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 (OVW) awarded Daya Inc. a $500,000 Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) grant. Through this 3-year project grant, Daya Inc. will provide culturally relevant services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking within the South Asian community in the greater Houston, Texas area. Key services will include crisis intervention, case management, mental health therapy, housing assistance, legal advocacy, community outreach, and prevention education tailored to the unique needs of this population. The grant will enable Daya to enhance access to resources and services for underserved South Asian survivors facing cultural or linguistic barriers to traditional programs. Additionally, Daya has received supplementary sub-awards from state and local agencies to expand its crisis services, advocacy, and rapid rehousing assistance for domestic violence victims in the Houston region.

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, daya 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; strengthening criminal justice interventions by providing training for law enforcement, prosecution, courts, probation, and correctional facilities on culturally specific responses; enhancing traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the leadership of culturally specific programs; working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources; 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; and examining the dynamics of culture and its impact on victimization and healing. The project will also address the following priority areas: priority area 1 - advancing racial equity and priority area 3 - underserved communities. The daya incorporated culturally specific services program will serve south asian victims of domestic and sexual violence residing primarily in the greater houston area including harris, fort bend, galveston, brazoria, and montgomery counties. Specific activities will include: crisis intervention, case management, mental health therapy, housing program, legal advocacy, and awareness and prevention programs.