Reproductive Healthcare Navigation Program Grant

The Illinois Department of Public Health is launching a Reproductive Healthcare Navigation Program to create a toll-free abortion navigation hotline. This initiative aims to connect patients with appropriate abortion providers in Illinois while offering educational resources and logistical support. The program seeks experienced grantees to maintain relationships with providers, ensure culturally competent services, and promote the hotline effectively through various channels. The goal is to facilitate access to safe abortion care and support for individuals navigating this process.

Illinois Department of Public Health
IDPH is organized into 12 offices, each of which addresses a distinct area of public health. Each office operates and supports numerous ongoing programs and is prepared to respond to extraordinary situations as they arise.
Mission Statement: The Illinois Department of Public Health is an advocate for and partner with the people of Illinois to re-envision health policy and promote health equity, prevent and protect against disease and injury, and prepare for health emergencies.
Short Description
The Illinois Department of Public Health is seeking to award a grant for the development and implementation, or further expansion, of a toll-free abortion navigation hotline that will not only help navigate any patient who is looking for an abortion to the appropriate provider in Illinois, but that can provide education and logistical support, as needed.
The grantee must have experience in abortion navigation services and will develop and maintain relationships with the abortion providers in the State and the Illinois Department of Public Health. The grantee shall promote use of the hotline by distributing information about it via low cost means to professional networks and utilize public and social media. The grantee will provide counseling and information to callers, including connecting them with the appropriate provider for their unique needs and circumstances, education on potential clinical issues prior to their appointment, and connection with support services, as needed. The grantee will be responsible for maintaining up-to-date, accurate resources on IL abortion providers, abortion support service providers, and will ensure a warm handoff after the (closed loop) referral takes place.
This grant was formerly known as: Abortion Hotline Grant
Among the objectives of this program are:
Objective 1: Establish and oversee a hotline that provides culturally competent, multi-lingual, trauma informed health information, case management, and appointment navigation to client-identified abortion concerns regarding, at a minimum, the following:
Ensure a sufficient staffing model of qualified Hotline counselors are available within 90 days of execution of the grant. IDPH retains the right to verify the certificates of completion of training.Treatment options overview o Emergency signs and symptoms Support for logistical needs that pose a barrier for patients who are seeking an abortion in Illinois, e.g., transportation or lodging. •
Objective 2: Maintain a directory of providers for referral with the following components used to determine where to refer patients:
Location of provider relative to location of client Type of service requested. o Determination of service need by estimated gestational ageDetermination of service need by medical risk statusDetermination of need and identification of support for social support for any barriers in obtaining abortion (e.g., transportation, lodging, childcare, payment) o Insurance coverage of client relative to clinical provider contracted payors Support for insurance enrollment for eligible Illinois residents Culturally competent services based on individual need. Develop and maintain secure systems for protected health information and personal information protected under applicable laws and regulations.
Objective 3: Establish coordination with local social support programs offering, at minimum, the following services:
Civil Rights Services; Housing Assistance Services; Behavioral/Mental Health Counseling Services; Prenatal Care; Education Services; Employment Resources; Food Banks/Meal Programs; Health Departments; Community Health Centers; Emergency and Informational Hotlines; Legal Services; Support Groups: Transportation Services; Vision and Hearing Services; and Child Care Services