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Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP)

Eligibility
Purpose
Allowable Services
Unallowable Costs
Reporting Requirements
Match Requirements
Contract Period
Non-Supplanting


The Sexual Abuse Services Program funds (SASP or SS) 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.

SASP subrecipients must adhere to all requirements in the  DOJ Grants Financial Guide and the OMB Uniform Guidance

Sexual Assault Services Program certified assurances

Eligibility

Sexual abuse programs and rape crisis centers are eligible in Iowa as long as they are considered a non-profit, nongovernmental organization.

Purpose

Purpose of the SASP Funds is to provide direct services to sexual assault victims: The following information is taken from OVW FY2009 Sexual Assault Services Formula Grant Program Application Kit, Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. 

“The program must demonstrate a record of providing effective services to sexual assault victims. The overall purpose of the SASP funds are to provide intervention, advocacy, accompaniment (e.g., accompanying victims to court, medical facilities, hospitals, police departments, etc.), support services, and related assistance to:

  • Adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault; 
  • Family and household members of such victims; and  
  • Those collaterally affected by the victimization, except for the perpetrator of such victimization (e.g., friends, co-workers, classmates).”

Allowable Services 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 non-offending family or household members, including outreach activities;
  • 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. For example, a program could use pamphlets, brochures, or community presentations to announce the services available under the grant.

Other Allowable uses of SASP funds include:

  • SASP funds may be used to support projects that focus on direct services for children who are victims of sexual assault. Services rendered to children do not have to be in connection to serving an adult parent and there is no age restriction on providing services to children.
  • SASP funds may be used to support a hotline to the extent the hotline is for sexual assault victims. If the hotline covers a broader array of issues, the costs should be pro-rated according to the percentage of calls that are for sexual assault. In order for a multi-issue hotline to receive SASP funds, the people who answer the hotline would need to have sexual assault specific training. See Chapter VI. Victim Advocate Certification and Training Requirements for more information on required training.

SASP funds may be used to support volunteer related expenses as they relate to the SASP project. Examples would include training and supervision of volunteers.

SASP funds may be used to train advocates (volunteer or employee) that will provide specific grant-funded services. Note: funds may not be used to provide a generalized statewide training nor may funds be used to develop training curriculum.

Gift cards to clients are only allowable to the extent that they are used for allowable costs under SASP such as the purchase of emergency food for SASP clients or gas for victims to attend court, appointments etc. related to the victimization. However, agencies must acquire a receipt from the client which documents only allowable items (food or gas-in the example) were purchased. Without copies of these receipts, these costs will be deemed unallowable by OCJP and repayment of these funds will be required.

Applicants are encouraged to allocate grant funds to support activities that help to ensure individuals with disabilities and Deaf individuals and persons with limited English proficiency have meaningful and full access to their programs. For example, grant funds can be used to support American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter services, language interpretation and translation services, or the purchase of adaptive equipment. Applicants proposing to use grant funds to create websites, videos and other materials must ensure that they are accessible to persons with disabilities and grant funds must be allocated for these purposes.
See also Chapter XVI. Allowable Costs

Unallowable Costs

  • SASP grant funds may not be used for education programs or training for allied professionals or the general public.
  • SASP funds may not be used for activities focused on prevention efforts (e.g. bystander intervention, social norm campaigns, presentations on healthy relationships, etc.). However, funds may be used for outreach to inform persons about the services provided by a specific program. For example, a program could use pamphlets, brochures, or community presentations to announce the services available under the grant.
  • SASP funding may not be used for lobbying.
  • SASP funding may not be used for research projects.
  • SASP funding may not be used for physical modifications to buildings, including minor renovations and vehicle purchases.
  • SASP funds may not be used for Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SANE) projects.
  • SASP funds may not be used for criminal justice-related projects including law enforcement, prosecution, courts and forensic interviews.
  • SASP funds may not be used to support Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART). However, if an advocate position is funded under the SASP grant, the advocate’s time in attending SART meetings may be covered as part of the advocacy he or she provides.
  • SASP funds may not be used for providing domestic violence services that do not relate to sexual violence.
  • SASP funds may not be used to purchase food and beverage.
  • SASP funds may not be used for fundraising, including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions.
  • Unallowable costs relating to activities that compromise victim safety and recovery

The following activities have been found to jeopardize victim safety, deter or prevent physical or emotional healing for victims, or allow offenders to escape responsibility for their actions:

  • Procedures or policies that exclude victims from receiving safe shelter, advocacy services, counseling, and other assistance based on their actual or perceived age, immigration status, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health condition, physical health condition, criminal record, work in the sex industry, or the age and/or gender of their children;
  • 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 policies that require the victim to report the sexual assault to law enforcement.
  • SASP projects that engage in activities that compromise victim safety and recovery may be eliminated from further funding consideration.

See also Chapter XVII. Unallowable Costs 

Reporting Requirements

The project director is responsible for timely submission of completed program and fiscal reports. Please see Chapter IX. Reporting Requirements for specific information. 

NOTE: The grantee is required to gather and maintain statistical data relating to grant project activities as required by CVAD. During desk audits, on-site monitoring and any other time at CVAD’s discretion, CVAD may request to see the back-up data that supports the information submitted on your reports.

Match Requirements

There is no match requirement for SASP funds. 

Contract Period

Subrecipient subawards will be issued annually for every year of the three-year application period.

The majority of the contracts are issued for a 12-month period beginning October 1, and ending September 30 of the following year. The subaward will include the amount of funds awarded for that year. During a multi-year award cycle, a contract is issued annually. 

Each grantee must be in compliance with state and federal rules and in good standing with the Victim Services Support Program (VSS) requirements and procedures to receive funding in the second and third years of the cycle. The amount available to designated programs in the second and third year of the cycle will be based on the State and Federal funds available.

For more information on CVAD Contracts with subrecipients, please see Chapter II. Post-Award Requirements, CVAD Contracts .

Non-Supplanting

Federal funds must be used to supplement existing funds for program activities and not replace those funds, which have been appropriated for the same purpose. Potential supplanting will be the subject of application review, as well as pre-award review, post-award monitoring, and audit. If there is a potential presence of supplanting, the grant recipient will be required to supply documentation demonstrating that the reduction in non-Federal resources occurred for reasons other than the receipt or expected receipt of Federal funds.

For more information on non-supplantation and grant requirements, see Chapter III. Financial Requirements, Grant Accountability Requirements.
 

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