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

This $450,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (CFDA 16.016 - Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program) supports Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio, Inc. (CLUES), a non-profit organization in St. Paul, Minnesota, in providing culturally and linguistically specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking within the Latino community. The project will deliver crisis intervention, advocacy and referrals, individual therapy and support groups, legal accompaniment, and case management services over a 3-year period from Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2027. The award aims to increase the community's capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support, enhance traditional victim services through the leadership of a culturally specific program, and develop culturally relevant education and prevention strategies.

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 specific services program project, comunidades latinas unidas EN servicio (clues) will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: 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 5 - working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources for survivors and their families in minnesota (twin cities metropolitan area). The project will address priority area 1: advancing racial equity. Specific activities will include: 1) crisis intervention; 2) advocacy and referrals; 3) individual therapy and support groups; 4) legal accompaniment; and 5) case management.