Funded Projects - DVP

Alaska Native Justice Center, Inc.

The Alaska Native Justice Center (ANJC) will use the IHS domestic violence prevention grant to implement a multi-faceted approach to reduce both frequency and impact of victimization of Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI) community members in Anchorage, Alaska. ANJC will incorporate prevention efforts addressing social, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being of victims through the integration of culturally appropriate practices and trauma-informed services, and will promote prevention outreach efforts that address domestic and sexual violence, including sexual exploitation/human trafficking, Missing and Murdered AI/AN people, and child maltreatment. ANJC has taken preliminary steps towards establishing a Community Collaborative Response system to address sexual and interpersonal violence in Anchorage.

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

The goal of this project is to expand previous domestic violence prevention work by incorporating prevention efforts addressing social, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being of victims through the integration of culturally appropriate practices and trauma-informed services for two Tribal partners: Seldovia Village Tribe and the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments. We will promote prevention efforts that address domestic and sexual violence, including sexual exploitation/human trafficking, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples, and child maltreatment.

Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc.

The aim of the proposed project, “Uniting a Region: Achieving Healthy Relationships” Domestic Violence Prevention Award, is to address Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention through Advocacy and Coordinated Community Response Teams. Activities for this project will take place mainly in the four rural Alaska communities of Unalaska, Nikolski, Saint George, and Atka as well as the urban setting of Anchorage. The award will be managed by the Healthy Relationships Team under the Community Health Services Division at Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA).

Fairbanks Native Association

Fairbanks Native Association will continue to implement the We Are Strong Project to serve the Fairbanks, Alaska area. The goal of the project is to promote positive attitudes and behaviors in youth and adults through strength-based strategies to reduce domestic and sexual violence and trafficking. To accomplish this goal, FNA will conduct activities encompassing all six of the DVP program objectives to improve the quality and quantity of appropriate, coordinated, community-based services for Alaska Native/American Indian survivors and those at high risk for experiencing domestic and sexual violence and/or human trafficking.

Kodiak Area Native Association

The Kodiak Area Native Association’s DVP project strives to address interpersonal and sexual violence throughout the Koniag region of Alaska. DVP staff will improve coordination between the region’s community coordinated response and multi-disciplinary teams, provide trainings for providers, first responders, and community members about the impact and prevalence of domestic and sexual violence, and will support IPV-focused trainings for behavioral health and victim advocacy staff. This project will also address a lack of universal IPV screening in the healthcare setting, including beginning to address the disparities and stigma associated with male-experienced IPV. In addition, DVP resources will be used in collaboration with community partners to support victim advocacy, including the provision of victim stabilization packages that will address barriers for victims and their family members seeking to leave abusive situations. Finally, this project will train DVP staff and community partners in a variety of models to support those who are currently experiencing, or have experienced, IPV through a combination of cultural and trauma-informed approaches.

Maniilaq Association

The Maniilaq Association aims to provide a DVP program that will address intimate partner violence and sexual assault (IPV and SA), including sexual exploitation/human trafficking, Missing and Murdered American Indian/Alaska Native people, and child maltreatment. The Healthy Relationships Across the Lifespan Initiative (HRALI) will provide age-appropriate and culturally sensitive programs to promote positive relationships for all ages in the communities we serve with the hope of reducing the incidence of IPV and SA. To create an effective DVP program, HRALI will begin by performing a comprehensive needs assessment of the villages in our service area, our existing programs, and our community partners. Using this information and evidence based practices, HRALI will establish a strategic and unified plan to address the needs of the community with measurable outcomes. We will implement, evaluate and revise this plan on a yearly basis, and ensure the sustainability of the program beyond the life of this grant.

Southcentral Foundation

Southcentral Foundation's Family Wellness Warriors (FWW) is expanding the implementation of the FWW Nu’iju model for Alaska Natives and Native Americans in rural Alaska and within the prison system. Nu'iju is a Dena'ina word that carries the meaning of "returning to our (true) selves." The goal of this project is preventative; it aims to end cycles of domestic and sexual violence by returning to the strengths of Alaska Native culture in order to build protective factors necessary to foster mental and emotional health and respond to the effects of historical, intergenerational, and complex trauma. FWW Nu’iju uses peer leaders and a non-hierarchical, story based approach that can lead to a growing level of self-awareness, acceptance, and family cohesion. Through partnerships within the community, SCF will continue to increase the project's sustainability.

