International Symposium

Northwell Health Human Trafficking HEART Program

2024 International Symposium

Stay tuned to hear more details about our upcoming International Symposium in January 2024!

2021 International Symposium

Northwell Health Human Trafficking HEART Program International Symposium in partnership with The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), Global Strategic Operatives by the order of Malta and the United Nations (GSO), The University of Madras, Sathyabama University, International Justice Mission (IJM) and Thriving Women Network.

Day 1: Thursday - February 18

Thank you to our breakout session leaders!
Administration for child services
Ms. Selina Higgins
The Indian Child Protection Medical Professional Network
Dr. Jordan Greenbaum
Nomi Network
Maria
Cycling For Change
Jerry O’Sullivan

Day 2: Friday - February 19

2021 International Symposium Speakers

Director, Global Child Health and Well Being Initiative
International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children
Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept of Pediatrics
Emory School of Medicine
Staff Physician
Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Received her medical degree from Yale School of Medicine and is board-certified in anatomic and forensic pathology. She served as the medical director of the child protection program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin from 2001-2006 and the medical director of the Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta from 2006-2015. Currently she works part-time at the Center and also works for the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children on their Global Health Initiative. She is a past president of the American Society on the Abuse of Children and currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Ray Helfer Society. She is a long-time member of the International Society on the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and helps lead their anti-trafficking initiative.

Former Congressman Peter T. King served 14 terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1993-2021.
During his years in Congress serving parts of Nassau and Suffolk Counties Pete King earned the reputation of being independent and always fighting for his constituents and the people of New York, even when it meant taking on his own Party. Rep. King was a leader in the almost two decades long fight to obtain vital healthcare coverage and victims compensation for all 9/11 first responders including firefighters, police, EMT’s and construction workers. For his efforts Pete King was awarded New York City’s highest civilian honor.

Following Superstorm Sandy, Pete King led the fight against his Party to secure $60.4 billion in emergency funding for storm funding for storm victims. Congressman King was also a leader in the battle against the brutal murderous MS-13 gang bringing President Trump and Attorney General Sessions to Long Island to address the issue. This led to additional federal funding and resources which dramatically turned the tide against MS-13.

Rep. King served on the Homeland Security Committee from its founding in the aftermath of 9/11 until the end of his time in Congress. He served as Chairman of the Committee in 2005-2006 and again in 2011-2012. During that time he ensured that New York and Long Island received the funding and technology needed as the number one terrorist target in the United States including the Secure The Cities program to defend the region from nuclear dirty bomb attack.

In the field of healthcare Pete King worked closely with New York hospitals and associations and strongly supported increased medical research and additional funding for diseases such as breast, prostate and childhood cancers; Alzheimer’s Disease; and Diabetes. Rep. King also served on the Financial Services Committee. A lifelong New Yorker Pete King is a graduate of St. Francis College (Brooklyn) and Notre Dame Law School. He and his wife Rosemary have lived in Nassau County for more than 50 years and currently reside in Seaford. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Prior to his service in Congress Pete King served as Hempstead Town Councilman and Nassau County Comptroller.

Diana Mao, President of Nomi Network, is an abolitionist whose mission is to eradicate human trafficking in her lifetime. A leader in the global movement to abolish slavery, she co-founded Nomi Network, a non-profit organization that raises awareness about human-trafficking and creates economic opportunities for survivors and women at risk. Diana recruited the Nomi Network Board of Directors and Advisory Board. She also established strategic relationships with large corporations while developing Nomi Network into a prominent international organization.

Many organizations have recognized the work that Diana and Nomi Network have been doing. In 2015, the Presidential Leadership Scholars program selected her for its inaugural class. From April of 2013 through 2019, Diana has Co-Chaired the Nexus Human Trafficking Modern Day Slavery Work Group, an organization that has rallied millions of people to combat modern slavery. Diana currently serves on the White House Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking. And she recently received the Pioneer Award from Asian Americans for Equality and the Alumni Impact Award from New York University.

