November 5, 2014

In October, Donna Sabella, PhD, professor and Director of Global Studies at the College of Nursing and Health Professions, was asked to present two lectures at Moravian College and Neumann University. Sabella presented “Human Trafficking: Directions and Trends, Here and Abroad” on October 18 at Neumann University, and “Human Trafficking: Global and Local Perspectives” on October 22 at Moravian College.

Then, on October 25 Sabella travelled to Phoenix, Arizona where she delivered a lecture, “Human Trafficking: What Forensic Nurses Need to Know (Code 61)” at the 2014 International Association of Forensic Nursing Conference on Forensic Nursing Science and Practice. Sabella’s lecture presented human trafficking as “an increasing and universal phenomenon that calls for enhanced awareness from both the general public and a variety of professional disciplines.” Her presentation equipped participants with the information and tools they need to understand the complexities of human trafficking: what it is, how to identify and treat victims, how to recognize traffickers and their motivation, and what current resources are available to victims. Her goal was to provide necessary, accurate, and current information that enables learners to apply the knowledge both personally and professionally in their respective areas of employment.

Sabella is founder and director of Project Phoenix, an outreach program which provides support for trafficked and prostituted women in Philadelphia. She is former program director and founding member of Dawn’s Place, a residential recovery program for similar victims in Philadelphia. She is also a contributing editor for the mental health column in the American Journal of Nursing and is the associate editor for the Journal of Human Trafficking.

by Helen Nowotnik ‘14