Expanding Access to Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 16.053

Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice

Jul 8, 2024

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This program provides funding to establish and/or expand sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs and sexual assault forensic examiner (SAFE) programs offering sexual assault medical forensic exams and sexual assault victim services in a hospital or non-hospital setting to sexual assault victims. Applicants may propose innovative ways of bringing experienced medical forensic examiners to rural, tribal, and underserved communities, such as using telehealth technology.

Purpose Area 1 (SANE/SAFE Programs): Funding will support developing and expanding the skills, expertise, and capacity of SANE/SAFE programs to improve access to medical forensic examinations.

Objectives:

• Increase the number and availability of healthcare providers who are trained or certified to perform medical forensic examinations, especially in rural, tribal, and underserved communities. Programs are encouraged to establish a network of SANE/SAFE leaders in the service areas that currently lack a comprehensive SANE response.
• Provide timely, high-quality medical forensic exams incorporating victim-centered, trauma- informed approaches to all victims of sexual violence.
• Expand access to training and clinical education for SANEs/SAFEs to build and maintain competency. Funding may be used to support education, training, and certification as well as efforts to promote health and wellness and combat vicarious trauma and burnout.
• Improve access to comprehensive post-assault care and other support services that promote healing and address the emerging needs of victims and survivors, such as accompanying victims to court, medical facilities, and police departments; mental health treatment; legal services; shelter; and transportation.
• Support activities that facilitate and strengthen coordinated community responses. Partnerships should include culturally specific organizations that represent special or underserved populations and victims/survivors to ensure a culturally relevant and survivor-informed response.

Purpose Area 2: Funding will support a national training and technical assistance (TTA) provider to assist grantees.

Objectives:

• Provide ongoing, coordinated, customized technical assistance that will support each Purpose Area 1 award recipient in successfully implementing their program strategy based on the needs of the program and community.
• Establish regular check-ins and site visits with awardees to identify technical assistance needs.
• Establish a highly capable, diverse project team that can provide TTA to strengthen the awardees' response to underserved populations.
• Integrate innovative models and ensure flexible options for education and training, learning, and practice.
• Coordinate with other OVC-funded TTA provider grantees to leverage expertise, deliver joint training or resources, and avoid duplication of efforts

Eligible applicants include:

• State governments
• City, township, county, and special district governments
• Units of local government
• Federally recognized tribal governments
• Tribal organizations
• Nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status
• Public, state controlled, and private institutions of higher education

Priority consideration will be given to applications that:

• Propose a project that are designed to meaningfully advance equity and remove barriers to accessing services and opportunities for communities that have been historically underserved, marginalized, adversely affected by inequality, and disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization.
• Are a population specific organization that serves communities that have been historically underserved, marginalized, adversely affected by inequality, and disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization.

Nationwide

Purpose Area 1:

• Award ceiling: $500,000
• Project period: 3 years
• Estimated number of awards: 5

Purpose Area 2:

• Award ceiling: $1,050,000
• Project period: 3 years
• Estimated number of awards: 1

Links to the full announcement, application instructions, and the online application process are available through grants.gov.

Applicants should submit an SF-424 and an SF-LLL in grants.gov by July 8, 2024.

Submit the full application, including attachments, in the JustGrants grants management system by July 22, 2024.

Abuse and violence · American Indian or Alaska Native · Criminal justice system · Health workforce education and training · Human services · Mental health · Networking and collaboration · Poverty · Telehealth · Trauma-informed care