Diana’s faith fuels her drive for justice. Her conviction stems from a research trip to Cambodia, where she witnessed young children trafficked and sold. Convinced of the urgency and necessity for action, she desired to restore women and families to have self-agency and be catalysts in their communities. In response to this trip, Diana left her position as Senior Consultant at Maximus, Inc., where she had been instrumental in providing a business perspective to government health and human services agencies. While at Maximus, Inc., she also helped to increase efficiency and revenue, as well as strengthen businesses and workforce development programs. Her tenure as a senior consultant gave her the creative insight to see the potential in using business methods to address human-trafficking, minimize costs, and maximize the use of resources while working for social change.

Diana earned a master’s degree in Public Administration, with a specialization in International Management from New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Prior to that, Diana earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics and Chinese from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dr. M. Srinivasan is the Professor and Head of the Department of Criminology, University of Madras. He has extensive knowledge and experience in teaching and research in the field of criminology and victimology. He has published nearly 60 articles in regional, national, and international journals. He has conducted 20 research projects sponsored by both national and international funding agencies/institutions such as UNICEF, University Grants Commission, Bureau of Police Research & Development, and so on. He has completed two research projects in collaboration with the Tokiwa International Victimology Institute (TIVI), Tokiwa University, Japan, and one research project with the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA. He has given nearly 70 presentations at national and international workshops, seminars, and conferences.

He was previously General Secretary of the Indian Society of Criminology and, until recently, he was the General Secretary of the Indian Society of Victimology. He has been invited as an expert to the first and third Closed Experts Group Meeting (EGM) on Collaboration between Civil Society Organizations and National Authorities on Victims of Terrorism in Asia-Pacific, organized by United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT). He was awarded the Max Planck Society Fellowship twice for research into the areas of money laundering at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign & International Criminal Law, Freiburg, Germany. He is currently involved in a project funded by UNICEF for the training of judicial officers and police officers on juvenile justice and juvenile psychology. He is guiding more than 10 Ph.D. research scholars, and 13 scholars have already successfully completed their Ph.D. research.

Judge Fernando Camacho obtained his undergraduate degree from Columbia College and attended Fordham Law School where he graduated in 1985. He then joined the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office where he worked in the Trial Division, the Sex Crimes Unit and the Homicide Unit. In 1991he was promoted to Senior Trial Counsel and assigned to the Homicide Investigation Unit, a joint state and federal task force, where he directed long term investigations and prosecutions of violent gangs.
In 1997 he became a New York City Criminal Court Judge and began his judicial career in Brooklyn. In 2002 he was assigned to Queens County where he served as the Deputy Supervising Judge and presided over the Domestic Violence Court. In 2003 he created a treatment court for teenagers charged with prostitution.

In 2008 he was appointed to the New York State Court of Claims and served as an Acting Supreme Court Justice in the Integrated Domestic Violence Court in Queens County Supreme Court. In 2009 the Chief Judge promoted him to the position of County Administrative Judge for Criminal Matters. While serving as administrative judge he also presided over the Queens County Supreme Court Youth Diversion Part, a specialized court for adolescents charged with felony offenses.
In January 2013 he was assigned to Suffolk County Supreme Court where he created the Suffolk County Felony Youth Part, which provides alternatives to incarceration for young people charged with felonies in Suffolk County Supreme Court.

Judge Camacho is a member of ECPAT-US, an organization devoted to combating child sexual exploitation. Over the last fifteen years he has frequently advocated for the enactment of legislation to protect victims of sex trafficking. He has been a speaker at numerous state and national anti-trafficking training seminars on the topics of human trafficking, sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of youth.

Asst. Professor MMM College of Health Sciences, Chennai
Educational Qualification
B.A Sociology Loyola College, Chennai
M.A Medical Sociology Loyola College, Chennai
B. Ed Cosmopolitan College of Education,
PHD Annamalai University, Chidambaram (India)

Completed Projects

Project Advisor for Indian Institute of Health Management Research for Tiruvallur District
Psycho Social Problems faced by the women with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Knowledge, Awareness and Attitude of the patients with Cervical cancer in Chennai.

