This workshop will dive into and explore the importance of specialized child protective services teams for alleged victims of human trafficking. Case workers in child protective services are flooded with rising caseloads, demanding time frames, and exhausting challenges - making it difficult to cultivate and develop the enhanced skills and knowledge needed to truly engage and protect victims of trafficking and navigate their complex issues. By elevating the critical investigative tasks and case management activities to highly trained and seasoned case managers, almost 700 youth (custodial and non-custodial) were identified and involved with the human trafficking team in Tennessee last year. The presenters will share critical experiences and knowledge of what is working well and candidly discuss the barriers or missteps experienced in organizing specialized human trafficking teams. This session will highlight the benefits of specialization from a child protection lens and will facilitate discussion through round table/small groups to explore strategies for expanding this approach further into child welfare programs and create a space to discuss emerging practice trends.