In 2018 in Rock County, Wisconsin, a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) was developed to address the growing identification of human trafficking and need for collaborative services. Today, this team has grown and has worked together to address the needs of many identified victims or at-risk youth. Currently, the Rock County Anti-Trafficking Response Team (HART) consists of Child Protective Services, medical personnel, Victim Witness, community-based advocates, and several law enforcement departments. Through HART’s collaborative work, the community has seen an increase in prevention, initial engagement, ongoing support services, and community resources and created a support group for parents of human trafficking victims. Participants will learn how to replicate this MDT approach to human trafficking including identifying team members, overcoming failure, conducting case reviews, and identifying and addressing community needs.
Dan Schoonover is a Janesville Police Department officer and has been in law enforcement since 2010. Currently assigned to the Street Crimes Unit, he has also worked with gang abatement efforts. Currently, he works with individuals with addictions. Dan has built relationships with community programs to spread awareness about the human trafficking.
Andrea Ehret spent 14 years in child welfare, mainly within Child Protective Services, supervising Initial Assessment and has founded several local initiatives. In 2018, Andrea became the Victim Witness Coordinator and currently serves on several trauma-focused taskforces. Andrea holds a BA in Criminal Justice and a Social Work Certification.
Penny Nevicosi has over 23 years of experience serving youth and families and is currently a Juvenile Justice Supervisor. She served as a human services adjunct instructor and participates in several local and state trauma-focused taskforces. Penny holds a Master’s in Social Work from George Williams College of Aurora University.
Kelsey Hood-Christenson is the Program Director of a community-based survivor advocacy serving survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking. She has served in the survivor advocacy field for eight years and is also a forensic social work adjunct. She holds a Master’s of Social Work with clinical emphasis.