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Students, faculty, staff and healthcare professionals came together on January 31, 2025, for “A Conversation on Human Trafficking,” an event to raise awareness about human trafficking within the �鶹���� community during National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The event was co-hosted by the School of Nursing, the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Campus Safety and local community partners, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses and Thrive.

The United Nations defines human trafficking as the act of recruiting, transporting, or harboring people through force, fraud, or deception for the purpose of exploitation. “We know that trafficking is a global crisis that affects millions of people—men, women, and children—who are exploited and deprived of their basic freedoms. It is a challenge that demands our collective attention, action, and commitment to justice,” said Carol Bennett-Speight, D.S.W., M.S.W., professor and program director of Social Work at �鶹����. “Today, we gather not only to raise awareness but to engage in meaningful dialogue, share knowledge, and explore solutions to combat one of the gravest injustices of our time.”

The event kicked off with a fireside chat featuring Gina Cueno Ramos, DNP (c), MS, FNP- BC, RN, co-founder of Casa Esperanza para Mujeres y Niños and Lisa Gerstmann-Boyle, RN, sexual assault forensics examiner at Westchester Medical Center University Hospital. Each brough valuable insights and perspectives on human trafficking. They discussed what human trafficking entails and what forms it can take, including forced labor or services, sexual exploitation, such as forced marriage or prostitution and slavery or practices similar to slavery. They also talked about their experiences with victims of human trafficking and how nurses and healthcare professionals can play an important role in helping identify potential situations.

“Nurses are at the front lines of healthcare and are in a position to see triggers when assessing patients to realize they are being held against their will,” said Cueno Ramos. “Tattooing, branding, old injuries that are suspicious [are all signs], so it is important to talk about this.”

Gerstmann-Boyle agreed. “I think it is a matter of focus in care. Keeping people healthy, keeping them safe will enable them and it is something nurses can do,” she said.

When asked what advice they could offer to the nursing and social work students as well as the healthcare professionals in attendance, both concurred that self-care and compassion are key when doing this type of work because there will be good days and there will be bad days.

The event concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Lucia Alfano, Ed.D., M.A., RN, director of Clinical Affairs for the School of Nursing. Panelists included Konrad Motyka, M.A., executive director for Campus Safety and Emergency Management at Mercy, Helene Dill, DHSc, MS, RN, CNM, director of the Traditional Nursing Program at Mercy, Cueno Ramos, Gerstmann-Boyle and Bennett-Speight.

“I have taken care of patients going through human trafficking and have found that there is lack of knowledge and of recognizing this in our communities,” said Alfano.  

The panelists agreed on the importance of awareness, education and action.

“We talk about these issues in our classes because nurses need to understand this and learn about the different kinds of trafficking, sex trafficking, labor trafficking and domestic trafficking, said Dill. “It is important that they have the understanding to make the correct referrals. We also want to make sure our students and nurses have the skills to advocate for their patients.”

Bennett-Speight added that in her social work classes, she covers human trafficking policies and the importance of advocating for more resources to make a difference. “A lot of times, as social workers, we go and advocate for that individual and for that group, and when we advocate we help students, families and individuals learn to use their voice.”

Human trafficking can happen anywhere, even in college campuses, and to anyone who is vulnerable, so it is important to have these conversations.

“One of the most important things I have learned is that this can happen to anyone on any day. Anyone can be vulnerable,” said Gerstmann-Boyle. “It is super important to have a very broad recognition of what it can be. Strangers are able to recruit people very easily. They can generate trust and be good at what they do. It can happen to anyone we know. “

Motyka agreed on the importance of education on this topic. As head of the FBI Organized Crime Task Force between 1990 and 2000, he saw a lot of criminal activities centered on human smuggling and trafficking, which still generates billions of dollars a year for criminal organizations. So, how can we protect our students, faculty and staff. “It is really no different at school than in society,” said Motyka. “If you see something, say something. We have resources available. Campus safety is open 24/7. We have nurses, counselors available.”  Whether it happens on campus or off campus, Mercy’s campus safety staff, counselors, nurses, are there to assist, he added.

By holding events such as these, the �鶹���� community is taking a critical first step in raising awareness on this serious issue.

“I learned a lot today,” said Michelle Edwards, a senior and president of the Student Nursing Association. “I had misconceptions as to what human trafficking was and this event cleared up a lot of my questions and concerns. It was very informative, and it also provided a lot of resources for students and faculty.”