Field Exposure

Organized tour to the communities living near Ennore Thermal power plant
1 year of work experience at a childcare institution for children with mental health problems in Chennai
2 years of Research experience in “Finding the missing cases of Tuberculosis in Pondicherry.”
Organized various village visits in Tamil Nadu to study the socio economic, political, caste and health behavior of the people
Organized research on ‘Irular’ and ‘Maravar’ tribal community to assess their social, economic, cultural and health conditions.

Subjects handle for Allied health students

Cultural Anthropology
Medical Ethics
Human Rights
Community Health and Social Medicine
Medical Social work
Health Education
Basic Life Support

Dr. Dana Kaplan, Director of Child Abuse and Neglect
Director of the STAND Clinic (sex trafficking, abuse, neglect, domestic violence)
Medical Director of the Staten Island Child Advocacy Center
Associate Program Director Pediatrics Residency Training Program
Western Regional Director HEART Program: Human Trafficking Education, Advocacy, Response & Training
SIUH Site Director, Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship Training Program at Maimonides Medical Center
Department of Pediatrics
Staten Island University Hospital

Dr. Kaplan received her MD from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed her residency in Pediatrics at New York University. Dr. Kaplan went on to complete her fellowship in Child Abuse Pediatrics at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, The Warren Albert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Kaplan is board certified in General Pediatrics and Child Abuse Pediatrics, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a Member of the Ray E. Helfer Society. Dr. Kaplan’s specific area of interest is in commercially sexually exploited youth. Dr. Kaplan has lectured both regionally and nationally and has published multiple chapters and papers on the subject of child abuse and human trafficking. Dr. Kaplan works to provide education and outreach to medical professionals who care for commercially sexually exploited youth.

Professor & Dean School of Law
Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology
(Deemed to be University)
Chennai.

Dr. Michael Bourke is the Chief Psychologist for the United States Marshals Service and serves as the head of the USMS Behavioral Analysis Unit. He has been a federal law enforcement officer since 2000 and was deputized by the USMS in 2008. Prior to joining the Marshals Service he worked as a clinical psychologist for the federal prison system; from 2000 to 2006 he was assigned to the Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) and Hypersexuality Management Program (HMP) at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina, and from July 2006 to September 2008 he worked within the Commitment and Treatment Program for Sexually Dangerous Persons (CTP) at the same institution.

Dr. Bourke is a graduate of the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, and he has conducted several hundred polygraph examinations of sex offenders. He is a regular consultant to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies on matters pertaining to sexual criminality, interviewing/interrogation techniques, and psychological safeguarding of law enforcement personnel.

An active researcher, Dr. Bourke co-authored the “Butner Study” and published seminal work on the use of Tactical Polygraph with sex offenders. He serves on the editorial boards for several professional journals and recently co-edited the Handbook of Behavioral Criminology. His clinical and research interests include the assessment of sexual offenders, the art of interviewing and interrogation, the detection of deception, secondary stress among law enforcement personnel, and investigative profiling. He serves as an adjunct faculty member at George Washington University, Nova Southeastern University, and the Defense Intelligence Agency (NCCA).

In 2008 he received the highest research honor awarded in the field of child exploitation by the United Kingdom’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), and in 2009 he was awarded the Pro-Humanitate Literary Award by the North American Resource Center for Child Welfare. He and his work have been profiled in the Monitor of the American Psychological Association, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and several textbooks in forensic psychology.

