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's Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $475,000 Project Grant under the Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) to The Silent Task Force (TSTF), a Black American-owned non-profit organization located in Seattle, WA. Through this 3-year grant, TSTF will implement a project to provide culturally specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the Black/African American community in Skyway, Washington. Key services to be delivered include non-traditional healing modalities such as meditation, photography, music, painting, and poetry, as well as financial assistance, resources and referrals, crisis intervention, and educational support. The project aims to enhance traditional victim services through the leadership of this culturally specific program and strengthen efforts to prevent and end sexual assault within the target community.

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, silent taskforce will implement a project addressing multiple purpose areas including: purpose area 2- 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; purpose area 4 - enhancing traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the leadership of culturally specific programs; and purpose area 7 - providing culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims, including emergency assistance for blacks/african americans in skyway, washington. The project will address priority area 2: strengthening efforts to prevent and end sexual assault. Specific activities will include: 1) nontraditional healing modalities including meditation, photography, music, painting, and poetry; 2) financial assistance; 3) resources and referrals; 4) crisis intervention; and 5) educational support.