Virtual Office Hours - The 10 Percent C culturally Specific Victim Service

Transcription

1 Virtual Office Hours Chat Transcript March 3, 2014 Please find an amended transcript of the chat that occurred on March 3, 2014 below. The content was reorganized for clarity and consistency, with additional information gathered after the call to answer questions included as an addendum to the transcript. *Question sent in before the virtual office hours. Hi Everyone, welcome to the virtual office hours! I just want to verify there is no narrative requirement in the STOP application. We just submit the STOP Plan. This is how it appears to us, Michelle. Misty Kifer: On the culturally-specific 10% set aside, does this have to go to a culturally specific organization or can it go to a victim service provider who uses the funds only for a culturally specific group? Hi Misty, In answer to your question about the 10% culturally specific set aside, please take look at FAQ #10, p. 17. It provides a comprehensive answer to the question of what kind of organization can receive funds under the 10% culturally specific victim service set aside. Misty, this question is an important one. We want to check with Marnie at OVW to make sure we're providing you with an accurate answer. We'll try to get in touch with Marnie today about this. If we are not providing, or do not plan to provide legal assistance based on the new purpose area #5, can we just submit something that says NA? 1

2 Michelle, are you wondering whether you still need to submit the legal assistance certification letter if you won't be using STOP funds for legal assistance? Yes Thanks for the clarification, Michelle. Our understanding is that the certification is not required if you will not be providing legal assistance with STOP funds. However, you may want to submit a certification letter, just to be safe, in case a subgrantee does end up providing legal assistance in some form. Thanks Leah Meyers: Can we submit the certification letter later if we do end up funding legal services? Leah, we'll need to check on this for you with Marnie. It might just be safest to submit a letter now, however. We'll check on this for you, though. Lisa Secondo: Regarding the legal service cert letter, item #4 "grantee" refers to the SAA as primary recipient? Can we revise the language to read "sub-recipient"? Lisa, this seems reasonable, given that this certification was created for the LAV program, in which grantees are the legal assistance providers. However, again, this is an administrative question best answered by OVW. We can add this to our list of questions to ask Marnie, if that would help. 2

3 Given that the information about the plan has been coming out in a variety of formats and very recently including the details in the solicitation, can we assume it is okay that our plan does not follow the order of the sections as they are listed in the solicitation? We sent out the plan for review and approval prior to the solicitation. It does not have the same headings and is not in the same order. Should I be worried? So long as you address the elements of the checklist, you should be fine. The downside of doing that is it will make it harder for OVW to find the various sections and required elements. If you have the time, you may wish to go back and change the section headings for reader ease. Thanks. I created a crosswalk with the appropriate page numbers corresponding to the solicitation so I am hoping that will help OVW. Michelle, it's good that you created this crosswalk. That should help a great deal. Leah Meyers: Is there a time frame for the STOP IP? It used to be three years but I do not see a specific time period now. Your plan can cover whatever time your state would like, but you just need to specify the timeframe. On page 21 of the solicitation it states that states and territorial agencies are responsible for ensuring STOP subgrantees that are eligible as a nonprofit org meet 501 (3) status. Has any guidance been given around this? You would need to ask the organizations for proof of their 501(c)3 status, which they should have received from the IRS. We don't know of any specific guidance; you should just ensure that they have that proof as an attachment to their application, for instance. 3

4 Misty Kifer: Our state laws at the moment do not allow for protection orders for stalking or sexual assault when there is not a domestic or dating relationship. I know this is a requirement but our deadline to change the law was last July and VAWA 2013 didn't become effective until October Should we be worried that we cannot certify the fees and costs certification? We think the best option for you on this certification is to check in directly with your program manager at OVW. It is my understanding that we are required to submit the documentation of collaboration for the Plan as an attachment to the IP (page 24 of the revised IP Tool). Given this document is 2 pages (or longer depending on the info included in the chart) I'm a bit concerned about the number of attachments. Is it ok to scan the individual forms into 1 attachment to make it easier to upload into GMS? If we do that will the size of the document be an issue? Sounds like a great idea, but if size is an issue, contact GMS tech support to ensure it will still work. The last point in the Implementation Plan requirements in the solicitation mentions section 393A of the Public health Services Act but when I look at that section it isn't RPE, it is on traumatic brain injury. Is the wrong section listed? Michelle, that section was recodified, I believe. You can find the correct section through the STOP Implementation Plan Tool. The statutory language for 42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g) is included in it. I can also send it to you. Michelle, here is the language of the PHSA: Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g)). The Public Health Service Act defines racial and ethnic minority groups as follows (42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g)): (g) Definitions For purposes of this section: (1) The term racial and ethnic minority group means American Indians (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts); Asian 4