Academician:
1. Dr Nair has MA (Sociology, Kerala Univ), LLB (Delhi Univ) and PhD (Sociology: focus on Victimology) degrees.
2. Professor: As TATA Chair Professor at TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai) during 2013-2019, Dr Nair was fully into academis. He also attended to the following:
3. Carried out the all India research on human trafficking, for the Government of India during 2014-2019;
4. Worked for ADB to research and document “Good Practices in Gender and Migration” in the region involving India, Bangladesh and Nepal (2014-15)
5. Worked for the World Bank to research on “Development of Connectivity versus Human Trafficking in Assam and Mizoram” for the World Bank (2018- 19)
6. Founded (and functioned as the Chairperson of) the Centre for Police Studies and Public Security at TISS Mumbai.
Professional Qualifications:
1. Graduate of the National Defence College (NDC) India
2. Graduate of the FBI National Academy, Quantico, VA, USA.
3. Holds a Certificate in Criminal Administration from the University of Virginia.
Researcher: as Nodal Officer of NHRC on anti-human Trafficking, during 2002-2004, carried out the first ever National Action Research on Human trafficking in India. Dr Nair was the principal researcher cum author of the research report. This was a path breaking event which transformed the narrative and response to human trafficking in India.
International Expert of the UN: Served UNODC as the international expert on human trafficking. (2006-2008)
Master Trainer: Dr Nair has been working in preventing and combating human trafficking, as a mission and passion, ever since 1982. By end 2020, he has trained more than 62,000 stakeholders in addressing trafficking
Doer/Activist: Dr Nair had rescued 133 children from bonded labour and exploitation during 1982, when he was the Police Chief of District Palamu and continued this mission by rescuing/facilitating rescue across India and in the region. By mid-2020, he would have rescued/facilitated rescue of more than 50,000 victims of trafficking.
Forty years in public service since 1978;
Law Enforcement expert: Served IPS (Indian Police Service) for 35 years, in various capacities (as SP, DIG, IGP, Addl DGP, Spl DGP) and finally superannuated as DGP of NDRF, Civil Defense, Fire Services of Govt of India
Ace Investigator: Served CBI for 10 years, Dr Nair has successfully investigated and prosecuted several crimes of national and international importance:

Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, 1991; (b) Bofors Corruption Scandal; (c) Purulia International Arms Drop (1995-96); (d) RSS Building Blast (Hindu Munnani Office) at Chetpet, Madras, 1995-6; (e) Sanjay Ghose Abduction by ULFA in Assam (1997); (f) Serial Blasts in Mumbai and other places by fundamentalists (1995-98); (g) Human Rights violations in different places in India; (h) Child sex abuse and trafficking in Goa (1995), (i) Several Missing persons cases; (j) ISRO alleged Espionage Case, etc.

Publications: 18 books and more than 20 articles in professional books/journals (as of mid-2020).
Innovator: He set up specialized integrated bodies called AHTUs (Anti Human Trafficking Units) in the Country, the first 9 AHTUs being established in 2007. Now these AHTUs have been replicated to all the 720 Districts in the Country.
Youth Motivator: He started and is working on the AHT Clubs in Colleges, an innovation to involve the youth in the mission.
Innovations undertaken: in the field of anti human trafficking (AHT):
1. Set up the first 9 AHTUs (Anti Human Trafficking Units for Law Enforcement) in the Country in 2007 (During July2020, Government has replicated AHTU to all the 720 Districts in India);
2. Set up the first AHT Clubs in Colleges in 2015 (Anti Human Trafficking Clubs are now doing great work in hundreds of Colleges in India in preventing human trafficking);
3. Set up the system of Nodal Officers for AHT in all State Governments, in 2003;
4. Set up the system of Nodal Police Officers in all State Police agencies in 2003;
5. Started the Certificate Course on Anti Human Trafficking (CAHT) at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in India during 2010 by working along with the Vice Chancellor;
6. All India Research: Served as the Nodal Officer of the National Human Rights Commission India and carried out the All India Research on Human Trafficking in India, 2002-03;
7. Convergence: Linked Government + NGO + Corporates on effective rehab of survivors (started in 2007);
8. Started the convergent model of Joint Training of Judiciary + Prosecutors + Police, in 2005;
9. Developed handbooks for police on AHT, in 2002 (two lakh copies in English, Hindi, Telugu, Marathi utilized by Police agencies across India;
10. Developed SOPs for all wings of the Justice Delivery Process in 2007-8;
11. Developed the educative film on AHT with Mr Amitabh Bachchan, Ms Priety Zinta and Mr John Abharam (see youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-hBfhwEH6Q) ;
12. Initiated the Certificate Course (first in India) on AHT with Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, 2010;
13. Personally trained more than 60,000 stakeholders on different aspects (knowledge, Skill, Attitude etc on Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, Coordination, etc on AHT;
14. Personally rescued and helped rescue of more than 50,000 victims of trafficking;
15. Personally drafted the legislation on AHT, in 2017, the Comprehensive Law on Human Trafficking in India, which is under consideration of the Indian Parliament in 2018/2019.
16. Set up PAHT (Panchayats Against Human Trafficking) in 2020, an innovative method to converge the grass roots democratic institutions to address trafficking in persons.
Presently, he is with the Indian Police Foundation (IPF) and is undertaking several activities including the following:
1. He is the Head of the Centre of Excellence and Centre for Research and Learning (CoRAL) on Gender/Human Trafficking with the IPF, attending to academic and activist roles across India and outside.
2. As Senior Fellow, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi, he is continuing his link with action research in social issues.
3. As Advisor to Sathybama Deemed University, Chennai, he is in an emeritus position with this University.
4. Member, Non Executive Advisory Board, Cambridge Centre for Applied Research and Training, University of Cambridge.
Dr Nair has been described as the ‘Father of the Anti-Human Trafficking mission India” br Dr Kiran Bedi, Lt Governor in the foreword to the Handbook authored by Dr Nair, 2020). Dr Nair “is, undoubtedly, the towering personality in India in the field of anti-human trafficking…my full admiration for his genuine concern, zeal and commitment to the cause, indeed rarest of the rare” said Mr Amitabh Kant, the CEO of Niti Aayog in the foreword to the book (SOP) for PAHT, 2020. Dr Nair continues the mission of preventing and combating human trafficking in different ways, more so empowering stakeholders and involving youth in the mission. Contact nairpm@hotmail.com, pm.nair.ips@gmail.com and cell 9987102315

