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Improving National Sexual Assault Services through the Use of Technology

Award Information

Awardee
RAPE, ABUSE AND INCEST NATIONAL NETWORK (RAINN)
Award #
2018-V3-GX-K020
Funding Category
Competitive Discretionary
Location

WASHINGTON, DC

Congressional District
98
Status
Closed
Funding First Awarded
2018
Total funding (to date)
$2,223,744
Original Solicitation
OVC FY 2018 Vision 21: Advancing the Use of Technology to Assist Victims of Crime

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2018, $2,223,744)

The Office for Victims of Crime is committed to enhancing the nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. Through the Vision 21: Advancing the Use of Technology to Assist Victims of Crime solicitation, OVC seeks to support organizations which demonstrate innovative strategies to create, expand, or enhance the use of technology initiatives on a national or nationally replicable scale to improve response, services, and access for victims of crime. OVC will support projects across a variety of technology platforms that could include, but are not limited to: 1) the development of new national app(s) or creation of another technology platform designed to serve victims of crime, including updating and maintenance for the length of the award; 2) the development of regionally focused app(s) or creation of another technology platform designed to serve victims of crime; or 3) the expansion or enhancement of existing services and/or hotlines on digital, online, or text platforms or an app that uses technology to provide services, referrals, tools, and information to victims of crime.

With this award, the RAINN will increase capacity to meet growing demand, and prevent loss of survivors to growing wait times due to unprecedented numbers of survivor contacts, by creating additional victim service staffing for the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline (NSAOH) (at a level of 55,000 hours over 2 years-representing 40,000 additional staff hours and the capacity to support 15,000 additional volunteer hours). RAINN will also develop a secure mobile application to provide access to individual and group support; self-care tools; and host expanded use of their HelpRoom moderated online group support services by 40 sexual assault service provider partners (including training and technology support at no charge to the service providers).

CA/NCF

Date Created: September 29, 2018