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's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded a $400,000 Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) grant to Jadasa, a minority-owned non-profit organization in St. Louis, Missouri. Through this 3-year grant, Jadasa will implement a project to enhance traditional services for Black/African American victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Key services to be provided include African healing soul-circles, individual and group counseling, economic empowerment and financial counseling, case management, emergency assistance, and faith-based support. The grant aims to address cultural and linguistic barriers to accessing victim services within the Black/African American community in North St. Louis County.

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, journey against domestic and sexual abuse (jadasa) will implement a project addressing purpose area 4 - 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 for blacks/african americans in north ST. Louis county, missouri. Specific activities will include: 1) african healing soul-circles, music, and dance; 2) individual and group counseling; 3) economic empowerment and financial counseling; 4) case management and emergency assistance; and 5) faith-based support.