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. 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. Funds provided through the SASP Formula Grant Program are designed to supplement other funding sources directed at addressing sexual assault on the state level.
Survivors of sexual assault from culturally specific communities confront unique and additional challenges, such as linguistic and cultural barriers, when seeking assistance. In order to provide the most appropriate services to such victims, these grants are available to support outreach and services specific to survivors of sexual assault from one or more of the following racial and ethnic communities: Asian American and/or Asian, African American and/or African/Black, and/or Hispanic.
SASP funds shall be used to provide grants to rape crisis centers and other non-profit, non governmental organizations, including faith-based and other community organizations, including Tribal non-profit organizations, for programs and activities that provide direct intervention and related assistance. 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 above.
There are two categories of funding for these grants:
- Culturally Specific Community Organizations - The applicant or their partnership/subcontract organizations must be agencies for which the primary purpose of the organization as a whole is to provide culturally specific services to one or more of the following racial and ethnic communities: Asian Americans and/or Asian, and/or African American and/or African/Black, and/or Hispanics; or
- Rape Crisis Center SASP Outreach - Applicants must demonstrate that they are currently providing a full range of rape crisis services and will use these funds to increase reach to Asian American and/or Asian, and/or African American and/or African/Black, and/or Hispanic (or are already doing related services using these funds through a previous award). Applicants in this category are encouraged to submit in partnership with a Culturally Specific Community Organization.