The Survivor-led Conference on Violence, Exploitation and Abuse

The Survivor‑Led Conference on Violence, Exploitation, and Abuse brings together survivors, students, practitioners, and community members for a full day of learning grounded in lived experience. Hosted by the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute at The University of Toledo, the conference centers survivor authority in understanding trauma, system failures, identity‑specific harms, and pathways to healing. The day begins with a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m., followed by sessions starting at 9:00 a.m. Survivors and social work professionals lead conversations on:

• Responsive care
• Creating space for survivor leadership
• The Systemic barriers faced by trans women
• The realities of human trafficking beyond statistics
• The unintended harm caused by helping systems
• The institutional protection of power over people.

The program closes with a collective Commitment of Respect.

The University of Toledo

2801 W. Bancroft St., Toledo, OH

Health and Human Services Building, Room 1711

Parking is available in Lot 1N, Lot 1S, and Lot 2 (overflow).

Note: Vehicle make, model, color and license plate number is required for parking registration!

This conference offers practical tools, survivor‑informed insight, and a space to listen, learn, and act alongside those most impacted by violence.

Info: Explores the impact of acute, chronic, and complex trauma on individuals and communities, with particular attention to trauma that occurs within relationships and systems. This presentation moves beyond the concept of being “trauma-informed” to examine what truly responsive, healing-centered care looks like in practice. Participants will gain insight into how trauma shapes behavior, health, and engagement with services, and learn approaches that emphasize safety, trust, accountability, and restoration. The session invites professionals to reflect on how their roles, environments, and systems can actively support healing rather than unintentionally reinforce harm.

Info: What happens when systems designed to help unintentionally cause more harm? Many systems say they have space for human trafficking survivors, yet survivors are often passed through those systems carrying trauma, shame, stigma, and misunderstanding. This presentation explores what human trafficking can look like, including coercion, manipulation, and exploitation, and what it truly takes to create survivor-centered space. Drawing from lived experience and coalition work, Angela Navarro examines how empowerment, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness can help interrupt cycles of trauma, break generational harm, and shift responses from re-traumatization toward dignity, healing, and pathways from surviving to thriving.

Info: This presentation explores the lived experience of Frida, a trans woman who came to the U.S. as a teenager seeking safety from oppression within her family and community. Through her story, this presentation examines how interpersonal violence and systemic barriers in healthcare, housing, and social services can impede recovery, stability, and success for trans women. Frida’s journey, from navigating exclusion and harm to becoming an HIV tester and CEO of Frida’s Boutique, highlights both the consequences of system failure and the power of community-led solutions. The presentation calls attention to gaps in care while uplifting pathways for more inclusive, affirming, and responsive systems of support.

Info: Beyond the Statistics: A Survivor’s Perspective on Human Trafficking, Healing, and Hope
An evidence‑based overview of human trafficking alongside a survivor‑led, heart‑centered perspective from presenters Tina and Lisa. Drawing from lived experience and community advocacy, the presentation illustrates how trafficking often operates in plain sight and the long‑term impacts survivors navigate well beyond exploitation. Designed for students, social workers, and helping professionals, the session addresses common myths, warning signs, and the systemic barriers survivors encounter when seeking safety and support. Emphasis is placed on ethical, trauma‑informed approaches that uphold dignity, empowerment, and long‑term healing.

Info: This is a survivor-led presentation that examines how well-intended systems can unintentionally cause harm to people recovering from human trafficking. Drawing from lived experience, presenters explore barriers within healthcare, social services, housing, and justice systems that retraumatize survivors and delay healing. This session challenges professionals to move beyond compliance-driven responses toward approaches rooted in dignity, trust, and survivor leadership. Participants will gain insight into how systems can stop causing harm and begin truly supporting recovery and long-term stability.

Info: This presentation shares a lived-experience perspective on how shame around sexuality, family silence, and religious messages once made it nearly impossible for children to disclose sexual abuse. It highlights how these same patterns still echo in today’s policies and public conversations—and invites participants to imagine more honest, compassionate ways of listening, believing, and responding to survivors. This talk is designed to help clinicians, counselors, chaplains, and ethicists better understand how silence transforms trauma into lasting psychological and physical symptoms for survivors.

Info: Unmute Her: Speak, Heal & Rise is a trauma informed presentation where I educate professionals on identifying and supporting high risk victims of human trafficking and abuse. I highlight less obvious indicators of victimization and explain why many victims do not self-identify. Through lived experience and advocacy, I emphasize survivor centered approaches and empowerment. Attendees will leave with practical tools, resources, and strategies to help victims find their voice, access support, and begin healing.

Info: This session a call to action for professionals, systems, and communities to move beyond awareness and into active support for survivors of interpersonal trauma. This presentation explores what it truly means to respect survivor autonomy, dignity, and lived experience while providing care, services, and advocacy. Participants are invited to reflect on their responsibility to not only support survivors, but to stand beside them, challenging harmful practices, confronting injustice, and fighting for systems that protect, believe, and uplift those who have experienced harm.

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Host or Publisher Angela Navarro