No Health Care for Domestic Trafficking Survivors

Much has been written over at our human trafficking blog about the lack of services offered to children and adults who are victims of trafficking and sexual abuse.

But while we often think of trafficked persons as foreign nationals -- brought to the United States from other countries and forced to engage in sex work or work in domestic service -- that isn't always the case. While foreign nationals' cases are common, thousands of children and women are also trafficked within the borders of the United States every year. And in many ways, they might as well be from another country.

Though they may never have left the cities in which they were born, most trafficked women and children have their papers confiscated by their traffickers -- or run away from home without them -- and therefore have no form of identification when they finally escape. In the United States, for victims of trafficking who are foreign nationals, once they're certified as victims, they're eligible for medical attention and other services. Yet no such program exists for domestic victims. In order to obtain services at free clinics or apply for Medicaid, a valid form of identification is required. As a result, until they obtain proper documentation -- which can take months -- victims of domestic trafficking can't get access to medical care under any state jurisdiction.

After months or years of confinement, forced labor and sexual abuse, many of these survivors are in need of long-term medical care as well as counseling. Yet the lack of resources is astounding. In Washington, D.C., Courtney's House is the only organization in the country with a sole mandate of providing services for victims of domestic trafficking. The nonprofit has just a tiny team of health professionals -- one doctor and two registered nurses -- who are trying to address this need across the entire D.C. Metro area.

Under the current healthcare bill, language exists that could allow grantees to use federal funding to provide medical care to survivors of domestic trafficking. As yet, though, language doesn't exist that explicitly addresses the immediate health needs of trafficking survivors. In the meantime, if you're a doctor, a nurse, a mental health provider or a case worker, please consider offering your services every once in a while to domestic trafficking survivors.

Photo Credit: Lori Greig