This program will provide continuation funding to eligible invited nonprofit organizations that propose to use technology creatively to interact directly with crime victims and provide information, referral, crisis assistance, and longer term help. This continuation funding is for the eight successful applications funded through the competitive FY 2014 Vision 21: Using Technology to Expand National and International Access to Victim Services solicitation, under the three following categories of victim service projects:
I. National scope initiatives for all crime victims, or specifically focusing on sexual violence, domestic violence (including stalking associated with domestic violence), and/or child and/or youth victimization;
II. National scope initiatives for underserved victims; and
III. Initiatives for American victims of domestic violence (including stalking associated with domestic violence) and/or sexual assault, abroad (including on cruise ships).
With their initial awards under cooperative agreement 2014-XV-BX-K001, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is implementing the Apoyo Tecnologico Project (Technology Help & Support) to provide WomensLaw services in Spanish. This includes direct assistance to Spanish-speaking victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking by expanding the email hotline for victims, increasing the Spanish language resources on WomensLaw.org by updating and adding new topics, and conducting outreach to Spanish-speaking victims and families, communities, and advocates to increase their access to services. The funding supports the addition of Spanish speaking staff, a Spanish speaking attorney, and contracted translation services. In addition to expanding capacity and experiencing few closures of the helpline, with the addition of the bilingual program attorney and trained bilingual volunteers, WomensLaw has surpassed their goal of answering email inquiries to the helpline in Spanish within 35 business days, and is consistently answering inquiries in under 3 days.
NNEDV has updated and translated into Spanish the national resources and legislative information on WomensLaws main resource pages and the sections for individual states at a rate of 34 additional states or territories a year. This expansion is being carried out strategically by adding and/or updating content in Spanish specifically for states that have higher concentrations of Spanish-speaking individuals. In Year 1 and the first month of Year 2, WomensLaw had almost completed translation of their 16th state, Georgia, and had begun translating their 17th state, Washington, and their 18th jurisdiction, Washington, DC.
With the proposed FY 2016 continuation funding, WomensLaw will update and translate additional states into Spanish in addition to continuing their direct hotline services. NNEDV will also work to update the interface of WomensLaw.org and to make the website more mobile accessible.
NCA/NCF
