Texas Human Trafficking Training for Healthcare Practitioners
By Zack Janiel
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 Texas Occupations Code, Ch. 116, after implementing the 2019 House Bill 2059 (86R).
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 HHSC-Approved Human Trafficking courses to renew their licenses.
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 TDLR license types who need to comply with the new requirement when renewing their licenses:
(MD and DO)
Surgical Assistants
Radiologic Technologists
Chemical Dependency Counselors
Athletic Trainers
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
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 approved human trafficking course providers. Organizations who want to submit their training courses for approval will undergo a thorough review under Texas HHSC.
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.
AchieveCE offers a two-hour human trafficking course approved by the Texas HHSC. This online course is designed for all Texas healthcare practitioners. In this course, you’ll learn how traffickers recruit their victims, the ways to report potential cases, and the laws against human trafficking.
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 AchieveCE Texas Human Trafficking Training. This online knowledge-based course covers essential training components required by the Texas HHSC. Forms of human trafficking, common techniques of traffickers, human trafficking awareness and prevention, victim assessment, and warning signs of human trafficking are discussed in this course approved for all Texas healthcare professionals.
Who can I contact for more information?
For more information, you may reach TDLR by phone ((512) 463-6599) or by inquiry email. You may also contact the HHSC through email ( human_trafficking@hhs.texas.gov) or visit their Health Care Practitioner Human Trafficking Training page.