Demonstration Grants to Strengthen the Response to Victims of Human Trafficking in Native Communities Program

For programmatic or technical questions:
Flavia Keenan
202.401.9303
flavia.keenan@acf.hhs.gov

For grants management or budget questions:
David Lee
202.401.5461
david.lee@acf.hhs.gov

This program (Short title: VHT-NC) supports demonstration projects that will build, expand, and sustain organizational and community capacity in Native American communities to deliver services to victims of severe forms of human trafficking.

Required activities include:

• Provision of comprehensive culturally and linguistically responsive case management to Native American victims of trafficking
• Outreach efforts to increase identification of Native American victims of sex and labor trafficking
• Public awareness activities for the local community and organizations that may encounter individuals who have experienced sex and labor trafficking

Severe forms of trafficking are defined as:

• Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act is under 18 years of age
• Labor trafficking in which there is recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery

Comprehensive case management services must include helping clients navigate systems of care and direct services and/or community referrals for:

• Culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate services tailored to Native American clients
• Identification, screening, assessment, safety planning, and service planning
• Advocacy and information about crime victims' rights and services
• Direct assistance to support unmet basic needs and the well-being of Native American victims of trafficking
• Allowable and reasonable expenses such as food, clothing, transportation assistance, and interpreter services
• Healthcare including traditional healing, behavioral health, substance use treatment, vaccinations, medical, residential treatment, vision, and dental services
• Emergency, transitional, and long-term housing assistance
• Employment assistance, vocational training, and job training/placement services
• Identifying and connecting clients to public benefits

Eligible applicants include:

• States
• Tribes
• Units of local government
• Nonprofit, non-governmental victim service organizations

Award ceiling: $333,333 per year
Award floor: $300,000 per year
Project period: 5 years
Estimated number of awards: 3
Estimated total program funding: $1,000,000

Links to the full announcement and the online application process are available through grants.gov. The application instructions will be found on the related documents tab.