Sexual Assault Services Program Grant

The Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) was created by the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005), 42 U.S.C. §14043g, and is the first federal funding stream solely dedicated to the provision of direct intervention and related assistance for victims of sexual assault. The SASP encompasses four different funding streams for states and territories, tribes, state sexual assault coalitions, tribal sexual assault coalitions, and culturally specific organizations. Overall, the purpose of SASP is to provide intervention, advocacy, accompaniment (e.g., accompanying victims to court, medical facilities, police departments, etc.), support services, and related assistance for adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault, family and household members of victims, and those collaterally affected by the sexual assault.

The Sexual Assault Services Formula Grant Program (SASP Formula Grant Program) directs grant dollars to states to assist them in supporting rape crisis centers and other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations, including faith-based and other community organizations that provide core services, direct intervention, and related assistance to victims of sexual assault. Funds provided through the SASP Formula Grant Program are designed to supplement other funding sources directed at addressing sexual assault on the state level. Rape crisis centers and other nonprofit organizations, such as dual programs providing both domestic violence and sexual violence intervention services, play a vital role in assisting sexual assault victims through the healing process, as well as assisting victims through the medical, criminal justice, and other social support systems. In order to provide comprehensive services to victims of sexual assault, the SASP Formula Grant Program will assist states in supporting rape crisis centers and other nonprofit organizations in the provision of direct intervention and related assistance.

Losses not covered by the program include, but are not limited to: stolen or damaged property; pain and suffering; crime scene clean-up; relocation; house payments; rent; utilities; food and/or clothing costs; tuition reimbursement or monetary losses from investment schemes.

Allocation of Funds

The SASP Program funds are to be distributed to nongovernmental agencies to carry out programs and projects specified under the eligible statutory purposes. In distributing funds, states must:

1. Give priority to areas of varying geographic size with the greatest showing of need. In assessing need, states must consider the range and availability of existing sexual assault programs in the population and geographic area to be served in relation to the availability of such programs in other such populations and geographic areas;
2. Take into consideration the population of the geographic areas to be served by a subgrantee;
3. Equitably distribute monies on a geographic basis, including non-urban and rural areas of various geographic sizes;
4. Ensure that the needs of previously underserved populations are identified and addressed.

Statutory Purpose Areas

The Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) - Grant funds will support the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of sexual assault services by non-governmental victim services programs to assist those victimized by sexual assault.

The purpose of the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) is to provide intervention, advocacy, accompaniment (i.e. accompanying victims to court, medical facilities, police departments, etc.), support services, and related assistance for adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault, family and household members of victims, and those collaterally affected by sexual assault, except for the perpetrator of such victimization.

Intervention and related assistance may include:

• 24-hour hotline services providing crisis intervention services and referral;
• Accompaniment and advocacy through medical, criminal justice, and social support systems, including medical facilities, police, and court proceedings;
• Crisis intervention, short-term individual and group support services, and comprehensive service coordination and supervision to assist sexual assault victims and family or household members;
• Information and referral to assist the sexual assault victim and family or household members;
• Community-based, linguistically and culturally specific services and support mechanisms, including outreach activities for underserved communities; and
• The development and distribution of materials on issues related to the services described in the previous bullets.

Subgrantee Organization Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for funding from the SASP Grant, an applicant must be a non-governmental victim services program.

