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 Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $450,000 Project Grant under the Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) to the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition (SEAMAAC, Inc.). Through this 3-year grant, SEAMAAC will implement culturally-specific services to support victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the Asian immigrant and refugee communities in the Philadelphia, PA area. Key services provided will include case management, safety planning, referrals to resources such as legal aid and counseling, and resiliency groups. The project aims to enhance traditional victim services, increase community capacity to provide culturally-specific resources, and develop education and prevention strategies tailored to Asian cultural perspectives on these issues.

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 continuation culturally specific services program project, the southeast asian mutual assistance associations coalition (seamaac, INC.) 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 sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking crimes and their families; enhance traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; work in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources; provide culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, orstalking, including emergency assistance; and examine the dynamics of culture and its impact on victimization and healing for asian immigrants & refugees in the philadelphia, PA area. The project will also address the following priority area: priority area 1 - advancing racial equity.specific activities will include: case management, safety planning, referrals to resources such as legal aid, housing, and counseling; and resiliency groups.