The grants to enhance culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20124

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $450,000 Project Grant to My Sisters House, a non-profit organization in Sacramento, California, under the Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016). The 3-year grant funds the implementation of the Community Aligned and United for Safety and Empowerment (CAUSE) Initiative, which will provide culturally relevant services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking across 9 counties in the Greater Sacramento Valley region. Key services to be delivered include case management, housing support, legal assistance, mental health services, and career training, with a focus on reaching underserved Asian American, Pacific Islander, and LGBTQ+ populations. The grant will also support the development of joint API LGBTQ+ training and the creation of an API/LGBTQ+ affirming provider training curriculum.

This program supports the maintenance and replication of existing successful community-based programs providing culturally specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, as well as the development of innovative culturally specific strategies to enhance access to services and resources for victims who face obstacles to using more traditional programs. Culturally specific services means community-based services that include culturally relevant and linguistically specific services and resources to culturally specific communities which are statutorily defined as american indians (including alaska natives, eskimos, and aleuts); asian americans; native hawaiians and other pacific islanders; blacks; and hispanics. Projects must address at least one of the programs statutory purpose areas. Through this new culturally specific services program project, my sisters house, in partnership with sacramento lgbt community center, will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: work with state and local governments and social service agencies to develop and enhance effective strategies to provide culturally specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; increase communities capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking crimes and their families; strengthen criminal justice interventions, by providing training for law enforcement, prosecution, courts, probation, and correctional facilities on culturally specific responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and enhance traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the leadership of culturally specific programs offering services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The project will also address the following priority area: priority area 3- underserved communities (API lgbtq+). The community aligned and united for safety and empowerment (CAUSE) initiative will serve survivors across the 9-county greater sacramento valley (EL dorado, merced, placer, sacramento, SAN joaquin, stanislaus, sutter, yolo and yuba counties). Specific activities will include: case management, housing support, legal services, mental health services, career training, targeted referrals and follow-up. Products and deliverables will include a joint API lgbtq+ training and the capacity building team will develop an API/lgbtq+ affirming provider training.