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 awarded a $525,000 Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) grant to Saheli, doing business as Asian Family Support Services of Austin, a minority-owned non-profit organization. Through this 3-year project grant awarded on October 1, 2024, Saheli will implement activities to: 1) provide culturally competent direct services, 2) conduct community outreach programs, and 3) deliver law enforcement trainings and technical assistance. The project aims to increase the capacity of the Central Texas community to provide culturally specific resources and support for Asian survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, as well as strengthen criminal justice interventions through training. This grant supports Saheli's mission to deliver comprehensive, linguistically appropriate, and culturally sensitive services to underserved Asian and immigrant populations 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 continuation culturally specific services program project, saheli (DBA asian family support services of austin) 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 3 - strengthening criminal justice interventions by providing training for law enforcement, prosecution, courts, probation, and correctional facilities; and purpose area 4 - enhancing traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the leadership of culturally specific programs for asian survivors in central texas. The project will address priority area 2: strengthening efforts to prevent and end sexual assault and priority area 3: expanding economic justice. Specific activities will include: 1) culturally competent direct services; 2) community outreach programs; and 3) law enforcement trainings and technical assistance.