The tribal sexual assault services program (TSASP), which is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 12511(E), is one of five grant programs funded within the sexual assault services program (SASP)

The Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women has awarded a $675,000 Project Grant to the Nez Perce Tribe under the Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program (CFDA 16.024). This 3-year grant will enable the Nez Perce Tribe to expand existing sexual assault services on the Nez Perce Reservation by: 1) increasing service collaboration and building capacity to respond to sexual assault; 2) providing trauma-informed care and basic needs support for sexual violence victims; and 3) enhancing accessibility to ensure equal access to services and programs. The grant aims to create, maintain, and expand sustainable sexual assault intervention, advocacy, accompaniment, and support services for adult, youth, and child victims within the Nez Perce tribal lands.

SASP was created by the violence against women and department of justice reauthorization act of 2005 (vawa 2005) and is the first federal funding stream dedicated solely to the provision of direct intervention and related assistance for victims of sexual assault. Overall, the purpose of SASP is to provide intervention, advocacy, accompaniment (e.g., accompanying victims to court, medical facilities, police departments), support services, and related assistance for adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault, non-offending family and household members of victims, and those collaterally affected by the sexual assault. TSASP supports projects to create, maintain, and expand sustainable sexual assault services provided by tribes, tribal organizations, and nonprofit tribal organizations within indian country and alaska native villages. With this funding, the NEZ perce tribe is governed by the NEZ perce tribal executive committee (NPTEC), a nine-member council elected to three-year terms. NPTEC is responsible for providing critical services to tribal members and other indians living on the reservation, including law enforcement and public safety through the tribal police department, judicial and probation services through the tribal court, varied social services, and other programs for the benefit of tribal members and communities. The NEZ perce reservation encompasses 1,208 square miles across four counties in north-central idahoan area comparable in size to the state of rhode island. The reservation's population stands at 18,594, including tribal members, non-tribal indians, and non-indians. Of these, 2,423 individuals self-identify as american indian or alaska native (AI/an), either alone or in combination with other races, making up 13.03% of the total population. Through TSASP funding, NEZ perce tribe plans to expand existing sexual assault services on the NEZ perce reservation by: 1. Increasing service collaboration and build capacity to respond to sexual assault; 2. Providing trauma informed care when responding to sexual violence victims for advocacy and provide basic needs; and 3. Enhance accessibility through the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to ensure that all individuals have equal access to our services and programs. This awardwill be a three-year project.