OVW Fiscal Year 2010 Sexual Assault Demonstration Initiative

The Sexual Assault Demonstration Initiative is OVW’s first large-scale project to determine best practices and needed action in reaching more sexual assault survivors and providing comprehensive sexual assault services. A strength-based self-assessment of applicant agencies will be used to help selected demonstration sites develop an action plan to: 1) increase outreach to those populations most likely experiencing sexual assault in their communities, but not currently accessing services; 2) develop models of service provision that prioritize the needs of sexual assault survivors beyond immediate crisis responses currently offered; and 3) assess the efficacy of those steps in increasing the numbers and types of sexual assault survivors who access those newly enhanced services. This will require both organizational and programmatic change over the course of the project, which will be developed, implemented and supported by the project’s ongoing and intensive technical assistance menu. Collaboration among OVW, RSP, NSVRC, and project sites will guide the creation of best practices for dual/multi-service agencies.