In our 10th podcast series, “Intersections in Health Care and Human Trafficking”, NAPNAP uses a multidisciplinary lens to explore the impact of human trafficking on children and adolescents. Human trafficking is a complex and pervasive issue which is best addressed by tapping into the skills and expertise across many disciplines and people. Forensics, police, legal, social work, research, and survivors of human trafficking all have a place in addressing human trafficking.

Our host for this series is Jason Spees, MSN, MaOM, APRN, L.Ac., FNP-C, Dipl. Ac. & C.H. Jason is a human trafficking educator and the chair of NAPNAP Partners Alliance for Children in Trafficking (ACT).

This week’s episode will explore the intersection of human trafficking survivors and health care providers with our guests Jay Benke and Bekah Charleston.

Jay Benke is a formidable voice and leader in anti-trafficking advocacy, drawing from her lived experiences as an abduction and child sex trafficking survivor based in Oregon. As a disability and LGBTQ+ advocate, Jay brings a distinctive, intersectional perspective to her work, championing the rights and voices of marginalized survivors. The focus of her work ranges from criminal justice reform to demand reduction to survivor equity and inclusion to harm reduction, and trauma informed care. She is a speaker, mentor, curriculum specialist, content creator and fact-check editor for both public and private sectors. As founder of Clever Human , she provides expert consulting services, and national engagement specialist for the Sex Trade Survivor Caucus (STSC), an all-survivor organization that creates space for survivors to impact change in policy and legislation.

Bekah Charleston is a nationally respected leader and a dynamic public speaker whose story of survival, triumph, and determination has been featured in communities across the U.S. and at the national level by numerous media outlets. After enduring a decade of abuse and exploitation, she built a career dedicated to the empowerment of survivors and focused on community collaboration at all levels. In 2013, she launched Bekah Speaks Out to provide customized training and consultancy services to law enforcement, service providers, and community leaders alike. Since then, she has earned degrees in criminal justice and criminology, filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Nevada over the legalized prostitution industry, and worked with senators to advocate for the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act which provides victims the opportunity to vacate or expunge federal convictions resulting from their victimization. Bekah’s goal is not only to change perceptions, but to leave a legacy that demonstrates the dignity and strength of Survivorship. You can reach Bekah @BekahSpeaksOut or at www.bekahspeaksout.com.