The grants for outreach and services to underserved populations (underserved program) was statutorily created in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to develop and implement…

This Project Grant award of $600,000 from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women's Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations program (CFDA 16.889) will enable the Fenway Community Health Center, a non-profit organization in Boston, Massachusetts, to provide comprehensive services for LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The grant funds will support a new full-time counselor/advocate and part-time outreach advocates at Fenway to deliver advocacy and counseling services to LGBTQ survivors across Massachusetts, with a focus on reaching rural communities and improving responses to stalking victims. Fenway will also partner with the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition to expand outreach and services to LGBTQ individuals in western Massachusetts. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of Fenway and its partner organization to provide population-specific, culturally competent victim services for this underserved population.

The grants for outreach and services to underserved populations (underserved program) was statutorily created in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to develop and implement outreach strategies targeted at adult or youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations, and to provide victim services to meet the needs of such populations. Grant funds may be used to: 1) work with federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, agencies, and organizations to develop or enhance population specific victim services; 2) strengthen the capacity of underserved populations to provide population specific victim services; 3) strengthen the capacity of traditional victim service providers to provide population specific victim services; 4) strengthen the effectiveness of criminal and civil justice interventions by providing training for law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and other court personnel on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations; 5) work in cooperation with an underserved population to develop and implement outreach, education, prevention, and intervention strategies that highlight available resources and the specific issues faced by victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking from underserved populations; or (6) provide population-specific training for social and human services providers on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations. Fenway community health center (fenway) will implement this project for lgbtq survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in massachusetts, with a focus on reaching rural communities and improving services for victims of stalking. Through this new award, the project will: 1) support a new, full-time counselor/advocate and part-time outreach advocates at fenway; 2) provide advocacy and counseling services to lgbtq survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking throughout the state; 3) increase outreach and services to lgbtq people in rural areas; and 4) develop fenways capacity to respond to survivors of stalking. Fenway will partner with the new england learning center for women in transition to reach rural populations in western MA and work together to provide lgbtq-specific advocacy and outreach, and train other rural service providers.