Counselors can obtain CEU’s, lunch provided
IRVING, Texas (November 1, 2021) — Twenty-seven million.
That’s the current number of individuals being illegally trafficked as sex workers, illicit drug mules, and slaves worldwide. And in 2019, the Department of Homeland Security opened more than 1,000 cases against human traffickers in the U.S. alone.
Let that sink in for a minute. In every state, in every major city, and near every major sporting event, there are those who are being used against their wills. As governments tackle the massive problem of human trafficking worldwide, those rescued for such horrific circumstances are left to deal with the physical and emotional scars of the trauma.
That is why B. H. Carroll is hosting a free workshop on November 8 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. to address ministry to and counseling of victims of human trafficking. The workshop is offered both virtually and in person. Counselors can obtain one (1) CEU for a fee of $15. Lunch is provided for those who attend in person.
According to Dr. Shannon Wolf, associate director of counseling programs at Carroll, human trafficking affects more than the person in bondage. It is “a crime which touches both the victims and those who love them and which causes long-lasting physical, social, and psychological consequences for both.”
“Traffickers exploit both genders, all ethnicities, the aged and young, as well as the educated and unschooled. No people group is left untouched by this offense. The mental health community is just beginning to understand the profound impact trafficking has on its victims. Exposure to chronic victimization increases the risk of physical and psychological difficulties,” Wolf said.
“In fact, routine abuse results in a wide range of expected symptoms from impaired cognitive functioning to attachment disorders.”
Wolf said the Christian community is leading the way in creating awareness of the problem, ministering to the victims and their families, as well as providing a distinctly Christian approach for mental health needs. The seminar is designed, she said, to help equip those Christ has called to care for those victimized by trafficking.
For more information on the seminar on human trafficking, go to https://events.bhcarroll.edu/cbbl/2021-11-08/.