{"id":1950,"date":"2025-03-25T16:02:38","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T20:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/?p=1950"},"modified":"2025-03-25T16:02:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T20:02:38","slug":"global-center-on-human-trafficking-hosts-successful-third-annual-legislative-breakfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/2025\/03\/25\/global-center-on-human-trafficking-hosts-successful-third-annual-legislative-breakfast\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Center on Human Trafficking Hosts Successful Third Annual Legislative Breakfast"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On February 21st, 2025, the Global Center in Human Trafficking hosted its third annual Legislative Breakfast, bringing together key influential stakeholders in the anti-trafficking field. The gathering focused on exploring solutions for some of the most pressing issues regarding human trafficking.<\/p>\n<p>This year\u2019s successful event brought together 144 legislators, survivors, service providers, and field experts to discuss the mental health response to Human Trafficking in law, policy, and practice. Survivors face critical challenges upon exiting their trafficking situations, particularly the shortage of both short-term and long-term mental health services. There is also a lack of understanding of the vital role mental health care plays in their healing journey.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must continue to unite as a community to discuss policies and best practices that provide comprehensive support for survivors, particularly in the area of mental health services. The Legislative Breakfast provided an essential platform for advancing these critical conversations,\u201d said Ashlee Martellacci, Student Affairs and Community Engagement Coordinator for the Global Center on Human Trafficking.<\/p>\n<p>The need for trauma-informed mental healthcare, not only immediately after trafficking, but throughout the often years-long recovery process, was emphasized by many in attendance. Survivors\u2019 access to mental health services is fundamental to their healing and reintegration.<\/p>\n<p>Opening remarks by Dr. Johnathan Koppell, President of Montclair State University, and Dr. Daniela Peterka-Benton, Director of the Global Center on Human Trafficking, stressed the importance of adequate funding and provision of mental health services for trafficking survivors. The keynote speaker, Dr. Amanda Stylianou, CEO of HEAL Trafficking, furthered this message.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1957\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/human-trafficking\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/219\/2025\/03\/2025_legbreakfast-Keynote.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/human-trafficking\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/219\/2025\/03\/2025_legbreakfast-Keynote.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"full conference center with Keynote Speaker at the podium\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Amanda Stylianou, CEO of HEAL Trafficking, delivered the keynote address.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As part of the event, the Global Center on Human Trafficking honors one legislator, survivor and service provider every year for their work in the anti-trafficking field with the Wellstone\/Smith Award. New Jersey Senator Linda Greenstein was honored for her legislative accomplishments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLegislation plays a critical role in addressing the root causes and long-term impacts of human trafficking,\u201d said Martellacci.<\/p>\n<p>Ashante Taylorcox, founder and executive director of You Are More Than, was the recipient of the survivor award and executive director Nur Kalyoncu accepted the award on behalf of Family Service League in the service provider category.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1956\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/human-trafficking\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/219\/2025\/03\/2025_legbreakfast-Awards.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/human-trafficking\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/219\/2025\/03\/2025_legbreakfast-Awards.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"a group of people stand together at the 2025 legislative breakfast in front of a Montclair State step and repeat banner\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Awardees at the 2025 Legislative Breakfast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The critical need for long-term mental health care for survivors was further cemented in the event\u2019s panel discussion. The panel featured a diverse group of experts including Victoria McCombs (Covenant House), Stephanie Koeller (Family Service League), Dr. Laura Quiros (Montclair State University) Ashante Taylorcox (You Are More Than), Jasmine Ostrow, J.D. (Atlantic Co. Prosecutor\u2019s Office), and Dr. Jason Williams (Moderator, Montclair State University).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1955\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/human-trafficking\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/219\/2025\/03\/2025legbreakfast-panel.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/human-trafficking\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/219\/2025\/03\/2025legbreakfast-panel.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"panel members at 2025 Legislative Breakfast sit at a long table with microphones facing the audience\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Panelists at the 2025 Legislative Breakfast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt was so interesting to hear from such diverse speakers today and I learned a lot. As a student who aspires to work in the healthcare field, it is crucial to be informed about the mental health care needs of survivors,\u201d said Emily, a Montclair State student.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On February 21st, 2025, the Global Center in Human Trafficking hosted its third annual Legislative Breakfast, bringing together key influential stakeholders in the anti-trafficking field. The gathering focused on exploring solutions for some of the most pressing issues regarding human trafficking. This year\u2019s successful event brought together 144 legislators, survivors, service providers, and field experts [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-global-center-for-human-trafficking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1950"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1959,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1950\/revisions\/1959"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/human-trafficking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}