1. Nonprofit Organization. To be eligible to receive SASP funds, organizations must be operated by a nonprofit organization.
   1. Nonprofit Organizations. Nonprofit organizations must submit proof of their nonprofit status in one of four ways:
      1. Proof that the Internal Revenue recognizes the applicant has the status of 501(c)(3);
      2. A statement from a State taxing body or the State secretary of state certifying that:
         1. The organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State; and
         2. No part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private shareholder or individual;
      3. A certified copy of the applicant’s certificate of incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or
      4. Any item described in (i) through (iii) if that item applies to a State or national parent organization, together with a statement by the State or parent organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.
2. Comply with Federal Rules Regulating Grants
   Subrecipients must comply with the applicable provisions of SASP, the Program Guidelines, and the requirements of the OJP Financial Guide, effective edition which includes maintaining appropriate programmatic and financial records that fully disclose the amount and disposition of SASP funds received. This includes: financial documentation for disbursements; daily time and attendance records specifying time devoted to allowable SASP program services; client files; the portion of the project supplied by other sources of revenue; job descriptions; contracts for services; and other records which facilitate an effective audit.
3. Maintain Civil Rights Information
   Maintain statutorily required civil rights statistics on victims served by race, national origin, sex, age, and disability, by contract period; and permit reasonable access to its books, documents, papers, and records to determine whether the subrecipient is complying with applicable civil rights laws. This requirement is waived when providing a service, such as telephone counseling, where soliciting the information may be inappropriate or offensive to the crime victim.
4. Equal Employment Opportunity Program (EEOP)
   The Subrecipient, if required to do so, will formulate an Equal Employment Opportunity Program (EEOP) in accordance with 28 CFR 42.301 et seq., and will submit a certification to the Missouri Department of Public Safety that it has a current EEOP on file that meets the requirements therein.
5. Non-Discrimination
   Subgrantees must comply with the non-discrimination requirements of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended, 42 USC 3789 (d), or the Victims of Crime Act (as applicable) which prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs on the basis of race, color, nation of origin, religion or sex; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended which prohibits discrimination on the basis or race, color, or nation of origin (includes limited English proficiency – LEP) in federally funded programs; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended which prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs on the basis of disability; Subtitle A, Title II of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA (1990) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 which prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs on the basis of sex; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 which prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs on the basis of age; Department of Justice Non-Discrimination Regulation, 28 CFR part 42, Subparts C, D, E, and G; and Department of Justice regulations on disability discrimination 28 CFR part 34 and Part 39.
   If any federal or state court or federal or state administrative agency makes a finding of discrimination after a due process haring on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, disability or sex against a recipient of federal funds, the recipient will forward a copy of the finding to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
6. Limited English Proficiency
   In accordance with Department of Justice Guidance pertaining to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, recipients of Federal financial assistance must take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their programs and activities for persons with limited English proficiency (LEP). “Meaningful access” will generally involve some combination of oral interpretation services and written translation of vital documents.
7. Fair Labor Standards Act
   All recipients of federal funds will comply with the minimum wage and maximum hours provisions of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
8. Comply with State Criteria
   Subrecipients must abide by any additional eligibility or service criteria as established by the Missouri Department of Public Safety including submitting statistical and programmatic information on the use and impact of SASP funds as requested.
9. Services to Victims of Sexual Assault
   If providing services to victims of sexual assault through this program, subrecipients will comply with the service standards and guidelines set forth by the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Service Standards and Guidelines for Sexual Violence Programs, as they relate to the provision of services required herein.
10. Activities that May Compromise Victim Safety
    Ensuring victim safety is the guiding principle underlying this Program. Experience has shown that certain practices compromise victim safety rather than enhance it. Certain responses by the authorities may have the effect of minimizing or trivializing the offender’s criminal behavior. Accordingly, consistent with the goals of ensuring victim safety and holding perpetrators accountable for their criminal conduct, applicants are discouraged from proposing projects that include activities that may compromise victim safety such as the following:
    • Crafting policies that deny individuals access to services based on their relationship to the perpetrator;
    • Developing materials that are not tailored to the dynamics of sexual assault or the culturally specific population to be served;
    • Crafting policies or engaging in practices that impose restrictive conditions to be met by the victim in order to receive services (e.g. counseling, seeking an order for protection);
    • Sharing confidential victim information with outside organizations and/or individuals without the documented consent of the victim; and
    • Crafting polices that require the victim to report the sexual assault to law enforcement.
11. Nondisclosure of Confidential or Private Information
    Subrecipients may not disclose personally identifying information about victims served with OVW SASP funds without a written release unless the disclosure of the information is required by a statute or court order. This applies whether the information is being requested for an OVW grant program or another Federal agency, State, tribal, or territorial grant program. This provision also limits disclosures by OVW Subgrantees to OVW grantees, including disclosures to statewide or regional databases.
    1. In general
       In order to ensure the safety of adult, youth, and child victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and their families, grantees and subgrantees under this title shall protect the confidentiality and privacy of persons receiving services.
    2. Nondisclosure
       Subject to paragraphs (c) and (d), grantees and subgrantees shall not:
       1. Disclose any personally identifying information or individual information collected in connection with services requested, utilized, or denied through grantees’ and subgrantees’ programs;or
       2. Reveal individual client information without the informed, written, reasonably time-limited consent of the person (or in the case of an unemancipated minor, the minor and the parent or guardian or in the case of persons with disabilities, the guardian) about whom information is sought, whether for this program or any other Federal, State, tribal, or territorial grant program, except that consent for release may not be given by the abuser of the minor, person with disabilities, or the abuser of the other parent of the minor.
    3. Release
       If release of information described in subparagraph (b) is compelled by statutory or court mandate:
       1. Grantees and subgrantees shall make reasonable attempts to provide notice to victims affected by the disclosure of information; and
       2. Grantees and subgrantees shall take steps necessary to protect the privacy and safety of the person affected by the release of the information.
    4. Information Sharing
       Grantees and subgrantees may share:
       1. Nonpersonally identifying data in the aggregate regarding services to their clients and nonpersonally identifying demographic information in order to comply with Federal, State, tribal, or territorial reporting, evaluation or data collection requirements;
       2. Court-generated information and law-enforcement generated information contained in secure, governmental registries for protection order enforcement purposes; and
       3. Law enforcement- and prosecution-generated information necessary for law enforcement and prosecution purposes.
12. Nonexclusivity
    Nothing in this title shall be construed to prohibit male victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking from receiving benefits and services under this title.

Allowable Services

Overall, the purpose of the SASP is to provide intervention, advocacy, accompaniment (e.g., accompanying victims to court, medical facilities, police departments, etc.), support services, and related assistance to:

1. Adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault;
2. Family and household members of such victims; and
3. Those collaterally affected by the victimization, except for the perpetrator of such victimization (e.g., friends, coworkers, classmates).