Exploring the role of salon professionals in identifying sex trafficking and violence victims in Indiana.

BACKGROUND: Sex trafficking victims often have touchpoints with salons for waxing, styling, and other body modification services required by traffickers. Recently, some states have administered laws requiring salon professionals to receive intimate partner violence (IPV)-related training, with even fewer states mandating training on identifying sex trafficking. This study aimed to understand how salon professionals have witnessed evidence of violence, including IPV and sex trafficking, in the workplace and to explore the differences in their approach to each type of victim. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with salon professionals (N = 10) and law enforcement professionals/policymakers (N = 5). Content and thematic analysis techniques were used. RESULTS: Salon professionals typically identified potential violence through signs such as bruises, odd behavior, and client disclosures, prompting them to engage in cautious conversations. Yet, few were trained to identify and intervene. Often, they responded to suspected violence by talking with the client, sharing concerns with salon leadership, directly intervening on the client's behalf, or contacting the police. Law enforcement and salon professionals had suggestions about improving salon professionals' recognition of and response to violence, including training on victim-focused resources, creating a safe environment, and building relationships with law enforcement. They also suggested strengthening community partnerships to increase resource advocacy and reporting. CONCLUSIONS: One-on-one salon services may provide a unique opportunity to intervene and identify victims of violence, especially when empowered through additional training and collaborative partnerships with community-oriented policing initiates. Implementing training and community-based initiatives could aid salon professionals in gaining greater confidence in knowing what to do when serving a client who is a victim of IPV or sex trafficking.

Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Campus-Wide Pharmacy Vending Machine Program.

Lack of access to affordable, accessible, over-the-counter medications and health-related items affects school attendance, academic performance, and individual health. Increasing access through innovations, such as Pharmacy Vending Machines (PhVMs), may address the burdens students face in university settings. In January 2021, two PhVMs were placed on Purdue University's campus to increase access to affordable and dependable 24/7 family planning items, cold/flu remedies, and other popular over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. Based on the success of the initiative and growing student body, the program was expanded to include two additional machines in August 2021. In this article, we detail how Purdue University planned, implemented, and evaluated a campus-wide PhVM program, which was an interdisciplinary collaboration across students, faculty, and staff in the College of Health and Human Sciences and College of Pharmacy. Pharmaceutical product availability in convenient vending machines dispersed throughout a campus contributes to a solution for the increasing demand for health products among consumers in large geographic areas.