Wrangell Cooperative Association

Wrangell Cooperative Association (WCA) domestic violence prevention program will establish a dedicated domestic violence prevention program in Wrangell, Alaska. Previously, Wrangell has not had sustained efforts to establish community-housed violence prevention and intervention programs. The program will: 1. Fund a full-time Violence Prevention Specialist (VPS) for Wrangell Cooperative Association; 2. Expand or establish a Coordinated Community Response (CCR)/domestic violence task force through collaboration and support from the WCA VPS; 3. Expand violence prevention training and education for students and staff in the Wrangell School District by providing Alaska Safe Children’s Act compliant presentations and the implementing primary prevention programs; 4. Provide community-based training to allied professionals; 5. Expand outreach on violence prevention and intervention services; and 6. Increase referrals to existing programs providing supportive services to victims of violence.

Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, Inc.

The PeaceKeepers program will address prevention initiatives in the following: domestic and sexual violence, including sexual exploitation/human trafficking, Missing and Murdered AI/AN people, and child maltreatment within the eight northern pueblos of Nambe, Ohkay Owingeh, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Picuris, Pojoaque, Taos, and Tesuque. With DVPP funding, PeaceKeepers will cover the following topics: Domestic Violence 101; Trauma Informed Care; Healthy Relationship Behaviors and Warning signs of Abuse; Coping and problem solving skills; Parental use of reasoning to resolve conflict; Empowerment; Consent, Reproductive Coercion; Child Maltreatment; SOAR for Native Communities; Sexual Exploitation/Human Trafficking in Indian Country; Educational Awareness addressing Missing and Murdered AI/AN people, including community-based trainings that highlight at-risk groups and protection and prevention activities with a focus on ambiguous and traumatic loss; and other topics of domestic and sexual violence identified at the Coordinated Community Response meetings as issues in the eight northern pueblos.

Five Sandoval Indian Pueblos Inc.

Five Sandoval Indian Pueblos Inc. will address and work to decrease the number of domestic and sexual violence victims and perpetrators. Project Activities will include educating tribal communities about domestic and sexual violence, training professional staff on partner organizations, and creating a coordinated community response team to address domestic and sexual violence. Additionally, we will implement comprehensive prevention strategies to address factors that influence domestic and sexual violence at the individual, relationship, and community levels. Training will be provided to behavioral health staff on cultural appropriateness, trauma informed care, and evidence-based models of treatment including Circles of Peace for domestic and sexual violence treatment.

Mescalero Apache Tribe

The IHS domestic violence grant will be used to address the domestic violence issue on our reservation, from a cultural approach. This grant will expand the domestic violence services that is currently in place. Focus areas will be prevention, addressing social concerns, addressing spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being of domestic violence victims. The key approach will be cultural based, the traditional practices will be utilized to assist this approach. Domestic violence victims will be receiving counseling and help from local traditional counselors. Traditional approach events will be used. Domestic violence is a huge concern within our community, approaching this concern with a cultural approach will be a positive change for our community.

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) Niimigimiwang Transitional Home will offer culturally appropriate educational activities for children and youth who are victims of intimate partner violence. We will collaborate with community social service/ behavioral health programs, and the area schools, grades 5-12 and provide training on victim and survivor IPV issues to staff and community. The Community Coordinated Response (CCR) Team will raise the knowledge base of community professionals who are the first to respond to domestic and sexual violence, child maltreatment, and suspected sexual assault and human trafficking and MMIP. As a Victim service response team, we hope that identifying those at risk early will allow our community to reduce service delivery gaps, barriers and systemic challenges.

