Description

Upon completion of this conference, participants will be able to:

1. Identify and correct common myths about the sex trafficking of minors and demonstrate how these myths interfere with identification, assessment, and service planning for child welfare-involved youth.
2. Apply multiple theoretical frameworks to explain youth vulnerability to sex trafficking and formulate trauma-responsive and culturally-informed practice responses.
3. Demonstrate use of the CANS to screen for trafficking-related vulnerabilities and develop prevention, referral, and intervention strategies.

Presenter Bio

Shelby Wright Johnson, MSW, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Tennessee with over 20 years of professional experience spanning juvenile justice, child welfare,
and community mental health. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Social Work from the University of Tennessee, and is currently a doctoral candidate in the
College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky.

Shelby currently serves as a Mental Health Consultant for Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Center for Excellence for Children in State Custody. In this role, she also functions as a
Qualified Individual under the Family First Prevention Services Act, conducting assessments for Quality Residential Treatment Placements. Her scholarly interests include child welfare systems, juvenile delinquency, and human trafficking. Her doctoral research and capstone examine the intersection of child welfare involvement and human trafficking, with particular attention to the challenges child welfare professionals face in recognizing and responding to trafficking victimization among youth.

Shelby has been an active partner with the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, an anti-trafficking coalition serving East Tennessee, since 2015. She is committed to advancing evidence-informed practice and systems-level reform to improve outcomes for youth, families, and communities.

Delivery Method: Live Interactive Training via Zoom Video Conferencing

Credit Hours: 1.0 (ACE)

Target Audience: This conference is intended for social workers and students.

Accreditation: University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Provider # 1377, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/29/25-9/29/28. Social workers participating in this conference will receive up to 15 general continuing education credits.

Claiming CE Credit: Instructions for claiming CE credit will be disseminated at the beginning of each session.

Questions: If you have any questions regarding CE credit or to report a grievance, please contact Christina Krantz at Christina.Krantz@uky.edu. For technical assistance, please contact lmshelp@uky.edu.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these presentations are those of the individual presenters and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the University of Kentucky or the College of Social Work. The inclusion of any topics, perspectives, or discussions is intended for academic engagement and does not constitute endorsement by the institution.