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 Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program (CFDA 16.016) grant to Our Sisters House, a minority-owned, woman-owned, non-profit organization in Tacoma, Washington. The 3-year grant project, which commenced on October 1, 2024, will enable Our Sisters House to provide culturally relevant and linguistically specific services to African American victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Pierce County. Key services to be delivered include support groups, a teen dating violence prevention program, crisis intervention, court support, and referrals. The grant supports the organization's efforts to enhance traditional victim services, increase community capacity, and provide specialized programming for children exposed to violence, with a strategic focus on culturally appropriate interventions.

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, our sisters house 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 6 providing culturally specific programs for children exposed to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking for african americans in pierce county, washington. The project will address priority area 2: strengthen efforts to prevent and end sexual assault. Specific activities will include: 1) support groups; 2) a teen dating violence prevention program; 3) crisis intervention; 4) court support; and 5) referrals.