Pokagon Band of Potawatomi

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians' DVP project, "Expanding Domestic Violence Prevention Programs for Children and Youth," seeks to break the cycle of violence in the Pokagon community by building awareness and resiliency in the Pokagon Band's youngest generations. Through the DVP grant, the Pokagon Band will sustain the successful For Kids' Sake program, which provides direct services to children exposed to domestic violence and supports their non-offending caregivers; offer a range of awareness and prevention activities for tribal children and youth in general, not just those exposed to violence; establish a Coordinated Community Response Team to enhance screening and referral systems to connect more victims and their children with needed services; and support the growing victim services program by leasing office space to house the Pokagon Band Domestic Violence Program staff.

Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council

The Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council (RMTLC) domestic violence project will address the high rates of domestic and sexual violence among the Indian Tribes of Montana and Wyoming and among the urban Indian population in Montana. The RMTLC will provide training and TA to help participating Tribes in Montana to develop and implement evidence-based approaches, while integrating Indigenous "best practices" (i.e., sweat ceremonies, talking circles, drumming, singing, visioning, lodge teachings, group activities, etc.), into their site based prevention activities.

California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc.

This project will work with Tribal communities and Tribal Health Programs to build knowledge and increase the capacity of staff, providers, and community members to raise awareness, eliminate stigma, and recognize the signs of domestic violence. The DVP Project will help Tribal community members further develop the skills necessary to intervene when concerned about domestic violence and subsequent trauma within their communities. These goals will continue to increase the capacity of the participating Tribal Health Programs to address domestic violence among AI/AN community members.

Hopland Band of Pomo Indians

The Hopland Band of Pomo Indians will focus on reducing violence via prevention efforts and will accomplish this by implementing programs that build on improving resiliency through culturally appropriate practices and trauma informed approaches. With community trust and engagement, we are hopeful to eliminate risks.

Indian Health Council, Inc.

Indian Health Council, Inc. will provide the community-based DVP Program "Peace between Partners" that will renew the community-coordinated response (CCR) system to address violence, increase educational awareness about the negative health effects and social burden on domestic and sexual violence, child maltreatment, and sexual exploitation/human trafficking in community and health settings. It will also expand victim advocacy services; integrate an evidence-based practice to facilitate the social and emotional well-being of victims and their families; and integrate community-based culturally appropriate practices to facilitate the social and emotional well-being of victims and their children.

Tuolumne Me-Wuk Tribal Council

The Tuolumne Me-Wuk Tribal Council Social Service Department’s DVP program team will work to raise awareness regarding the negative impacts and social burden that domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking have on the Native American/Alaska Native population. The team will provide evidence-based prevention outreach and education, while still supporting cultural appropriateness. Additionally, the team will work closely with the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, Tuolumne Me-Wuk Tribal Council Social Services Department, local service agencies, and the community to continue building a focused service that is intolerant of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, and one in which all survivors can feel safe and supported.

Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board

This project intends to raise tribal members’ awareness of domestic violence, educate tribal members and tribal entities on prevention strategies for domestic violence, and create space for tribal members who have been victims of domestic violence to find support. We will accomplish this by conducting a community needs assessment at every tribe in the GPTLHB service area, creating a plan for education and training for each tribe and providing custom training to each tribe in the GPTLHB service area. Additionally, partner organizations will be created or enhanced, and used in the project.

Ponca Tribe of Nebraska

The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska plans to enhance domestic and sexual violence prevention, advocacy and coordinated community responses to American Indian/Alaska Native communities in culturally appropriate and trauma informed ways. This project will establish a community coordinated response system, increase educational awareness about the negative health effects and social burden on all types of domestic and sexual violence, develop and expand victim advocacy services, and facilitate the social and emotional well-being of victims and their families.

Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate

The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate DVP Program will continue to provide trauma informed, victim centered and culturally appropriate approaches in all aspects of service delivery, recovery, treatment and empowerment to our service area of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assaults. We will address trauma reduction by providing and revamping evidence-based, practice-based and faith-based approaches to meet our Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Health Plan.

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) DVP Project Sita Homakbi will offer intervention programs, training/educational courses, and self-defense classes to both adult victims and the children who have witnessed or experienced violence. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will expand outreach and increase awareness of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child maltreatment within the CNO boundaries. In addition, the program will provide victim advocacy, intervention, case coordination/management, policy development, utilize their CCR/SART teams, and provide both community and school education materials, presentations, and programs. The program will also expand existing services to include crisis intervention and behavioral health counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and/or child maltreatment.

