October 28 • Stoney Creek Hotel, Columbia, MO
This year's conference will be held as a hybrid event, you may attend either in-person or live virtual.
WELCOME
Purpose
Human trafficking, including sex and labor trafficking, remains a significant issue in Missouri, where traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals. Individuals facing poverty, homelessness, substance use disorders, mental health challenges, immigration barriers, or prior trauma are at heightened risk of exploitation.
Missouri’s central location within the United States also makes it a major transit hub for trafficking networks. Interstate highways such as I-70 and I-44 provide traffickers with easy access to move victims throughout the state and across state lines.
At every level, human trafficking is underreported because victims are frequently controlled through fear, manipulation, and trauma. Victims fear retaliation from traffickers, deportation, or negative interactions with law enforcement. Some victims do not recognize themselves as victims due to grooming, trauma bonding, or misconceptions about what trafficking looks like.
Underreporting is further compounded by limited public awareness, gaps in training for frontline personnel, language barriers, victim isolation, and the concealed nature of trafficking. Consequently, cases are frequently misclassified as prostitution, runaway behavior, labor disputes, substance use, or mental health-related issues.
Combating human trafficking requires a coordinated, multi-sector approach involving law enforcement, healthcare professionals, social service agencies, educators, policymakers, and community members working together to prevent exploitation, identify victims, provide comprehensive support services, and hold traffickers and buyers accountable through investigation and prosecution. A targeted, collaborative response is essential to effectively address human trafficking in our communities and across our state.
Target Audience
- Prosecutors
- Victim Advocates
- Law Enforcement
- First Responders
- Probation & Parole Staff
- Nurses & APRNs
- Therapists & Counselors
- Social Workers
- Faith Based
- Students
- Business & Community Members
Impactful anti-human trafficking topics such as:
- Why Training on Human Trafficking Matters: Show-Me the Numbers
- Trauma Influenced Behavior: Understanding the Story Behind the Behavior and Why Help Feels Threatening
- Trust First, Facts Second: Improving Survivor Interviews & Documentation
- Tearing Down the Silos: How to Work Together to Help Survivors, Preserve the Evidence, and Get a Conviction
- A Survivor's Journey: From Surviving to Thriving
- Missouri’s New Anti-Trafficking Laws: Expanded Penalties and Survivor Protections for Grooming and Sextortion
- First-Time Partners Update: Collaborative Rescue Leads to Human Trafficking Conviction in Missouri
Learning Outcomes
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Learner will self-report increased awareness of the characteristics and complexities of human trafficking.
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Learner will self-report increased knowledge of methods of identification of trafficking indicators in various settings and contexts (health care, law enforcement and community interactions).
- Learner will self-report increased confidence in their ability to intervene using survivor-centered approaches across all sectors with victims of human trafficking.
- Learners will self-report increased intention to engage in preventative efforts addressing the root causes of trafficking,
- Learner will self-report increased sensitivity in working with diverse populations affected by trafficking.
- Learner will self-report increased intention to practice trauma-informed care and self-care practices to prevent burnout and secondary trauma.
Competencies Addressed
- Care across the setting
- Communication
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Ethics and decision making
- Community-based care
Presented by
- Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition
- MU Continuing Education for Health Professions
- MU Sinclair School of Nursing
- MU Extension
AGENDA
The following is a working agenda. Speakers, presentation titles and descriptions will be added as the program is developed.
ACCREDITATION
Successful completion of this activity, which includes being paid in full, participating in the educational offering, participating in the evaluation process and completing the verification of attendance, enables the learner to satisfy the requirements for continuing education.
In support of improving patient care, University of Missouri - Continuing Education for Health Professions is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team
- Physician
Activity approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
- Nursing Contact Hours
Contact hours will be awarded
- Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist
Contact hours will be awarded
- Pharmacist
Hours will be awarded
- Interprofessional Continuing Education
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
REGISTRATION
Registration Fees
- Early Registration, May 1-July 31, 2026 - $119
- Regular Registration, August 1-October 28, 2026 - $149
- Students - $25
Location and Lodging
The 2026 Empowering Our Communities Anti-Human Trafficking Conference will be held at the Stoney Creek Hotel
2601 South Providence Road
Columbia, Missouri 65203
Reserve your room for the conference!
A block of rooms is being held at the special conference rate of $99. Please use the booking link below to reserve your room.
PLANNING COMMITTEE
Audrey Kauffman, MBA, Executive Director, Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition
Amy Larson, MSN, RN, EBP-C, Assistant Extension Professor and Primary Nurse Planner, Continuing Education for Health Professions, University of Missouri
- Committee Members
- Thom Pancella, Director, Continuing Education for Health Professions. Office of Health Outreach, Policy & Education (HOPE), University of Missouri
- Adam Tipton, MBA, Accreditation Manager, Continuing Education for Health Professions. Office of Health Outreach, Policy & Education (HOPE), University of Missouri
- Loretta Schouten, JD, Operations & Development, Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition
- Todd Winterbower, BS, Associate Director, Continuing Education for Health Professions. Office of Health Outreach, Policy & Education (HOPE), University of Missouri
Contact Us
Address
465 McReynolds Hall
301 S Sixth Street
Columbia, MO 65211
Phone
(573) 882-4105