The Howard County Office of Human Trafficking Prevention (OHTP) will host the second annual Howard Country Human Trafficking Awareness & Prevention Conference (HTAP), Taking the Next Steps on Friday, November 8, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at Howard Community College in Columbia. The goal of the conference is to inform and educate regional working professionals, law enforcement and the general public. All are welcome to attend.

UPDATE! The 2019 keynote address will be presented by Barbara Amaya, an award-winning advocate, speaker, trainer, and author of the Amazon best-selling memoir, “Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Lost Innocence,” Modern Day Slavery and Transformation, and graphic novel series, “The Destiny of Zoe Carpenter.”

The HTAP conference will also offer four different session tracks, focusing on Awareness, Life After Trafficking, Labor Trafficking & Prevention, and Law Enforcement. Attendees can choose one session in each track (except for Law Enforcement, which is reserved for sworn officers only.) View the conference agenda for more information on session topics and presenters.

The conference fee is $35 per person and includes all materials, a continental breakfast and lunch (indicate lunch choice). Seating is limited.

As one of the offices under the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services, OHTP's mission is to help prevent human trafficking in Howard County, Maryland, and beyond. For more information, or to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations to participate in the conference, contact Lisa Coster at 410-313-6410 (voice/relay) or lcoster@howardcountymd.gov or visit www.howardcountymd.gov/OHTP.