Empowering All Survivors of Trafficking to Access Healthcare - Native Communities (EAST-NC) Demonstration Program

access to health services, health-seeking behaviors, and overall well-being.   The EAST-NC Demonstration Program will achieve this goal by directly funding projects that will build, expand, and sustain the capacity of healthcare facilities  to provide primary and preventative healthcare to Native American individuals who have experienced human trafficking to include treatment of acute and chronic illness and injury; annual physical examinations; vaccinations; medical clearance evaluations; infectious disease testing and treatment; mental health services;  case management services; and other services to support their well-being.  Bonus points will be awarded to applicants that are non-profit members of the Indian Health Service provider network.     Under the EAST-NC Demonstration Program, the following activities are required: 1) provision of primary and preventative healthcare to adult and minor Native American individuals who have experienced human trafficking; 2) training and capacity building to healthcare provider staff within the healthcare facility on effective identification, screening, assessment, trauma-informed medical service delivery, and referral strategies; 3) provision of comprehensive, culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate, case management delivered onsite, or via a referral partner; 4) development and implementation of a human trafficking referral protocol to identify and respond to Native American individuals who have experienced human trafficking; and 5) awareness raising efforts to promote the services and assistance available to Native American individuals who have experienced human trafficking.  Applicants that do not provide onsite primary and preventative healthcare services may partner with a healthcare facility that does to achieve the program’s objectives.    The EAST-NC Demonstration Program is informed by a whole family approach that focuses equally and intentionally on services and opportunities for clients and their immediate family members living within their households.  OTIP is encouraging the establishment of community partnerships, meaningful engagement of individuals with lived experience, and the hiring of qualified professionals that reflect the communities being served in all project implementation strategies under the EAST-NC Demonstration Program.  Under the EAST-NC Demonstration Program, there is a 12-month project implementation period for the prime recipient to facilitate optional partnerships, on-board new staff, develop a human trafficking referral protocol specific to the healthcare facility, and develop a sustainability plan.  However, clients must be served during the 12-month project implementation period. For the purposes of this program, healthcare facilities are defined as places where healthcare services are rendered by licensed healthcare providers in acute care hospitals, urgent care centers, community healthcare clinics, and urgent care centers.  Healthcare facilities include Federally Qualified Health Centers.  Federally Qualified Health Centers include Community Health Centers, Migrant Health Centers, Health Care for the Homeless, and Health Centers for Residents of Public Housing.  A healthcare provider is a Doctor of Medicine or osteopathy, podiatrist, dentist, chiropractor, clinical psychologist, optometrist, nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, or a clinical social worker who is authorized to practice medicine by their State and performing within the scope of their practice as defined by State law.  Under the EAST-NC Demonstration Program, the prime recipient must provide a statutorily mandated 25 percent match (cash or in-kind).