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 (OVW) awarded a $300,000 Project Grant under the Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) to HIR Wellness Institute, Inc., a survivor-led nonprofit organization. The funding will support HIR Wellness in implementing culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the greater Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. Key services to be provided include hospital accompaniment, safety planning, intergenerational healing programs, empowerment and support groups, occupational therapies, grief counseling, and clinical mental health counseling tailored to American Indian, Alaska Native, Eskimo, Aleut, and other underserved communities. HIR Wellness has also received sub-grants from the Department of Justice Wisconsin to provide additional culturally specific therapeutic, advocacy, mental health, wellness, and occupational therapy services to indigenous and underserved victims of crime in the 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 new culturally specific services program project, HIR wellness institute, 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. The HIR wellness institute culturally specific services community project will serve american indians (including alaska natives, eskimos, and aleuts), children, and families victimized by domestic violence in the greater tribal trust lands of the forest country potawatomi, wgema campus, with an emphasis on the indigenous and underserved community members in the greater milwaukee, wisconsin area. Specific activities will include: hospital accompaniment to survivors, a cares warmline (triage care), safety planning, a circle of care through an intergenerational healing approach model, daughters of tradition (an empowerment and leadership group for indigenous feminine youth), a womens relational healing group, an elders circle book club, a helpers and healers (a drop-in healing service to reduce secondary trauma), a gatherers of tradition (an intervention and prevention group for indigenous neurodivergent youth), a womens circle book club, mens relational healing group, grief circles of care, occupational therapies, and clinical mental health counseling.