Dr. Kalyani Gopal, PhD, HSPP, Founder & President, SAFE Coalition for Human Rights; Immediate Past President, Illinois Psychological Association. President-Elect, Society for Clinical Psychology, American Psychological Association.
Dr. Gopal is a keynote and international speaker and trainer on foster care and adoption, human trafficking, child sexual abuse, Autism and neurodevelopmental disorders, and psychopathology. Dr Gopal grew up in India, did postgraduate studies in Delhi University and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences. She is the first woman of color and Asian American to win the Presidency of the Illinois Psychological Association which oversees the State of Illinois’ psychologists and first South Asian American for a division of the APA, Society for Clinical Psychology for 2021. She has trained foster parents, adoptive parents, administrators, judges, FBI, police officers, attorneys, case managers, nonprofits, and clergy on issues related to infants, children, adolescents and adults. She has coined the term “Displacement Trauma” to describe the complex trauma caused by frequent disruptions of attachment bonds in foster care youth.

She is the bestselling author of “The Supportive Foster Parent”, “Foster Parenting Step-by-Step: How to Nurture the Traumatized Child”, the grief and loss workbook “In My Heart”, Workbooks on Child Sexual Abuse Series, and co-editor of the upcoming Springer publication, “Handbook of Sex Trafficking: Feminist Transnational Perspectives.” She is on the boards of Indiana’s Lake County Child Protection Team and Lake County Child Fatality Team, serves as the Chair for the Illinois Psychological Association’s Working Committee on Hate and Harassment, served as Chair of the IPA Women’s Section, served as President of Section IV, Division 12, American Psychological Association (2012-2014), and is currently serving on the Board of Directors, Society of Clinical Psychology, American Psychological Association.

She is the President of Mid-America Psychological and Counseling Services, PC, oversees management of mental health clinics in Indiana and Illinois. Her nonprofit organization, Safe Coalition for Human Rights (SAFECHR) was formed in 2014 in response to the realization that most victims were once in foster care, and victims’ voices needed to be heard. SAFECHR hosted SAFE 2014 in Chicago, SAFE 2016 in DC/VA, SAFE 2018, SAFE 2019, in Chicago, USA; raising the number of participant countries from 10 nations in 2014 to 73 nations in 2018 bringing together organizations from around the globe working ceaselessly to form collaborative national and international coalitions from rescue to rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking and violations of human rights. SAFE 2021 is slated to be held in Illinois, USA in September 2021. Dr Gopal has created an evidence-based, international credentialing program to certify advocates, clinicians, attorneys, and law enforcement as trainers in human trafficking (SAFE iACT Program) and has since trained 15 trainers from 9 countries. Recently, she developed and implemented a program, THRIVE for adults from ACEs populations (childhood vulnerabilities) to provide wrap-around therapeutic services in a permanent supportive housing, Families First framework. During COVID-19, Dr Gopal launched an e-learning school-based program for prevention of high-risk behaviors among youth by improving resiliency and teaching socioemotional skills (SAFE Schools) and created a unique residential restorative programmatic model for restoration of human rights and dignity in victims of human trafficking and sexual assault (SAFE Village). She is currently also working on reducing homelessness among high IQ youth who lack mentorship.

