Speakers: Freedom Network USA | Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman, Tatiana Torres, + Cassandra Eng

Housing is a critical need for all individuals and a human right. Housing instability and insecurity can heighten the vulnerability of young people to human trafficking. Additionally, youth survivors escaping a trafficking situation are in critical need of safe and stable housing. This workshop will provide participants with an overview of human trafficking, the needs of survivors, and how programs can meet the housing needs of young survivors through a trauma-informed approach.

This workshop will highlight the best practices for meeting the needs of trafficking survivors. Participants will hear from a service provider on how they have implemented trauma-informed and housing-first approaches in serving youth survivors.

Session Objectives:

  1. Attendees will understand the intersection of human trafficking, youth, and housing.
  2. Attendees will explore how housing programs can implement trauma-informed practices in their work.
  3. Attendees will learn about how local organizations are conducting this work with youth.

Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman

Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman, currently oversees King County’s largest publicly funded behavioral health initiative, the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Tax Fund at the King County Department of Community and Human Services. Suamhirs was the Senior Program Coordinator at the International Rescue Committee and led the Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network. Suamhirs graduated from the University of California San Diego with a Master’s in Psychology. He has years of experience developing curriculum and providing training on trauma-informed care, mental health, human trafficking, evidence-based practices, and more to Child Welfare Systems and non-profit organizations across 38 states. Suamhirs’ professional experience also includes direct services to vulnerable youth, program management, policy advocacy around foster care and human trafficking, and co-coordination of the National Survivor Network. As a male survivor and an expert in behavioral psychology, Suamhirs has been an active consultant for the Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, a subject matter expert Consultant for the Department of Health and Human Services National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistant Center, and the International Association of Human Trafficking Investigators, and is a member of the National Council for Community Behavioral Health. He was appointed by President Barack Obama to the United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and has worked with the United Nations and Vital Voices International to develop curriculum and training on engaging men in gender-based violence initiatives.

Tatiana Torres

Tatiana Torres is a Senior Training Specialist for Freedom Network USA, a coalition working to ensure that persons who have been trafficked have access to justice, safety, and opportunity. In this role, Tatiana supports the Freedom Network Training Institute by providing Technical Assistance to programs providing housing to survivors of human trafficking. Prior to her role at FNUSA, she worked as a Research Coordinator providing both arms of psychological intervention to families and older adults. She has also worked with survivors of Domestic Violence as a Case Manager and assisted families preparing to care for children in foster care. Tatiana received a Master’s degree in Psychology from Columbia University. 

Cassandra Eng

Cassandra is currently pursuing her Master’s in Sociocultural Anthropology at Georgia State University. Her pronouns are she/hers. She started working for Freedom Network in 2021 in order to pursue her passion for intersectional advocacy and collaborative approaches to human trafficking issues. Her work intersects with her research foci on policy and resource reform while centering survivor voices. Her main interest in advocacy is working with sex trafficking survivors, housing insecurity, and the foster to trafficking pipeline. Cassandra’s passion for this advocacy work stems from her personal experience and academic background. She also works as a Court Appointed Special Advocate as a representative for foster children in court.