The office on violence against women (OVW) training and technical assistance (TA) initiative provides OVW grantees and subgrantees with the expertise and support they need to develop and implement…

The Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded a $300,000 Cooperative Agreement under the OVW Technical Assistance Initiative (CFDA 16.526) to Ladies Empowered With Resources, Inc. in Milwaukee, WI. This 24-month award will fund the "Empowering Survivor Entrepreneurs" project, which aims to provide advocates and case managers with knowledge, tools, and trauma-informed strategies to support survivor entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic independence and healing. The project will involve direct technical assistance, in-person and virtual trainings, curriculum development, a survivor advisory council, and resource creation to equip service providers with a trauma-informed framework for addressing economic justice with survivors.

The office on violence against women (OVW) training and technical assistance (TA) initiative provides OVW grantees and subgrantees with the expertise and support they need to develop and implement successful state, local, tribal, and campus projects; increase victim safety; and bolster offender accountability. Through cooperative agreements, OVW supports educational initiatives, conferences, peer-to-peer consultations, and targeted assistance that allow current and potential grantees and subgrantees to learn from experts and one another about how to overcome obstacles and incorporate promising practices in their efforts to address violence against women. In addition, OVW is focused on building the capacity of the criminal and civil justice systems and victim service providers to respond effectively to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and to foster partnerships between organizations that have not traditionally worked together to address violence against women. With FY 2024 TA initiative funding, ladies empowered with resources, INC. Will begin implementation of their empowering survivor entrepreneurs project. This project will provide advocates and case managers knowledge, tools, and trauma-informed strategies to support survivor entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic independence and healing. Additionally, ladies empowered with resources, INC., will collaborate with grace healing and wellness center to equip advocates and case management staff with a trauma-informed framework when working with survivors around economic justice. Over the course of the project period, ladies empowered with resources, INC. Will provide direct technical assistance, as well as an in-person training, virtual trainings, curriculum development, host a survivor advisory council to inform curriculum development, and develop and/or update resources as needed. This project supports FY 2024 TA initiative purpose area 30: training and technical assistance for trauma-informed entrepreneurial economic justice. The timing for performance of this award is 24 months. This is a new award.