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 Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $575,000 Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) grant to Sanar Wellness Institute, a non-profit organization in Newark, New Jersey. The 3-year grant project will provide culturally specific mental health services, case advocacy, community healing supports, and wrap-around referral services to Hispanic/Latinx and Black survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Northern New Jersey. Key services include trauma-informed counseling, legal advocacy, employment assistance, housing support, and other comprehensive resources tailored to address the unique needs of these underserved communities. The project aims to increase capacity for culturally relevant services, enhance traditional victim services, and examine the dynamics of culture and its impact on victimization and healing.

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, sanar wellness institute INC (sanar institute) will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: 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; enhance traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 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. The project will also address the following priority areas: priority area 2 - strengthening efforts to prevent and end sexual assault and priority area 3: underserved communities. The sanar institute will provide culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking in northern new jersey with a focus on the latin@/hispanic/latinx community and black community, including individuals with limited english-speakingability and lgbtq+ survivors. Specific activities will include: mental health services with case advocacy and community healing supports, wrap-around referral services to community partners with a proven history of trauma-informed services for sexual violence victims including advocacy and legal assistance, client coordination, education and employment assistance, health-related services, material and housing assistance, law enforcement advocacy, and other support services.