INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) has awarded 46 nonprofits a total of nearly $3.5 million in federal grants to improve services for survivors of family violence and sexual assault.
These grants were awarded through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) program with American Rescue Plan funds.
Locally, Safe Passage, Inc. was awarded $53,346 while New Directions of Decatur County will receive $113,608.
“With this funding, we will be helping organizations provide critical care support to individuals who may be trying to escape from an abusive situation or were just victimized,” said Devon McDonald, ICJI Executive Director. “For us, it’s essential to have the resources in place to, not only prevent family violence but also accommodate and support survivors in their time of need.”
Administered by ICJI, the FVPSA program is the primary federal funding stream dedicated to the support of emergency shelters and related assistance for victims of domestic violence and their dependents.
Last year, ICJI received supplemental funding through the American Rescue Plan to offer two new grants under FVPSA – one specifically designed to support survivors of sexual assault.
Altogether, both grants are intended to help organizations offset certain costs associated with providing these critical services during the pandemic.
Funding will be used for the purchasing of technology to provide remote services, testing kits and cleaning supplies, employee retention and hiring, emergency preparedness, safety planning, and more.
“The pandemic has changed how services are provided to victims,” said Kim Lambert, ICJI Victim Services Director. “Many organizations are now offering virtual care options, on top of maintaining a certain base level of in-person support. This funding will help ensure continuity of services by covering some of those pandemic-related expenses.”
The grants were approved by the ICJI Board of Trustees in March and will be made available to organizations starting within the next couple of weeks.
