Francisco Guzman, minority outreach coordinator with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child and Family Well Being, Whole Child Health Section, will be speaking during the Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking meeting at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, May 18, at the Heart for ENC Conference Room, 1412 S. Evans St., Greenville.

In his role, Guzman promotes children’s health insurance with an emphasis on reaching minority populations. He most recently worked as a project manager with Spanish for Fun! Prior to that, he was a social worker with Child Protective Services of Wake County Human Services.

“We are happy to have an advocate who understands the needs of children in North Carolina come speak with PCCAHT this month,” said Pam Strickland, PCCAHT member.

“He is accustomed to promoting family-centered practices and has in-depth knowledge of various agencies that handle mental health and behavioral therapies.”

The Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking will welcome the executive director of Rocking Horse Ranch Morgan Tedder to its April meeting on at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, April 20, at the Heart for ENC conference room located at 1412 S. Evans Street, Greenville.

Tedder has served as the executive director of Rocking Horse Ranch since 2021. Under her leadership the ranch has increased its clientele by 600 percent.

During her tenure at Rocking Horse, she has been afforded the opportunity to serve those with disabilities in Eastern North Carolina and has increased community awareness about equine assisted services.

She is a staunch advocate for those struggling with their mental health.

Tedder has an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from East Carolina University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work. She is an equine specialist in mental health learning with PATH Intl.

“We are happy to have Ms. Tedder speak to us about the opportunities that Rocking Horse Ranch have for those who have traumatic experiences in their past,” said PCCAHT facilitator Pam Strickland.

“Any services that we can learn about that can help human trafficking survivors achieve restoration is invaluable. The more we know about what’s available in our community and in our state, the better we can support survivors on their journeys to restoration.”

The Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking will welcome the new Pitt County Department of Social Services Director Sharon Rochelle to the Thursday, March 16, to discuss her focus as the leader of the county department.

She has more than 30 years of experience in the social services field. She has served as the first deputy commissioner of Family Well-Being in Erie County, New York, and the as the director of social services in Powhatan, Virginia.

Rochelle’s focus will be improving the services to Pitt County citizens and developing a strong, resilient workforce.

“We are happy to have Ms. Rochelle come and speak to the coalition,” said Pam Strickland, PCCAHT coordinator.

“It is important that we all work together as a community to develop strong social support services, and one of the cornerstones to that community strength is the department of social services. We are happy to welcome Ms. Rochelle to our table and to the coalition.”

The meeting of the Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking will begin at 9:30 a.m., March 16, at the 1412 S. Evans Street, Greenville (Heart for ENC Conference Room).

The speaker for the February meeting of the Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking, which is at 9:30 a.m., Feb. 16, at 1412 S. Evans St., is Briana Brantley, special projects coordinator with the Pitt County Coalition on Substance Use (PCCSU).

Brantley is currently the coordinator for the Thriving Families Program under PCCSU.

With Pitt County reporting overdose deaths at 25.6 percent, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, it can only be surmised that the intersections between human trafficking and substance use disorders are expansive in the community.

“We are happy to hear how PCCSU is addressing substance use disorders in Pitt County,” said PCCAHT facilitator Pam Strickland.

“Substance use disorders create a population more vulnerable to being trafficked, and that is because an untreated disorder of this nature offers traffickers an avenue into a person’s life and an avenue to exploit that person. Not to mention substance use disorders among parents leave children unprotected, and sometimes traumatized. When we grapple with issues like substance use, then we are also attempting to deal with human trafficking in our community.”

Brantley is a graduate of East Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in health services management and a master’s in public health.

GREENVILLE (NC): The Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Oakmont Baptist Church fellowship hall, 1100 Red Banks Rd, Greenville, N.C.

The guest speaker for this session will be Lindley Brickhouse, MSN, RN, administrator at Access East for the Healthy Opportunities Pilot.

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website, “The Healthy Opportunities Pilots is the nation’s first comprehensive program to test and evaluate the impact of providing select evidence-based, non-medical interventions related to housing, food, transportation and interpersonal safety and toxic stress to high-needs Medicaid enrollees.”

“As we look at the needs of survivors of human trafficking in Pitt County, we are met with issues around housing, food, transportation, safety and mental health concerns,” said Pam Strickland, facilitator of the Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

“We are happy to have Ms. Brickhouse share her knowledge of this new program and connect our local service providers with the necessary resources to ensure comprehensive victim/survivor care.”

Lindley has been a registered nurse for 34 years and has been at Vidant Health for 35 years. She served in multiple roles throughout her nursing career, including patient care, leadership roles and quality.

She was born and raised in Eastern North Carolina and obtained her BSN from East Carolina University in 1988 and MSN from Aspen University in 2020.

She joined Access East in the fall of 2021 to help launch the Healthy Opportunities Pilot.

The Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking will convene on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at 1412 S. Evans Street (conference room located behind the Heart for ENC building)

At this meeting, Laura King, executive director of the Center for Family Violence Prevention, will be discussing the potential the Family Justice Center has to provide a stronger continuum of care for victims of violence in Pitt County. 

Fair trade coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts will be available to enjoy. Together we can end human trafficking in North Carolina.

Email Melinda Sampson if you have any questions at melinda@encstophumantrafficking.org.

The Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking will welcome Robin Tant, foster parent, to discuss her experience with fostering children during the May meeting as recognition of National Foster Care Month.

Tant is the nutrition program director at the Pitt County Health Department. She has worked at the health department for around 15 years and has been a dietitian for almost 23 years. 

She graduated from East Carolina University with a bachelor of science in nutrition and dietetics and holds a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in health.  She has a passion for both children and animals. She has been a foster parent since Feb. 14, 2020.

“Robin has a perspective that we need to hear as a coalition,” said PCCAHT facilitator Pam Strickland.

“We know that foster children are more vulnerable to the grooming and recruitment tactics of predators and traffickers. Robin’s lived experience with fostering children can not only guide our work in the community but also has the capacity to bring people to the table who are interested in becoming foster parents themselves.”

The May meeting is slated for 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 19, at the Heart for ENC conference room on 1412 S. Evans St. PCCAHT will be meeting in person this month without any virtual option.

The Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking will welcome Hannah Parham, MSW, supportive housing director of First Fruit Ministries, to discuss housing programs during its virtual meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 17.

First Fruit Ministries is located in Wilmington and includes programs that are catered to the human trafficking survivor population. First Fruit Ministries accepts referrals from outside New Hanover County, which will be a connection that is needed for Pitt County organizations.

“We are happy to have Hannah join us this month,” Pam Strickland, founder of NC Stop Human Trafficking and facilitator of PCCAHT said.

“First Fruit Ministry has incredible programming that is needed across the state. They are innovative and compassionate in their approach to human trafficking survivor services. We want our local organizations to know more about them in case they find that their clients need assistance that aligns with First Fruit’s programming.”

Click here to join meeting.