5 Americans; Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders; Blacks; and Hispanics. (2) The term Hispanic means individuals whose origin is Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or any other Spanish-speaking country. Under the reallocation for PREA, if we fund the department of correction to sub-contract with a local rape crisis center to provide confidential services to this population, can we fund this under the law enforcement allocation or does it have to come from victim services or discretionary? I was thinking we could use LE funds as this would be for LE but after the call last week with Tara, I'm unsure. Will all the funds going to corrections be totally subcontracted to rape crisis for victim services? Yes, I believe we would be looking to have the DOC submit a proposal to subcontract the full award to the local RCC for victim services. Response: We need to check into this, but we think it would come out of your PREA reallocation but would need to be our of victim services or discretionary allocation as it sounds like the services would benefit victims, and not be for enhancing law enforcement. Addendum to Candice's Question re: PREA reallocation - also see FAQ pg 16 in the allocations section, question #3 - Should states make decisions to award law enforcement, prosecution, court, and victim services funds based on the purpose for which the funds will be used or the type of agency applying for the funds? According to the FAQ page 5 question #13 sexual assault forensic exams, the allocation the funds should come from LE, PRO or DIS. Based on FAQ pg 16 in the allocation section, question #3, I would think an argument can be made that victims benefit from a SANE exam. Therefore, could we fund SANE services through VS or do we have to abide by the FAQ on page 5 #13? 5

6 We believe that sexual assault exams need to be funded from the law enforcement, prosecution, or discretionary, because the SANE exam is to enhance the criminal justice case. Though the victim does benefit to some degree, it seems the main purpose of the SANE exam is for law enforcement and prosecution. This is based on the FAQ both on pg 5 and pg 16. If you want to fund out of victim services, we would recommend that you discuss this with your program manager or Marnie Shiels. We have some questions that we thought you find of interest. Q: What is the best way to implement the new requirement that we consult with the FVPSA, VOCA and RPE efforts in my state? There s no single best way to say how to do this because every state and territory is different. There are a number of strategies you can explore: find out who is in charge of these programs and plans in your jurisdiction and introduce yourself. Read the most recent plans and see what might overlap with what the priorities are under STOP. Share this information with the STOP planning team. Knowledge of how these other programs allocate funds can help the IP and STOP dollars go further so you can leverage resources, better address gaps in funding, and ensure that efforts are not duplicated. Also note that not all states and territories have formal written plans. If not, you can look at the application the program submitted for funding and see its priority areas and funding goals. Keep notes on your contacts and the information you garner and exchange so you can explain how the IP and planning process impacts AND is impacted by these other federally funded programs. *Diana Fleming: Question from Administrator on prior Virtual Office Hours: How do you identify Population specific organizations and what is meant by meaningful input (process and challenge of review of IP)? 6

7 In order to identify population specific organizations in your state, you may want to: Ask your VOCA or FVPSA coordinators if they have ideas or are funding such organizations Ask your Coalitions, as many will have a Communities of Color or Underserved Populations Committee Ask your Domestic Violence and/or Sexual Assault Coordinating Councils/Response Teams who they would suggest Ask your primary domestic/sexual violence programs if they can identify organizations Meaningful Input of population specific organizations/underserved communities Process Include in s, conference calls, meetings May need to individually call or meet with organizations/communities initially to build rapport and investment Documentation can include: s, Meeting Minutes, Meeting Sign-ins, IP Plan Review Comment Sheets, Letters of Support, etc. Hi Everyone, Thank you for participating in today's virtual office hours. Please be on the lookout for the transcripts as well as continuing to check ALSO s VAWA 2013 Resources web page for more information: Thank you for your participation. Please contact ALSOSTAARProjectTA@also-chicago.org with any more questions or thoughts. 7