South Carolina). In this capacity, she designs and provides educational training and outreach to law enforcement, attorneys, mainstream service providers, and community-based organizations on human trafficking and child exploitation. Additionally, she is involved in conducting victim interviews and completing a portion of the immigration documents and relief available to human trafficking survivors. Alia works to establish collaborative relationships locally, statewide, and nationally. Prior to her work with Homeland Security, Alia worked for a non-profit, Tapestri, and served as the Anti-Human Trafficking Program Coordinator. In her past position, she provided trainings, outreach, and direct services/case management to foreign-born survivors of human trafficking. Alia also worked on cases that involved immigrant and refugee survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape. She also served as the Chair of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Rescue & Restore Board for 3 years and served as the Freedom Network’s Social Service Committee Chair for 3 years. Alia is experienced in public speaking and has made many presentations for the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Labor, and Department of Health and Human Services. She has also presented in other local, state, national, and international events and conferences. El-Sawi has traveled overseas to train foreign governments on human trafficking in Chile, Peru, Brazil, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, and Budapest, Hungary. Alia has received several awards and recognition for her work within human trafficking: Georgia Trend’s Top 40 Under 40; ISB’s Top 40 Under 40; Atlanta Young Government Leaders Award; Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement Director’s Award; U.S. Attorney’s Award for the Northern District of Georgia; Special Agent in Charge Atlanta’s Patrick Wilhelm Award; and Mercer University’s Mary Ann Drake Award Combatting Human Trafficking. Alia speaks Arabic, French, Spanish, and conversational Portuguese; she has Bachelor's degrees from Mercer University in International Affairs and another in French. Additionally, Alia has her Master's degree from Boston University in Criminal Justice with a focus in Victimology.

About Mel Meyer 

Mel Meyer is the Director of Atlanta Dream Center’s Anti-Sex Trafficking Department, referred to as Out of Darkness. Through years of working as a program director for at-risk youth programs and juvenile justice educational programs, Mel became aware of the impact of commercial sexual exploitation in the United States. Mel completed her Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Administration, developed awareness material with Not For Sale GA, and then she joined the Atlanta Dream Center team, where she served has the Director of Residential Services for 5 years. In this role, she worked in direct-care services, developed promising practices for crisis care and directed the crisis safe homes and staff. As of January 2018, Mel is now the Director of all programming in the Anti-Sex Trafficking Department. She has served on the Georgia Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force for 3 years, and currently chairs a work group focused on initiatives for adult domestic victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation.

About Dr. Vanessa Snyder

Dr. Vanessa Snyder is the Vice President of the Richmont Institute for Trauma & Recovery and is an Assistant Professor Richmont Graduate University. She spearheaded the launch of the Richmont Trauma Center and now directs all clinical services. She is a practicing Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Licensed Professional Counselor. She is also an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, Approved Clinical Supervisor, Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Master Traumatologist, and Certified Anger Management Specialist. Clinically, she specializes in treatment of trauma, complex trauma, and dissociative disorders. Her areas of research include program evaluation and treatment in human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation; dissociative disorders and spirituality, adverse childhood experiences effects in treatment, and compassion fatigue & burnout, organizational trauma. 

Experience: Snyder, V. (March 2020). Traumatized Clients, the Drama Triangle, and the Person of the Therapist: A Backwards Journey Through Organizational Trauma.
Presented at the Christian Association of Psychological Studies (CAPS). Atlanta, GA.
Rosenau, D. & Snyder, V. (March, 2020). Restoring Sexual Intimacy after Trauma. Presented at the Christian Association of Psychological Studies (CAPS). Atlanta, GA.
Snyder, V. (April, 2020). Treating Traumatized Families. Green Cross Certification Workshop; Presented for Richmont Institute of Trauma & Recovery, Atlanta, GA.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 1 continuing education hour of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists: 

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1 clinical continuing education credit.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits, effective 2/23/2021. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists: 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 60 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement