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Community Health Centers to hold press event in capitol to raise awareness of patient services amid healthcare changes

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Lawmakers will join FACHC members to champion the role they play in providing
high-quality healthcare to Florida’s low-income and vulnerable populations

Tomorrow, Florida’s leading advocate for community-based health care programs, the Florida Association of Community Health Centers (FACHC), will hold a press conference alongside Florida’s elected leaders to discuss the vital role its members serve in providing quality healthcare to local communities across the state. 

For more than 35 years, community health centers have provided high-quality primary care, preventive and wrap-around services to those who need it most. FACHC serves more than 1.3 million Floridians at over 450 locations statewide with:

  • 35% of its patients uninsured;
  • 43% of its patients enrolled in Medicaid; and
  • 90% of its patients reporting income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

“Amid changes taking place across the healthcare spectrum, FACHC has and will continue to fulfill its mission to improve access to quality health services, no matter an individual’s ability to pay,” said Andy Behrman, president and CEO of FACHC. “We thank the legislature for its continued support, and look forward to working with them this year to educate and advocate on behalf of Florida’s community health centers and the patients they serve.”  

For more information about FACHC and its members, visit www.fachc.org.

WHAT: Press conference to discuss the important role FACHC and its community-based healthcare members plays to provide high-quality care to patients across Florida.
WHO: Participants to be on hand at Tuesday’s press conference include:
· FACHC President and CEO, Andy Behrman
· CEO of Tampa Family Health Centers, Charlie Bottoms
· Representative and Minority Leader, Janet Cruz
· Senator Aaron Bean
· CEO Agape Community Health Center and former member of the House of Representatives, Mia Jones
WHEN: Tuesday, February 7, 2017
11:30 a.m. – noon
WHERE: Fourth Floor Rotunda
Florida Capitol
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

DCF and Partners Recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Month

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The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and its community-based care providers recognize January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Florida received 1,892 reports of human trafficking – a 54 percent increase from the previous year. The increase in reported allegations of human trafficking was due in large part to increased training and the recently launched Human Trafficking Screening Tool (HTST) developed as a collaborative effort between DCF, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office.
“The increase in reports of human trafficking is evidence that the coordinated effort across state agencies to train professionals is increasing awareness and bringing more of these cases to light,” DCF Secretary Mike Carroll said. “Florida must continue to create and implement a continuum of services that addresses all aspects of a survivor’s life including physical, social, emotional and spiritual health.”
More Floridians are recognizing the signs of human trafficking and reporting it to authorities. In addition to improved reporting tools, the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking – Secretary Mike Carroll is the Vice-Chair – has implemented specialized training for first responders and other child welfare professionals to recognize the signs of human trafficking and report it.
In March 2015, DCF and DJJ launched the human trafficking screening tool used by DJJ Juvenile Assessment Center Assessors, DCF and sheriff’s offices’ child protective investigators, and community-based care lead agencies to report incidents of suspected human trafficking. In the first year of implementation, 3,500 screenings were completed with 1,289 (37 percent) of screenings resulting in calls to the Florida Abuse Hotline. The top five counties to generate potentially trafficked youth under this screening process included Broward, Miami-Dade, Duval, Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties.
Local, statewide and national partnerships, including state agencies, service providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, the judicial system and concerned citizens, are driving the fight against human trafficking in Florida.
“Florida must continue the hard work begun on behalf of those who are often the state’s most vulnerable citizens. We cannot falter in our fight of this heinous crime,” said DJJ Secretary Christina K. Daly. “Every day that we work to increase awareness of human trafficking is another potential victim saved through our combined efforts.”
DCF tracks human trafficking by three primary categories: sexual exploitation by a non-caregiver, such as an adult entertainment club or escort service; sexual exploitation by a parent, guardian or caregiver; and labor trafficking, also referred to as slavery or servitude.
Human Trafficking Awareness Month is recognized every January. For more information on how to recognize the signs of human trafficking, as well as how to report it, visit: www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/human-trafficking.

Attorney General Bondi Announces Human Trafficking Awareness Efforts

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January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and today, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced efforts to spread awareness of the modern-day form of slavery and call Floridians and travelers to action. In an effort to encourage people to learn how to identify the signs of human trafficking, Attorney General Bondi is launching a new website, YouCanStopHT.com. Starting this month, digital signs will be displayed throughout the Tampa International Airport encouraging travelers to visit the Attorney General’s new site for tools to spot human trafficking and report suspicious activity.
“Many people will be traveling to Florida this weekend, especially to the Tampa Bay area. Having a high volume of visitors can attract traffickers and that is why I am calling on you to know the signs,” said Attorney General Bondi. “Thousands pass through the Tampa International Airport every day, and ensuring these travelers know how to identify a human trafficking victim and how to report the crime could save a life and free someone from abuse.”
Human trafficking is a form of slavery that encompasses both commercial sex trafficking and labor trafficking. According to the International Labor Organization, there are more than 20 million victims of human trafficking worldwide and the global human trafficking market is a $150 billion-a-year industry.
To continue efforts to inform the public on the global issue of human trafficking, Attorney General Bondi will be reaching out on twitter throughout the month with tips and more on how You Can Stop HT. Follow @AGPamBondi on Twitter and take an active role in the fight against human trafficking by visiting YouCanStopHT.com.
Victims of human trafficking include children, women and men who are subjected to sexual exploitation or labor through force, fraud or coercion. Attorney General Bondi is dedicated to making Florida a zero-tolerance state for human trafficking. In 2012, Attorney General Bondi worked with the legislature to strengthen Florida’s existing laws against human trafficking and curtail the industry. It is now easier for all prosecutors in the state to pursue human trafficking cases. The legislation also gave the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution jurisdiction over multi-judicial circuit human trafficking cases allowing the office to pursue some of the largest human trafficking cases in state court history.