HHS Trafficking Grant Dispersal: Don't Lose Sight of What Matters

By Kaitlin Owen, BTCC Human Trafficking Advocacy Intern

In October 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement declined the renewal of a grant to the United States Conferences of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Migration and Refugee Services (MRS), an organization that distributes aid to organizations whose clients are victims of human trafficking.  Instead, the grant was divided and given to four organizations, the largest of which is the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). 

In a statement, HHS explained their decision: 

"Victims of trafficking have significant health care needs. Based on these needs, our Office of Refugee Resettlement included an explicit preference for organizations that would ensure that victims had access to information and referrals for the full range of health care services in the funding announcement for these grants…The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops indicated it could not meet that standard."

In essence, that “standard” to which HHS is referring is providing abortion, sterilization or contraceptive services- case managers commonly refer to these as family planning services.  In accordance with Catholic Church teaching, USCCB “won’t facilitate taking innocent life, sterilization and artificial contraception.” In 2009, the American Civil Liberties Union brought a suit against the U.S. District Court in Boston for not requiring USCCB to provide these services as a part of MRS’s anti-trafficking programs.

Due to controversy concerning the grant dispersal, The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform began an investigation into HHS’s grant dispersal process: whether or not HHS did so justly and within the correct parameters, or if they should have refused USCCB from submitting an application from the beginning. The first hearing was held on December 1^st, 2011.  This hearing dealt only with the concerns surrounding HHS and the justness of their dispersal The second hearing was held on December 14^th, at the request of Representative Elijah Cummings (D-MD). 

The focus of the second hearing was to educate the Committee on the services needed by and available to victims, in contrast to the first hearing, which dealt exclusively with the actions of HHS.  ”To conduct a responsible review of the process used to award these grants,” said Cummings, “we need to understand who these victims are, what they have gone through, and why they need reproductive health services.” Service providers and survivors of trafficking were represented by a panel of two human rights activists: Florrie Burke, a psychologist and well-respected expert on anti-human trafficking efforts and Chair Emeritus of Freedom Network USA, and Andrea Powell, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of FAIR Girls in Washington D.C. Throughout the hour, they emphasized that returning agency to a client is essential to the healing process, as it is agency that was taken from them by their traffickers.  By restoring agency, the client service providers restore the dignity of their clients, and by restricting access to reproductive health services, the USCCB is denying survivors of human trafficking the agency to choose their health care for themselves.

Break the Chain Campaign strongly believes in the concept of restoring the rights of the survivors through restoring agency and self-determination.  Survivors of trafficking deserve immediate and full access to the entire range of healthcare services, including family planning and reproductive services. We are concerned that anti-choice politics will distort what really matters in anti-trafficking service provision: the human rights of survivors.

Stop Repeal of the CLASS Act

Stop Repeal of the CLASS Act

On Wednesday, January 25, the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on HR 1173, which is euphemistically entitled the “Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act of 2011.”  This bill would repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act.  The CLASS Act was designed to be a voluntary insurance program to help Americans pay for long term care, and it was passed as part of the Affordable Care Act.

Please CLICK HERE to find the phone number for your Member of the House of Representatives and tell her/him:

1. The CLASS Act should not be repealed.
2. Repealing CLASS ignores the needs of millions of Americans with disabilities and seniors who need long term services and supports to maintain their independence and dignity.
3. Repealing CLASS ignores the needs of the direct care workforce for quality jobs.

Then, let us know you've made the call!

Caring Across Generations: Post from New CAG Intern Josh Edwards

Jill's Story

by Josh Edwards

Jill’s admittance to the hospital was preceded by a diagnosis of a decubitus ulcer, which is damage caused by pressure or friction, on her lumbar spine. Jill is a 17 year-old girl who has suffered from Myelodysplasia (spina bifida) since birth. Beth is an occupational therapist who has worked with Jill’s insurance to assist her in getting a much needed new mattress that will supply continuous airflow. Jill currently uses a standard mattress with a gel overlay. The mattress is estimated to be 10 years old, while the gel overlay, over years of use, has succumbed to an unsupportive split down the middle offering Jill negligible support.

Beth, along with a mattress representative from a company dealing exclusively with supportive equipment for spinal conditions, has requested from Medicare a new mattress––the one that supplies continuous airflow. Medicare refused to cover the $9,000 expense to supply Jill with an indispensable medical need, but offered to rent the mattress for one month. After refusing to accept Medicare’s offer, Beth and the mattress representative along with Jill’s physician wrote a compelling letter detailing Jill’s condition, her current sleeping arrangement, and the need for this equipment to avert additional bed sores.

