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 Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $575,000 Project Grant under the Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) to Sepa Mujer, Inc., a non-profit community development corporation serving the Hispanic/Latina immigrant population in Patchogue, New York. Through this 3-year grant, Sepa Mujer will provide culturally and linguistically specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including legal assistance, immigration services, case management, a 24-hour hotline, healing cultural circles, workforce development, financial empowerment, advocacy, group/individual counseling, and housing/food assistance. The grant aims to increase capacity, enhance traditional services, and provide culturally relevant resources to address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of this underserved population.

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, sepa mujer incorporated will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: increasing communities capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking crimes and their families; enhancing 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; and providing culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including emergency assistance for latine/hispanic young adults in suffolk county, new york. The project will address the following priority area: priority area 2 - strengthening efforts to prevent and end sexual assault. Specific activities will include: legal and immigration services, case management, a 24 hour hotline, healing cultural circles, work force development and financial empowerment, advocacy, group therapy, individual counseling, and housing and food assistance.