Texas Human Trafficking Training for Healthcare Practitioners

When renewing their licenses, healthcare practitioners in Texas who provide direct patient care must complete a human trafficking training course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) imposed this requirement on September 2020 in compliance with the amendment of

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about this requirement, such as what human trafficking training is, who must comply with the requirements, and where you can find approved training courses.

What’s in The Article?

• What is Human Trafficking Training?

• Who needs to comply with the new requirement?

• When does this requirement begin?

• Who can provide training?

• What kind of training satisfies the new requirement?

• Where can I find courses that meet this new requirement?

• Who can I contact for more information?

What is Human Trafficking Training?

Human trafficking involves exploiting people for forced labor, sexual slavery, coercion, or fraud. Healthcare practitioners are in a crucial position to respond to human trafficking incidents and help victims regardless of age, nationality, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.

Since September 2020, Texas has been implementing a new rule that requires certain healthcare practitioners to complete

The Texas human trafficking training courses will allow these healthcare practitioners to understand their role in the TDLR anti-trafficking planning and response.

Who needs to comply with the new requirement?

Here is a list of

• Physicians

  (MD and DO)

• Physician Assistants

• Surgical Assistants

• Radiologic Technologists

• Respiratory Care Practitioners

• Acupuncturists

• Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

• Registered Nurses

• Licensed Vocational Nurses

• Pharmacists

• Pharmacy Technicians

• Dentists

• Dental Assistants

• Dental Hygienists

• Chiropractors

• Optometrists

• Therapeutic Optometrists

• Psychologists

• Physical Therapists

• Physical Therapist Assistants

• Occupational Therapists

• Occupational Therapy Assistants

• Social Workers

• Licensed Professional Counselors

• Chemical Dependency Counselors

• Marriage and Family Therapists

• Athletic Trainers

• Audiologists

• Assistants in Audiology

• Interns in Audiology

• Behavior Analysts

• Behavior Analyst Assistants

• Dietitians

• Dyslexia Therapists

• Dyslexia Practitioners

• Hearing Instrument Fitters and Dispensers

• Massage Therapists

• Midwives

• Retired Midwives

• Orthotists

• Orthotist Assistants

• Podiatric Physicians

• Podiatric Temporary Residency

• Podiatric Medical Radiological Technicians

• Prosthetists

• Prosthetist Assistants

• Prosthetist Orthotists

• Prosthetist Orthotist Assistants

• Speech-Language Pathologists

• Speech-Language Pathology Assistants

• Speech-Language Pathology Interns

When does this requirement begin?

The requirement began on September 1, 2020, per the 2019 House Bill 2059 (86R). Every Texas healthcare practitioner mentioned on the list must complete this training every time they renew their license.

Who can provide training?

The Texas HHSC has released a list of

The training course must meet the HHSC training standards and must comply with state laws, federal laws, and agency policies.

You can get a non-CE certificate of completion from the course provider after the training, but submission of this certificate on your license renewal will not be required. However, TDLR may ask you to provide proof of training at any time.

What kind of training satisfies the new requirement?

The human trafficking training should be Texas HHSC-approved and educate healthcare practitioners about trauma-informed and survivor-informed practices when dealing with potential human trafficking cases. These training courses can be held online, in person, or through webinars.

Training courses should meet the training standards of Texas HHSC. These criteria will assess the content of each training, such as the correctness of the information, the quality and depth of learning, and other key components.

In order to be approved by the Texas HHSC, the training course should have evidence-based, valid, and credible information. It should not also contain any factual errors and sensationalized images.

The training course should also clearly state the learning objectives and ensure that the content meets these objectives upon course completion.

The training should also cover the different types of trafficking. It should have an in-depth discussion of human trafficking, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, forms of trafficking, and the various methods and techniques that traffickers use.

The course should also examine the health impacts human trafficking can inflict on victims. Discussions about mental health problems, sexual health issues, and other medical issues that arise among victims of human trafficking should be included in the course.

While approved courses promote awareness of human trafficking, they should also train healthcare professionals in human trafficking case assessment. The challenges in approaching trafficking victims, the indications of human trafficking, and the appropriate approach to intervening in a potential human trafficking case should be discussed in the course as well.

The training should also describe the reporting mechanisms and proper response of healthcare practitioners to a potential human trafficking incident. Trusted resources, protocols, and contacting law enforcement should be included.

Where can I find courses that meet this new requirement?

You can complete your training course through the Texas HHSC-approved

Who can I contact for more information?

For more information, you may reach TDLR by phone ((512) 463-6599) or