Human Trafficking in Colorado: Intersections with Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence

Wednesday, February 22, 2023, 10:00 am – 11:30 pm Mountain Time 

This presentation will explore root causes of the crime of trafficking and the myriad of intersecting identities, vulnerabilities, and social and systemic inequalities that can lead to trafficking. It will also help victim service providers, advocates and first responders to understand the behavioral cues of someone who has experienced the complex trauma that often accompanies a human trafficking experience. Understanding root causes and complex trauma is key to recognizing the crime in its many forms. This presentation will equip service providers, advocates and first responders with the tools they need to identify and effectively provide appropriate and compassionate care for victims and survivors of human trafficking, even when this is not their official mandate, as these experiences are often inseparable and/or co-occurring. It will also provide suggested protocols, legal guidance, and local resources so that victims may receive comprehensive services.

Presenter: : Kara Napolitano (she/her), Research and Training Manager, Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT) 

Kara holds an MA in International Development with concentration in International Human Rights Law from the University of Denver. Before completing her education, she spent eight years working and volunteering in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, working mostly with NGOs in post-conflict areas. She was appointed to Governor’s Colorado Human Trafficking Council Prevention Task Force in 2018 and the Equitable Access Task Force in 2022. She was recently appointed to serve on the Crime Prevention and Control Commission for the City and County of Denver. For the last few years she has led training and education efforts at LCHT, training more than 20,000 professionals across rural and urban Colorado.

This training was supported by Grant No. 2020-WF-AX-0043, 15JOVW-21-GG-00555-STOP, and 15JOVW-22-GG-00412-STOP awarded by the state administering office for the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice’s STOP Formula Grant Program. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this training are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the state or the U.S. Department of Justice.