The grants to support families in the justice system program (referred to as the justice for families program) was authorized in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to improve the…

The grants to support families in the justice system program (referred to as the justice for families program) was authorized in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse. The program supports the following activities for improving the capacity of courts and communities to respond to families affected by the targeted crimes: court-based and court-related programs; supervised visitation and safe exchange by and between parents; training for people who work with families in the court system; civil legal services; and the provision of resources in juvenile court matters. Projects supported by the justice for families program are those that focus on keeping victims and their children safe from further abuse and holding offenders accountable. Through this new justice for families project, volunteers of america oregon home free (VOAOR-HF), in partnership with the multnomah county circuit court, will implement a standard project addressing purpose area 5) court and court-based programs and services in multnomah county, oregon. The project will address priority area 3: underserved communities including immigrants, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities. Specific activities will include: 1) hiring a 1.0 FTE bilingual spanish-speaking court advocate with expertise in the specific needs of immigrant communities to support survivors seeking protection orders and other court-based services; and 2) supporting a 1.0 FTE court advocate with expertise in meeting the needs of domestic violence survivors who are elderly or have a disability.