In recognition of her work, Dr Gopal was awarded the Indiana Lake County Award for Excellence in 2004 and Indiana Attorney General’s Voices for Victims Award in 2015 and Congressman Danny T Davis MEATF Medal in 2019.

Edward Victor Owens, Deputy Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York, NY
Edward V. Owens,
a native of New York, is the Deputy Special Agent in Charge (DSAC) of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York field office. In this executive level position, he provides strategic and operational oversight over all investigative divisions within his purview. This includes the National Security division which encompasses two Joint Terrorism Task Force groups, Extraterritorial Threat Resourcing and Counter Proliferation. He also leads two Public Safety Divisions which includes investigative groups that cover Human Trafficking, Violent Gangs, Worksite Enforcement, Document & Benefit Fraud, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and Counterterrorism and Criminal Exploitation. DSAC Owens also oversees the HSI New York Intelligence Program which is administered by a Chief Intelligence Officer and over 25 Criminal Analysts that serve every investigative discipline within HSI and leads the way on developing our strategic threat analysis for local and national resource allocation decision making. Finally, DSAC Owens oversees the overall administrative infrastructure of the office including a budget of over $1.2 million managed by an Administrative Officer and a comprehensive staff of administrative professionals. Prior to this DSAC Owens oversaw all investigative and administrative functions of the HSI personnel operating within HSI New York’s El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Force (EDTF), comprised members from more than 30 Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies. The Task Force utilized a full range of criminal and civil laws to target financial crime at all levels resulting in the prosecution of criminals and the seizure of illicit proceeds. Mr. Owens has served in several critical field office and headquarters positions. Immediately preceding his assignment with HSI New York, Mr. Owens served as the DSAC HSI Los Angeles an office which spans 300 miles of coastline and encompasses the 7 counties. DSAC Owens oversaw HSI investigators exercising the broadest federal law enforcement jurisdiction of any agency which includes investigations involving Money Laundering/Bulk Cash Smuggling, Narcotics Smuggling/Trafficking, Commercial Trade and Fraud, Export Enforcement/Counter Proliferation, Weapons Smuggling, Anti-Gang Enforcement, Human Rights Violations, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Cyber Crimes/Child Exploitation, Human Smuggling/Trafficking, Export Enforcement, Immigration Document & Benefit Fraud and Worksite Enforcement/Critical Infrastructure Protection. Mr. Owens also served as an Assistant Special Agent in Charge in El Paso, Texas, as well as the Chief of Staff (COS) over the New Mexico/West Texas Alliance to Combat Transnational Threats (NM/WTX/ACTT), a collaboration of Federal, Military, State, County, Tribal and Local law enforcement agencies focused on denying, disrupting, degrading and dismantling transcontinental criminal organizations (TCOs). As the COS, he managed the daily operations of task force personnel and through utilizing a multi- agency approach, he was able to enhance law enforcement collaboration and successful interdiction and intelligence gathering efforts on both sides of the U.S./Mexican Border. His headquarters assignments in Washington, DC included service as the Unit Chief of the Emergency Preparedness and Incident Management Unit. In said capacity, he provided guidance, oversight, funding and coordination over the Emergency Preparedness & Incident Management Program for the Office of Investigations which includes Headquarters and the 26 Special Agent in Charge Offices located throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Other assignments include his work as a Group Supervisor in HSI San Juan, PR and as a criminal investigator in San Francisco, CA. Mr. Owens holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University, Boston, MA and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Hayward, CA.

