Child Trafficking in Your Texas Community

Video Length | 47:39

Recorded | January 2023

Podcast Description

In this Learning Lab episode, host Celina Bley sits down with Debbie Solcher from Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas and Janet Kasper from the Office of the Texas Governor's Child Sex Trafficking Team to discuss child trafficking. The trio cover the types and warning signs of child trafficking, who is at risk for being trafficked, prevention efforts for parents and schools, and resources aimed at preventing trafficking and supporting those who are being trafficked.

Expert Guests

Debbie Solcher

Debbie Solcher

Debbie has a B.S. in Criminal Justice, an M.S.E. in Educational Leadership, and holds a Texas Teaching Certificate in Special Education. She started her career in the juvenile justice system and has an extensive background in private school education. Debbie is an ACE's Master Trainer, CSE-IT ...Trainer, True Colors Trainer, and has experience leading teams in Restorative Practices. She is a former member of the Office of the Governor's Child Sex Trafficking Team and is currently a Program Manager at the Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas, serving as a subject matter expert on care coordination efforts around commercially sexually exploited children and youth. She provides support and technical assistance, aid in strategic policy development, and training to internal and external stakeholders.
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Janet Kasper

Janet Kasper

Janet Kasper leads the Texas Governor's Child Sex Trafficking Team to coordinate statewide efforts to prevent child sex trafficking and to coordinate state and local stakeholders to recognize, recover, support healing and bring justice for children and transition age youth who have experienced ...commercial sexual exploitation.
Prior to joining the Child Sex Trafficking Team, Janet held the roles of the director of a drop-in center for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, as the social services director of an emergency shelter for adults and families experiencing homelessness, as a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services conservatorship worker, and most recently as a crisis rehab counselor in a psychiatric emergency inpatient treatment center. Janet received a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Houston-Downtown and is currently enrolled in the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston where she is pursuing a Master of Social Work with a clinical concentration.

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Learning Lab Host

Stephanie Peterson

Celina Bley, Ph.D.

Dr. Celina Bley is the Associate Director of Training and Education at the Texas School Safety Center, located at Texas State University. She started at the Center in February 2019 and brings with her 18 years of district administrator experience in the Central Texas... area. She began in the field as a Communications Director and worked her way up to Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations which included school safety for a 6A District. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Education in the field of Adult, Professional and Community Education from Texas State University. Dr. Bley received her Master of Arts in Adult and Developmental Education and her Bachelor of Arts in German.
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Podcast Available On

Podcast Produced By: Brian Clason, Program Manager of Curriculum & Instruction

Additional Resources