Citizen Potawatomi Nation

The Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN) House of Hope will offer multiple trainings as requested for our communities including the annual "Defense and Donuts" event where participants learn different self-defense techniques to ward off attackers and learn about the different types of abuse. We will expand outreach and provide awareness to the community and schools with events including (1) a color run during domestic violence month, (2) Jump Start Day which includes health services and cultural healing, (3) Worth It which brings valuable healthy relationship information to youth, (4) Red Day which promotes awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), (5) hold an event during sexual assault awareness month at local universities to educate on consent and boundaries, and (6) hold quarterly cultural classes with House of Hope shelter residents.

Modoc Nation

The Modoc Nation DVP program partners with the Community Crisis Center of Northeast Oklahoma and the Modoc Healing House to provide tailored services for survivors of domestic violence and their families in Ottawa County’s American Indian and Alaska Native community. The program utilizes a Community Coordinated Response/Sexual Assault Response team, consists of regional partners, trained in violence prevention and crisis response, to provide culturally appropriate direct services and community outreach. For direct service provision, staff will provide trauma-informed case management, counseling services, court advocacy, and emergency housing support, while outreach staff will conduct workshops, trainings, recommend prevention curricula, and conduct media campaigns for community education. Staff will work closely with law enforcement, courts, schools, religious communities, healthcare providers, and local nonprofits to assess policies, ensure accessibility of culturally sensitive services, increase community awareness and provide a targeted response to domestic violence in the community.

Pawnee Nation

The goal of the Pawnee Nation DVP program is to maintain and expand the existing Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative. We plan to provide domestic and sexual violence prevention, advocacy, case management, crisis intervention, education, trainings, and coordinated community response to victims of domestic and sexual violence and their families while incorporating Pawnee culture and traditional practices. We will increase family and community involvement by providing opportunities to participate in trainings and culturally relevant activities. We hope to update the tribal codes for the Pawnee Nation Tribal Court, which will allow us to prosecute offenders, and would like to see the reporting statistics increase as well.

Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma

The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma DVP program will work to bring awareness of the signs of domestic violence, sex trafficking and bullying by educating healthcare providers, staff, and the community. Awareness messaging will be done via social media, organized gatherings, informative pamphlets, and billboards. The DVP Program will also provide community outreach and education to the victims of domestic violence, sex trafficking and bullying about the available services delivered by the White Eagle Health Center.

Hualapai Tribal Council

The Hualapai Tribe's Human Services Department will continue and expand upon their domestic violence program by providing culturally relevant services and offering advocacy for victims. This project provides a domestic violence prevention program, which educates the community on domestic violence through regularly held traditional activities and workshops. Additionally there is a full time victim’s advocate who works with the various tribal justice departments to hold offenders responsible.

All Nations Health Center, Inc.

The All Nations Health Center Missoula Project Beacon aims to provide intensive case management, training, and technical assistance for Indigenous survivors of domestic violence. We will team up with our urban and Tribal communities in awareness activities to provide education on the high rates of violence the Indigenous population experiences. We will use holistic care practices that are trauma informed and culturally competent and will create access to cultural healing practices and healers.

American Indian Association of Tucson, Inc. (Tucson Indian Center)

The American Indian Association Of Tucson’s Tucson Indian Center (TIC) DVP program will work to prevent and address domestic and sexual violence, child maltreatment, suspected sexual exploitation/human trafficking and murdered missing indigenous women among Tucson American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). A Community Coordinated Response (CCR) Consortium will strengthen the cross-jurisdictional and multisector service system to serve AI/AN individuals and families in a manner that is culture and language-appropriate. The TIC will screen clients for these risk factors and will utilize motivational interviewing and trauma-informed care to provide crisis response, case management and referral, as well as conduct community outreach, education, and marketing.

Central Oklahoma American Indian Health Council Inc.