Homeland Security Investigations
Jim Cole is a Supervisory Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Nashville, TN and the Chair of the INTERPOL Specialists Group on Crimes Against Children (IPSGCAC). Jim supervises Cyber, Child Exploitation, Human Trafficking and Victim Services for HSI Nashville. Jim formerly served as the National Program Manager and Section Chief for Victim Identification at the HSI Cyber Crimes Center. Jim stood up HSI’s Victim Identification Program and Laboratory in 2011. Jim is considered a subject matter expert on child exploitation, victim identification and digital forensics related to child exploitation. Jim has traveled around the globe to provide training and his expertise to numerous law enforcement agencies, NGO’s, INTERPOL, EUROPOL and CPOL. Jim managed several Research & Development Projects focusing on digital image/video processing and biometrics related to digital image/video for child exploitation. Jim is a founding member of Project Vic and formerly the Chair of the Victim Identification Sub-Group of the IPSGCAC..

Medical Director, Child Health & Development Centre, New Delhi
National Lead, India Child Protection Medical Professional Network (ICPMPN)
President, International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect (ISPCAN), USA
Email: sethrajeev@gmail.com
www.icancl.org

Selina Higgins, MA, MSW, LCSW-R
Executive Director,
Office of Child Trafficking Prevention & Policy NYC Administration for Children’s Services

Selina Higgins is the inaugural Executive Director for the NYC Administration for Children’s Services’ (ACS) Office of Child Trafficking Prevention & Policy (OCTPP). She is the lead for all aspects of trafficking related services within the NYC child welfare system and has been integral to the development of policies, procedures, trainings and groups that support staff and benefit youth. Selina has worked in the field of child welfare for 27 years in a variety of administrative and clinical roles, to include program management and provision of direct therapeutic services to trafficked and other vulnerable youth. She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW-R), with a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology, a Master of Social Work, a two-year post-graduate certification in Infant-Parent Dyadic Therapy and Trauma Assessment and post-graduate certification in Social Work Administration. Selina envisioned and drove the development of the Child Trafficking Database (CTDB), a cloud-based application in which the NYS mandated sex trafficking screenings are completed electronically. She developed and leads a large-scale trafficking awareness campaign (“Children are NOT for $ale”), which provides informational resources in twelve languages and an annual Human Trafficking Awareness Resource Fair. She administrates the NYC Safe Harbour Program which assists trafficked youth not involved in the child welfare system. Selina also facilitates a variety of empowerment and skills focused group work models (some selfdesigned) https://bronx.news12.com/parenting-411-human-trafficking-prevention-month and leads ACS’ first Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Consultation Team, which provides sessions at residential facilities to empower emotionally fragile youth. Selina has provided her unique trainings at many local and national conferences. In January 2021, she produced the 2021 NYC Child Sex Trafficking Conference: A 14-Day Virtual Event. Publications include Child Trafficking and What YOU Can Do About It: Tools for NYC Child Welfare Professionals and a co-authored chapter on Human Trafficking in the Foster Care System in a recently published medical textbook. In 2018, Selina envisioned and developed the NYC Child Tattoo Eradication Project and Network to provide free tattoo removal or modification to trafficked and gang involved youth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGUMtzpIo48. In 2020, she developed a Credible Messenger Program that gives voice to former trafficked youth who provide trafficking prevention presentations to youth in the foster care system. In December 2020, the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender Based Violence honored Selina as a 2020 Advocate of New York City. Selina is available professionally at: Selina.higgins@acs.nyc.gov. ACS Trafficked Youth webpages with downloadable resources: • Trafficked Youth Main Page: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/acs/youth/traffickedyouth.page • Trafficked Youth Resources for Professionals Page: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/acs/about/child-trafficking/resources.page • What to Do When Identifying a Trafficked Youth Page: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/acs/youth/identify.page • Human Trafficking Prevention Virtual Resource Fair https://www1.nyc.gov/site/acs/youth/virtualresourcefair.page

Dr. Shekhar Seshadri
Senior Professor
Dept. of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
& Associate Dean, Behavioural Sciences Division
NIMHANS

Dr. Selva Kumar Professor & Head Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Kilpauk Medical College (KMC)

Dr. M. Devasitham
Head, Strategic Development
IJM Chennai

Contact Info