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 U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $600,000 Project Grant under the Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations (CFDA 16.889) program to Our Deaf Survivors Center, Inc. in Worcester, MA. The 3-year project, titled "Filling in the Gaps for Deaf Survivors of Domestic Violence", will: 1) Support a new victim advocate; 2) Provide life skills and other services to empower and support self-sufficiency for deaf survivors; 3) Expand services for deaf survivors in rural western Massachusetts; 4) Deliver education and training to other providers on delivering culturally and linguistically appropriate services for deaf domestic violence victims; and 5) Collaborate to expand healthy relationship support groups to four new locations. The grant aims to develop and implement outreach strategies and provide victim services to meet the needs of underserved deaf and hard of hearing populations affected by 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. Our deaf survivors center, in collaboration with the massachusetts commission for deaf and hard of hearing (mcdhh), will implement the filling in the gaps for deaf survivors of domestic violence project. Through this new award, the project will: 1) support a new victim advocate; 2) provide life skills and other services that support victim empowerment and self-sufficiency; 3) expand services for deaf survivors throughout rural western massachusetts; 4) deliver education and trainings to other providers on how to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services for deaf victims of domestic violence; and 5) collaborate with partners to expand healthy relationship support groups to four new locations.