The grants for outreach and services to underserved populations (underserved program) was statutorily created in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 (vawa 2013) to develop and…

This $600,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (CFDA 16.889 - Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations) supports efforts by Community Services For Every1, Inc. (CES1) and the Family Justice Center of Erie County (JFC) to enhance services for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) in Western New York.

Specifically, the grant funding will enable CES1 and JFC to establish a dedicated advocacy team to provide tailored services including safety planning, crisis management, advocacy, case management, counseling, and support groups for this underserved population. The organizations will also conduct regular outreach events, utilize preventative education models, and facilitate listening sessions to ensure services are informed by survivor input. Additionally, CES1 and JFC will expand cross-training for community-based providers to strengthen the capacity to serve survivors with I/DD effectively.

The grants for outreach and services to underserved populations (underserved program) was statutorily created in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 (vawa 2013) to develop and implement outreach strategies targeted at adult or youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations, and to provide victim services to meet the needs of such populations. Grant funds may be used to: 1) work with federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, agencies, and organizations to develop or enhance population specific victim services; 2) strengthen the capacity of underserved populations to provide population specific victim services; 3) strengthen the capacity of traditional victim service providers to provide population specific victim services; 4) strengthen the effectiveness of criminal and civil justice interventions by providing training for law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and other court personnel on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations; 5) work in cooperation with an underserved population to develop and implement outreach, education, prevention, and intervention strategies that highlight available resources and the specific issues faced by victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking from underserved populations; or, 6) strengthen the response of social and human services by providing population-specific training for service providers on domestic violence, dating violence sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations. Eligible applicants are limited to: population specific organizations or victim service providers that are (1) deaf programs (2) lesbian, GAY, bisexual, and transgender (lgbt) organizations, (3) organizations serving underserved religious populations, (4) disability programs, or (5) organizations serving certain underserved racial and ethnic populations. The vision of community services for EVERY1 (CES1) and the family justice center of erie county (JFC) is to continue and enhance the work of the established partnership helping others through protection and empowerment of western new york (hope of WNY.) to increase the efforts of this collaborative, community-rooted initiative serving individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (i/DD), CES1 and JFC will establish a specific advocacy team led by two dedicated staff members to provide services to survivors with i/DD including safety planning, crisis management, advocacy and accompaniment, case management, service referral, independent counseling, and support group facilitation. CES1 and JFC will also facilitate outreach events regularly, utilize preventative education models, and regularly facilitate listening sessions with survivors to promote services informed by those with lived experience. CES1 and JFC will expand organization cross-training services to community-based organizations.