American Rescue Plan Grants to Support Survivors of Sexual Assault

The purpose of these supplemental funds is to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. The activities that will be supported by these funds within these purpose areas include:

I. PREVENT

Activities that assist sexual assault survivors by providing virtual services, supportive services, temporary housing assistance, mobile advocacy services, and supplies that will ensure survivors of sexual assault receive the care, support, and services they need while reducing the exposure to and risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus. The activities that will be supported by this funding include:

• Providing virtual services, temporary housing options, and supportive services to survivors of sexual assault including paying for the operating, staffing, and administrative expenses of the facilities for rape crisis/sexual assault programs, culturally specific programs, and tribes.
• Providing prevention services, including outreach, to underserved populations to increase virtual access to sexual assault services and reduce the exposure to and risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus.
• Strengthen partnerships with local and state public health authorities, local health departments, emergency services managers, health care providers, culturally specific community-based organizations, tribes, LGBTQ+ organizations, and rape crisis centers/sexual assault programs to improve emergency operations throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency.
• Supplies and technology to reduce exposure and risk of contracting COVID-19 including personal protective equipment (PPE), air purifiers, thermometers, COVID-19 rapid tests, and mobile advocacy needs (laptops, software, virtual meeting platforms).

II. PREPARE

Activities and technical assistance that include assessing needs of sexual assault survivors during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Activities that provide training, information, and assistance necessary to ensure the continuity of rape crisis centers and sexual assault services. Assessing the capacity of local rape crisis centers and sexual assault programs’ emergency operation plans and plans to address the needs of survivors and reduce the exposure to and risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus. The activities that will be supported by this funding include:

• Assess the capacity of agencies, local rape crisis centers/sexual assault programs, culturally specific programs, and tribes to provide continuity of sexual assault services, including emergency operations plans and plans to address increasing service demands, remote services operational capacity, potential provider closures, and staff absenteeism.
• Providing training to assist agencies, local rape crisis centers/sexual assault programs, culturally specific programs, and tribes in reviewing, updating, and/or implementing emergency operations plans and plans to address increasing service demands, remote services operational capacity, potential provider closures, and staff absenteeism.
• Providing training, information, and assistance for ensuring the continuity of local rape crisis centers/sexual assault programs, culturally specific programs, and tribal sexual assault programs to:
• Support victims and survivors of sexual assault to make decisions related to their ongoing safety and well-being during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
• Maintain the capacity to provide individual and group counseling, peer support groups, and referral to community-based services to assist survivors of sexual assault, in recovering from the effects of the violence during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
• Maintain the capacity to provide services for sexual assault survivors, including age-appropriate counseling, supportive services, and culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate services during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
• Maintain the capacity to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services during COVID-19 public health emergency.

III. RESPOND

Activities and technical assistance for ensuring the continuity of sexual assault programs and rape crisis center services, culturally specific programs, and tribal programs during the COVID-19 public health emergency, which includes responding to issues such as adapting to fluctuating needs and changing circumstances. Please note that staffing enhancements, workforce supports, and workforce capacity building are allowable activities. The activities that will be supported by this funding include:

• Providing services, training, technical assistance, and outreach to increase access to sexual assault supports and increase the accessibility of rape crisis and sexual assault services.
• Providing advocacy, case management services, and information and referral services concerning issues related to sexual assault services, including:
• Assistance in accessing related federal and state financial assistance programs.
• Legal advocacy to assist victims and their dependents.
• Medical advocacy, including provision of referrals for appropriate health care services

(including mental health, alcohol, and drug abuse treatment), but which shall not include reimbursement for any health care services.

• Assistance locating and securing safe and affordable permanent housing (short-term rental, deposit, and utility assistance) and homelessness prevention services including emergency housing assistance (hotels, motels, and safe houses).
• Provision of transportation, childcare, respite care, job training and employment services, financial literacy services and education, financial planning, and related economic empowerment services.
• Support for parents and other educational services for victims and their dependents.
• Providing direct crisis intervention services, including counseling, mobile advocacy, telehealth, peer support, and in-person assistance. Mobile advocacy allows for advocates to work out in the community in order to support sexual assault survivors wherever it is safe and convenient for the survivor.
• Fund staffing increases, workforce supports for employees/advocates, and workforce capacity building to ensure the continuity of sexual assault and rape crisis center services for sexual assault survivors and their dependents.
• Workforce-related expansions and supports, including:
• Planning for implementation of sexual assault services, COVID-19 mitigation strategies; implementation of mobile advocacy services; language access planning, or virtual/remote services implementation.
• Training providers and staff on COVID-19 mitigation activities; implementation of mobile advocacy services; or virtual/remote services implementation.
• Hiring providers and staff to carry out sexual assault services; COVID-19 mitigation strategies; implementation of mobile advocacy services; or virtual/remote services implementation.
• Reporting data on sexual assault services; COVID-19 mitigation strategies; implementation of mobile advocacy services; or virtual/remote services implementation.

ICJI will give special emphasis to the support of community-based projects of demonstrated effectiveness that are carried out by nonprofit private organizations whose primary purpose is the operation of rape crisis centers and those organizations who provide meaningful sexual assault services who are working towards being a rape crisis center.

The following costs are allowable and can be supported by this program’s funding:

• Personnel costs including fringe benefits.
• Operational costs of rape crisis centers and sexual assault programs including rent, utilities, emergency victim supplies (food, clothing, toiletries), and language access services.
• Emergency and immediate shelter including safe houses and motel/hotel vouchers and nominal moving costs.
• Mobile and virtual advocacy costs including equipment, mobile devices, online chat or text supports, technology service contracts, software, and leasing of vehicles.
• Supportive services for victims including counseling, employment services, transportation services, legal advocacy/assistance, childcare services, and referral-based advocacy on behalf of victims and their dependents for health services, behavioral health services, preventive health services, and culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

Victim assistance including rental, hotel, utility assistance, and transportation or vehicle repair. Note: Funds may not be used as a direct payment to any victim; thus, the sexual assault program would have to pay the cost of directly to a third-party vendor. Subrecipients should have an established policy in place to make these funds available to all program participants; to ensure these funds meet a reasonable, basic need.

• Emergency preparedness and COVID-19 testing consultants.
• COVID-19 related expenses including PPE, onsite testing, and vaccines.
• Public awareness, outreach, and COVID-19 prevention costs including development of materials and printing.
• Consultant costs to assess the capacity of agencies, local rape crisis centers/sexual assault programs, culturally specific programs, and tribes to provide continuity of sexual assault services, including emergency operations plans and plans to address increasing service demands, remote services operational capacity, potential provider closures, and staff absenteeism.

Administrative costs are an allowable expense but are limited to 10% of the total grant funded budget.  Administrative costs include including time to complete FVPSA Sexual Assault required time and attendance sheets and programmatic documentation, reports, and required statistics; and administrative time to collect and maintain satisfaction surveys and needs assessments used to improve services delivery within the FVPSA Sexual Assault funded project.

The following costs are unallowable and will not be supported by this grant program:

• Direct financial assistance to victims, including cash, gift cards, and checks;
• Food and beverages, except emergency food and beverages for victims;
• Lobbying;
• Fundraising (including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions) and time spent procuring funding including completing federal and state funding applications);
• Purchase of real estate or construction;
• Physical modifications to buildings including minor renovation (such as painting or carpeting); and
• Purchase of vehicles.

The match or cost-sharing requirement in section 306(c)(4) of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) shall NOT apply to this supplemental funding.