The Central Oklahoma American Indian Health Council (COAIHC) DVP program will work to (1) increase awareness about the negative health effects and social burden of domestic, sexual violence, child maltreatment, and human trafficking in our community; (2) expand victim advocacy services by adding additional group therapy to more at risk clients and increase the goal of screening to 100% of patients who are nine years of age or older (3) integrate community based culturally appropriate practices to facilitate the social and emotional wellbeing of victims and their children; (4) partner with Oklahoma City Public Schools and more schools in the surrounding areas to continue expanding traditional cultural offerings; and (5) offer culturally sensitive women's self-defense seminars up to four times annually.

Fresno American Indian Health Project

The Fresno American Indian Health Project (FAIHP) DVP program will create a Domestic Violence Prevention Advisory committee to help develop training and education about domestic violence, trauma informed care, healthy relationship behaviors, recognizing warning signs of abuse and teaching coping and problem-solving skills. The FAIHP DVP program will develop an emergency safe housing and intervention kit program and provide cultural programs such as support groups, talking circles, readings, singing and working with the earth to initiate healing from domestic violent situations.

First Nations Community HealthSource

The First Nations Community HealthSource (FNCH) DVP program aims to decrease domestic violence (DV) and sexual violence (SV) risk among 350 urban American Indian/Alaskan Natives in all life cycles in Albuquerque, New Mexico via increased access to DV/SV screenings, early intervention, crisis intervention, case management, advocacy, behavioral health services, and culturally appropriate prevention education. This project will incorporate evidence-based practice models such as motivational interviewing, trauma informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, EMDR, and Seeking Safety to ensure the project’s effectiveness to meet the goals and objectives and to engage and retain clients in care. The project will integrate culturally appropriate practices to facilitate the emotional and social well-being of victims and their families.

Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, Inc.

The Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center (GLIIHC) Circles of Strength (COS) Program will provide culturally integrated and trauma-informed crisis response, advocacy, counseling, and care coordination for survivors of domestic violence (DV), sexual assault (SA) and human trafficking (HT). The COS Program will develop and/or strengthen policies and protocols to improve local interagency coordination for more uniform responses to DV, SA, HT, and child maltreatment. Through the guidance of survivors, the program will engage in outreach services, host survivor gatherings, participate in equine-assisted therapy and attend healing retreats.

Indian Health Board of Minneapolis, Inc.

The Indian Health Board of Minneapolis's DVP program focuses on providing resources and services to victims of domestic and sexual violence, child maltreatment, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. The program aims to partner with local government agencies, community partners, and abuse survivors to develop a coordinated response system to respond immediately to community and patient needs. In addition, the program will work to increase awareness and prevention in the community and systems through culturally specific training and developed resources.

Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa, Inc.

The Indian Health Care Resource Center (IHCRC) DVP program is focused on providing clinical care to Native Americans in the Tulsa area who have experienced domestic violence. Our aim is to improve early detection and intervention to break cycles of violence in family system. The program consists of providing direct clinical care, connecting individuals to external resources, improving data collection for early detection, and providing training to community members.

Native Health

The NATIVE HEALTH's DVP program will aim to address domestic violence and promote domestic violence prevention in the American Indian/Alaska Native community in Maricopa County. In implementing various activities and evidence-based models, the DVP program at NATIVE HEALTH will increase advocacy, education, and awareness; incorporate behavioral health and case management services to victims; partner with organizations and providers that provide treatment for victims; and establish coordinated community responses to enhance domestic violence intervention and address trauma. As with many NATIVE HEALTH programs, the DVP program will integrate culturally appropriate practices while facilitating the objectives of the program.

South Dakota Urban Indian Health, Inc.

The South Dakota Urban Indian Health, Inc. (SDUIH) will work to establish community-coordinated response systems to address violence in Minnehaha and Hughes counties. Through the development and expansion of our victim advocacy services, our organization will increase educational awareness about the negative health effects and social burden of domestic and sexual violence, child maltreatment, and sexual exploitation/human trafficking in community and healthcare settings. In our work in domestic violence prevention, the SDUIH will work to create culturally appropriate services to address the social and emotional well-being of victims and their children.