$1.6 Million Awarded Federal Grant through the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Sexual Assault Services
What Will Be Done
Addressing the Challenges and Needs: The (This organization) in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), CA Partnership To End DV, California Black Women’s Health Project, L.A. County African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) Prevention Initiative; Black Women for Wellness, Project Peacemakers, Inc., and Community Legal Aid of So. Cal seeks funding for our project entitled, Understanding and Supporting Culturally Specific People and Communities (USCSPC). USCSPC will fulfill the goals of the solicitation's Priority Area (1) by ‘advancing racial equity as an essential component of ending sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.’ Additionally (This organization)’s proposed project will respond to the needs of the following Purpose Areas: (1) Work with State and local governments and social service agencies to develop and enhance effective strategies to provide culturally specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; (2) Increase communities’ capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for victims and their families; (3) Strengthen criminal justice interventions, by providing training for law enforcement, prosecution, courts, probation, and correctional facilities on culturally specific responses; (4) Enhance traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the leadership of culturally specific programs offering services; (5) Work in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources regarding victims; and (7) Provide culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims including emergency assistance.
Priority and purpose areas were selected based on (This organization)’s capacity expertise as well as the current needs, barriers, and realities within our target area. Our project focus will ensure interventions remain culturally specific, responsive, and trauma-informed. To achieve our project goal, (This organization) will develop and implement a series of training that are industry-specific and informed by our community through ongoing community engagement such as listening sessions. Through collaboration with our community partners, (This organization) will: Identify organizations that request or need support working with families and survivors of violence by providing culturally specific training on trauma, including specific, responsive culturally sensitive language, questions and parameters when, where and how providers address survivors, and their families, and engaging children/youth; Provide ongoing support to organizations who wish to develop or expand a culturally specific program for youth ambassadors or youth peer advocates by helping them develop a culturally specific curriculum and community outreach plan; Develop a culturally specific and trauma-informed educational campaign utilizing various forms of social media, presentation formats, PowerPoint, skits, music, movement, and spoken word; Collaborate with our advisory board and community partners including youth, families, for-profit, and nonprofits to host a community engagement series that includes listening sessions; and Administer training to new employees, law enforcement officers, youth-serving providers, and allied professions that interact with those impacted by violence.
Training developed through (This organization)’s USCSPC project will explore what violence and abuse may look like, the way violence manifests in communities of color, and the impact trauma has on an individual, familial, and societal level. Additionally, our curriculum will break down how trauma impacts the life-cycle of a person starting while still in In-vitro. Our comprehensive approach to culturally responsive interventions will increase the number of allied professionals who understand not only what complex trauma is but also how trauma experienced during childhood in abusive homes can later negatively affect the community at large.
By starting with the ‘why’ behind IPV, assault, and stalking within the Black and LGBTQ community, (This organization)’s project curriculum can then expand to include sector-specific procedures that highlight culturally responsive and evidence-based approaches. (This organization) will be a much-needed ‘think tank’ for providers who work with survivors and victims’ to address their concerns or provide feedback on situations encountered in the field with the community to determine best practices. (This organization) will work with Law Enforcement Personnel and Domestic Violence Advocates to identify new trends related to violence and abuse. By engaging our community through community conversations (This organization)’s proposed project will build trust and nurture legitimacy from both sides of the police-citizen divide which we believe is paramount in developing culturally responsive initiatives.