Within a short time, Medicare revised their decision, allowing a rental mattress for two months instead of just one, rather than spend $9,000 for years of quality use. Why? The reason they cited was a mattress of this sophistication cannot be resold. Per Medicare’s policy, a standard mattress can be bought and resold every five years under their coverage policy, but because Jill would require a specialized mattress, Medicare will not approve purchase.  

People with spinal cord injuries like Jill’s cannot feel the damage being done, while a person without such an injury could simply adjust their posture. Consequently, after Jill has surgery to repair the skin, she will be bed-ridden with spotty support for several weeks, unaware if any movements she makes could be damaging her skin. Yet Medicare holds firm in their decision not to cover the cost of the mattress for Jill.

Through my internship for the Caring Across Generations campaign, I am starting to learn more about the improvements we need to make to our health care system. Like Jill, many individuals with disabilities are unable to receive the care they need – whether that’s in the form of hours of home care, or specialized equipment that would significantly improve quality of life. I look forward to sharing more blogs in the future as I learn more about the state of healthcare in America.

Caring Across Generations: Why every generation should care

by Susie Robertson

When issues like Medicare and Medicaid come up in political conversations, people in my age group (20-30) tend to ignore them. After all, I’m young and healthy, so how do Medicare and Medicaid affect me anytime in the near future? The truth is that we will have to deal with these programs earlier in our lives that most people think. In the past few years, I have seen my grandparents age and I have watched my parents work to ensure they receive quality healthcare and assistance for all of their needs. What has become clear is that the management of those services often falls into the hand of their adult family members. These programs will affect me and my peers as early as our 30’s or 40’s. That is why it is important for our age group to pay attention to these issues and work to ensure that our country has a social safety net large enough and comprehensive enough to offer quality healthcare and assistance to our seniors and disabled at an affordable price. That is why we should all lend our support to projects like Caring Across Generations, which focus on making essential care available to all seniors and disabled.

The Caring Across Generations campaign seeks to improve the care of elderly and disabled by focusing not only on contributory programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security but also by reaching out to the direct-care work force itself. The direct-care work force, which includes Nursing Assistants, home health aides, and personal care aides, is rarely considered in discussions on healthcare reform and is exempt from many labor regulations, which is made possible by exploitive measures like the companionship exemption law. If we can improve the job quality and standard of living of direct-care workers while providing monetary support for individuals in need of caregivers, then we can create a better system of care for our elderly and disabled. Please take the time to visit the Caring Across Generations webpage to read more about the issues at hand and hear stories about what it is like to be elderly or disabled in America.

On behalf of the leadership team of the Caring Across Generations Campaign, I am excited to invite you all to an action on December 7^th down in Lower Senate Park.  Don't miss this important event, where our Everyday Superheros will speak out in front of thousands of people who will be spending the night camped out in the "Take Back Our Capital People's Encampment". Get more information and register here: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6748/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=46005

Press Conference this Thursday- Bring your Kids!

Calling on youth in the Washington DC area!
Help carry the voices of thousands of young people to Congress and the White House!

Dear Friends in the DC Area-

We are inviting you—and the young people in your life—to participate in a powerful and historic moment! On Thursday, December 8 we will deliver over 5,000 letters to the White House and members of Congress, written by children all around the country. These letters express one united wish: an end to detentions and deportations so that all families can stay together.

The delivery of these letters represents the culmination of a campaign called A Wish for the Holidays. Over the past month, children and youth have learned about the issues, written their own stories of how deportations have affected them, and spoken out about the devastating impact immigration enforcement has on children and families.

Can you help us deliver these letters? We are forming a delegation of children, youth, parents and advocates. We are looking for youth of all ages to participate, both those who have personal experience with family separation and others who simply think that family separation must end. This is an amazing opportunity for a small group of children to carry forward the voices and wishes of thousands of others. Please join us!

Where: Capitol Hill
When: Thursday, December 8
Time: 10:30am – 2:30pm
What: We will start with a short planning session, then a press conference at 11:30, and will then divide into smaller groups to deliver letters to members of Congress. We will end with a debrief and have lunch together. The activities of the day will wrap up around 2:30pm
Details: Spanish-English interpretation, snacks, and lunch will be provided. Please let us know if you have other logistical needs that would enable your participation.

How: If you would like to participate, please contact Lisa Moore, lisa@domesticworkers.org<mailto:lisa@domesticworkers.org>, 415-640-4073.

Thank you for helping us to deliver this powerful wish! We hope you can join us!

A Wish for the Holidays is a project of We Belong Together, a collaboration of women’s and immigrant rights groups dedicated to highlighting the impact of immigration enforcement on women and children. Go to www.WeBelongTogether.org/wish<http://www.WeBelongTogether.org/wish> for more information.