Grants to strengthen the healthcare system’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking

42 U.S. Code § 280g-4. Grants to strengthen the healthcare system’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking

(a) In generalThe Secretary shall award grants for—
(1)
the development or enhancement and implementation of interdisciplinary training for health professionals, public health staff, community health workers, violence prevention advocates working with health providers, and allied health professionals;
(2)
the development or enhancement and implementation of education programs for medical, psychology, dental, social work, nursing, and other health profession students, interns, residents, fellows, or current health care providers (including midwives and doulas);
(3)
the development or enhancement and implementation of comprehensive statewide strategies to improve the capacity of clinics, public health facilities, hospitals, and other health settings (including behavioral and mental health programs) to prevent and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;
(4)
the development or enhancement and implementation of training programs to improve the capacity of early childhood programs to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking among families they serve; and
(5)
the development or enhancement and implementation of comprehensive statewide strategies for health and violence prevention programs to work together to promote primary prevention of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
(b) Use of funds
(1) Required usesAmounts provided under a grant under this section shall be used to—
(A) fund interdisciplinary training and education programs under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) that—
(i)
are designed to train medical, psychology, dental, social work, nursing, and other health profession students, interns, residents, fellows, or current health care providers to provide universal education on healthy relationships and provide trauma-informed health care services (including mental or behavioral health care services and referrals to appropriate community services) to individuals who are or who have been victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking;
(ii)
plan and develop training components that center the experiences of, and are developed in collaboration with, culturally specific individuals and American Indians and Alaska Natives, and include community-defined practices such as the use of doulas, midwives, and traditional healers, for integration into approved internship, residency, and fellowship training or continuing medical or other health education training that address physical, mental, and behavioral health issues, including protective factors, related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other forms of violence and abuse (including labor and sex trafficking), focus on reducing health inequities and preventing violence and abuse, and include the primacy of victim safety and confidentiality;
(iii)
are designed to be inclusive of the experiences of all individuals, including LGBT individuals, and include training on improving equity and reducing disparities in access to health care services and prevention resources; and
(iv)
include training on the use of a universal prevention education approach to both prevent and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in health care settings;
(B) design and implement comprehensive strategies to improve the capacity of the health care system to prevent and respond to domestic or sexual violence in clinical and public health settings, hospitals, clinics, and other health settings (including behavioral and mental health), under subsection (a)(3) through—
(i)
the implementation, dissemination, and evaluation of policies and procedures to guide health professionals and public health staff in identifying, responding to, and promoting prevention of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking during in-person or virtual visits, including strategies to ensure that health information is maintained in a manner that protects the patient’s privacy and safety, and safely uses health information technology to improve documentation, identification, assessment, treatment, and follow-up care and to maximize victim choice on the use and sharing of their health information;
(ii) the development of services to address the safety, medical, and mental health needs of patients by—
(I)
increasing the capacity of existing health care professionals (including professionals who specialize in trauma or in substance use disorders) in behavioral and mental health care, community health workers, and public health staff to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and children exposed to violence;
(II)
contracting with or hiring advocates for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault to provide such services; or
(III)
providing funding to State domestic and sexual violence coalitions to improve the capacity of such coalitions to coordinate and support health advocates and other health system partnerships;
(iii)
the development of measures and methods for the evaluation of the practice of prevention, intervention, and documentation regarding victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking during in-person or virtual visits, including the development and testing of quality improvement measurements, in accordance with the multi-stakeholder and quality measurement processes established under paragraphs (7) and (8) of section 1395aaa(b) of this title and section 1395aaa–1 of this title;
(iv)
the provision of training and follow-up technical assistance to health care professionals, and public health staff, and allied health professionals to identify, assess, treat, and refer clients who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and promote prevention during in-person or virtual visits, including using tools and training materials already developed;
(v)
the development, implementation, dissemination, and evaluation of best practices, tools, and training materials, including culturally relevant tools, for mental health, behavioral health, and substance use disorder professionals to identify and respond to domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and dating violence; and
(vi)
the development and provision of culturally relevant training and follow-up technical assistance to health care professionals, and public health staff, and allied health professionals to identify, assess, treat, and refer clients who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking from culturally specific communities and promote prevention, using tools and training materials, developed by and for culturally specific communities, with priority given to trainings provided by culturally specific organizations; and
(C)
design and implement comprehensive strategies to prevent domestic or sexual violence including through the use of universal education in clinical and public health settings, hospitals, clinics and other health settings.
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