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…

The Safe Alliance, in partnership with Easterseals of Central Texas, will implement the Enhanced Access, Safety & Empowerment Project with $600,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women's Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations (CFDA 16.889) program. The project aims to develop and deliver population-specific services, outreach, and training over a 3-year period to serve survivors who are deaf and survivors with disabilities in the Austin/Travis County, Texas area. Key activities include providing trainings for victim service providers, updating protocols on sheltering and serving these populations, conducting outreach and education, convening advisory committees, offering healing and wellness programs, and delivering advocacy and counseling services in American Sign Language. The project will build capacity of both the lead applicant and partner organizations to enhance access, safety, and empowerment for these underserved survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

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. The safe alliance, in partnership with the easterseals of central texas, will implement the enhanced access, safety & empowerment project to serve survivors who are deaf and survivors with disabilities in the city of austin/travis county in texas. Through this continuation award, the project will: 1) develop and provide 3 trainings per year to staff at safe and other victim service agencies; 2) update the texas school for the deaf (TSD) protocol on sexual assault; 3) develop a protocol on sheltering survivors who require personal attendant care; 4) develop protocols on providing sexual assault services for deaf survivors & survivors with disabilities; 5) provide 10 trainings per year to law enforcement and other criminal/civil justice professionals; 6) convene 4 meetings per year for two advisory committees, one for people with disabilities, and one for the deaf community; 7) convene 5 meetings per year for project workgroup; 8) conduct outreach to sexual assault survivors who are deaf and survivors with disabilities; 9) conduct annual cross-training between project partners; 10) provide education 24 times per year to TSD students; 11) conduct 2 series of holistic healing classes per year for people with disabilities; 12) offer healing wellness groups 2 times per year for deaf survivors in the community; and 13) provide advocacy and counseling in american sign language for deaf survivors.