Trafficking Happens Here: Human Trafficking Training for Dental Professionals
Saturday, April 25
9 - 10:30 AM
1.5 CDE Credits – DDS, DH, DA, AUX
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Human trafficking is a rapidly increasing public health and safety issue in the United States. More than 200,000 minors are at risk in the country. People are forced into labor or sexual exploitation with deception and intimidation. It is reported that up to 80% of victims are seen by a healthcare provider while captive. Often, victims will not identify themselves as such due to the fear of being further abused by their captor. Dental care providers are perfectly positioned to identify the signs and report suspected human trafficking. By educating dental clinicians, victims of trafficking may be more likely to be rescued and receive the appropriate recovery resources. This course will define types of trafficking, differentiate between sex trafficking and sex work, identify at-risk populations, describe how to identify and report trafficked patients and discuss trauma-informed care.
Course Objectives:
1. Understand the definition of human trafficking, who is at risk, recruitment techniques and the different types of trafficking.
2. Identify the differences between sex trafficking, sex work, trafficking and smuggling.
3. Learn how to identify a person that is being trafficked and when it is mandated to report.
4. Understand the procedures in which to report a potentially trafficked person.
5. Learn the concepts and use of trauma-informed care.
6. Identify local and national resources for trafficked persons.
PRESENTER:
Kandice Swarthout, RDH, LPC
Kandice Swarthout is a registered dental hygienist and a licensed professional counselor with nearly 30 years of experience in dentistry and more than a decade in mental health. She is trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy, a trauma-focused treatment modality, and serves as an educator in Texas, teaching community and research courses to future dental professionals. A passionate advocate for human trafficking awareness, Swarthout is the founder of Reclaim Smiles, a free dental day for survivors living in safe houses. She is an approved provider of human trafficking training for healthcare professionals through Texas Health and Human Services and speaks nationally on trauma-informed care, clinician wellness and mental health in dentistry. Swarthout is the author of the Mental Health Spotlight column in Today's RDH and was awarded the Sunstar Award of Distinction in 2025 for her research focused on trafficking survivors.
Conflict of Interest: None
