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 Rosebud Sioux Tribe received a $675,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women under the Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program (CFDA 16.024). This 3-year grant will enable the tribe to expand sustainable sexual assault services for victims within the Rosebud Indian Reservation, which spans over 922,759 acres across 5 counties in South Dakota. Key services to be provided include crisis intervention, victim advocacy, counseling, legal support, community outreach, and culturally-sensitive healing practices. The funding will support the hiring of a male sexual assault advocate and a child sexual assault advocate to ensure all victims, including males and children, have access to specialized services and their needs are effectively advocated for. Additionally, the grant will allow the tribe to establish a stronger healing services program to support victims' personal journeys after the initial emergency response and criminal justice process.

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 rosebud indian reservation expands over 922,759 acres and spans five counties in south central south dakota. The rosebud sioux tribe has approximately 31,000 members and over 21,245 live on or around those five counties (todd, mellette, tripp, gregory, and lyman) the reservation has 20 distinct communities in those counties. These communities are located up to 150 miles from many of the centralized resources available to victims of sexual assault. Through the TSASP funding, this project will be focused on expanding the current services available to victims of sexual assault and also establish an even stronger healing services program for victims of sexual assault. This will allow for continued supportive services and spaces for victims to navigate with personal journeys after the initial emergency response and criminal justice process. The hiring of a male sexual assault advocate and a child sexual assault advocate which will allow for males and females who are victimized by sexual violence have a voice and the ability to have their needs advocated for them. Supportive group services will also be provided by this funding. This awardwill be a three-year project.