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 Sasha Center Inc., a minority and women-owned non-profit organization in Detroit, Michigan, has been awarded a $475,000 Project Grant under the Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program (CFDA 16.016) administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women. This four-year grant (2024-2027) will enable the Sasha Center to provide culturally relevant and linguistically specific services to African American survivors of sexual assault and victims of domestic violence in the metropolitan Detroit area. Key services to be delivered include crisis intervention, individual and group support services, case management, information and referrals, and holistic healing strategies such as breathing techniques, yoga, and gardening. The grant supports the organization's efforts to enhance traditional victim services through the leadership of culturally specific programs and develop community-based education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources for the target population.

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, sasha center will implement a project addressing multiple purpose areas including the following: 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 prevent strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources for african americans in metropolitan detroit. The project will address priority area 2: strengthen efforts to prevent and end sexual assault. Specific activities will include: 1) crisis intervention; 2) individual and group support services; 3) case management; 4) information and referrals; and 5) holistic healing strategies including breathing techniques, yoga, and gardening.