SASP

1. Eligible Subrecipients for Federal SASP Funding Include:
   1. Nonprofit, nongovernmental rape crisis centers; and
   2. Nonprofit, nongovernmental dual programs that provide sexual assault and domestic violence services; and
   3. Government
2. Other Eligibility Requirements:
   1. All applicant agencies must show that sexual assault services have been provided for at least six months prior to an application for SASP funding;
   2. All applicant agencies must provide intervention and related assistance to victims of sexual assault without regard to their age.
   3. All applicant agencies must demonstrate adherence to Best Practices for Sexual Assault Agencies in Tennessee; and
   4. All nonprofit applicants must be recognized by the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence as either a rape crisis center or a dual agency (serving both sexual assault and domestic violence victims).

Overall, the purpose of the SASP Formula Grant Program is to provide intervention, advocacy, accompaniment (e.g., accompanying victims to court, medical facilities, police departments, etc.), support services, and related assistance to:

• Adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault;
• Family and household members of such victims; and
• Those collaterally affected by the victimization (e.g., friends, coworkers, classmates), except for the perpetrator of such victimization.

Rape crisis centers and other nonprofit organizations such as dual programs providing both domestic violence and sexual violence intervention services play a vital role in assisting sexual assault victims through the healing process, as well as assisting victims through the medical, criminal justice, and other support systems.

SASP funds may be used to address intimate partner; stranger and non-stranger sexual assault; as well as adult, adolescent, and child sexual violence. Both male and female victims may be served.

Reference: TN Best Practice Guidelines for Sexual Assault Response Services (Adult Victims)

1. Support rape crisis centers in providing direct intervention and related assistance services; and
2. Support dual programs that provide sexual assault and domestic violence services to enhance the provision of sexual assault-related direct intervention and related assistance services.

1. Allowable services for SASP include:
   1. 24-hour hotline services providing crisis intervention services and referral;
   2. Accompaniment and advocacy through medical, criminal justice, and social support systems, including medical facilities, police, and court proceedings;
   3. Crisis intervention, short-term individual and group support services, and comprehensive service coordination and supervision to assist sexual assault victims and family or household members; (Note: short-term counseling is allowable up to one year)
   4. Information and referral to assist the sexual assault victim and non-offending family or household members, including outreach activities;
   5. Community-based, linguistically and culturally specific services and support mechanisms, including outreach activities for underserved communities; and
   6. The development and distribution of materials on issues related to the services described in the previous bullets. For example, a program could use pamphlets, brochures, or community presentations to announce the services available under the grant.
2. Other Allowable uses of SASP funds include:
   1. SASP funds may be used to support projects that focus on direct services for children who are victims of sexual assault. Services rendered to children do not have to be in connection to serving an adult parent and there is no age restriction on providing services to children.
   2. SASP funds may be used to support a hotline to the extent the hotline is for sexual assault victims. If the hotline covers a broader array of issues, the costs should be pro-rated according to the percentage of calls that are for sexual assault. In order for a multi-issue hotline to receive SASP funds, the people who answer the hotline would need to have sexual assault specific training.
   3. SASP funds may be used to support volunteer related expenses as they relate to the SASP project.  Examples would include training and supervision of volunteers.
   4. SASP funds may be used to train advocates (volunteer or employee) that will provide specific grant-funded services. Note: Funds may not be used to provide a generalized statewide training nor may funds be used to develop training curriculums.
   5. Gift cards to clients are only allowable to the extent that they are used for allowable costs under SASP such as the purchase of emergency food for SASP clients or gas for victims to attend court, appointments etc. related to the victimization.  However, agencies must acquire a receipt from the client which documents only allowable items (food or gas-in the example) were purchased.  Without copies of these receipts, these costs will be deemed unallowable by OCJP and repayment of these funds will be required.
   6. Applicants are encouraged to allocate grant funds to support activities that help to ensure individuals with disabilities and Deaf individuals and persons with limited English proficiency have meaningful and full access to their programs. For example, grant funds can be used to support American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter services, language interpretation and translation services, or the purchase of adaptive equipment. Applicants proposing to use grant funds to create websites, videos and other materials must ensure that they are accessible to persons with disabilities and grant funds must be allocated for these purposes.

See Chapter XIV-Allowable Costs

1. Unallowable costs
   1. SASP grant funds may not be used for education programs or training for allied professionals or the general public.
   2. SASP funds may not be used for activities focused on prevention efforts (e.g. bystander intervention, social norm campaigns, presentations on healthy relationships, etc.). However funds may be used for outreach to inform persons about the services provided by a specific program. For example, a program could use pamphlets, brochures, or community presentations to announce the services available under the grant.
   3. SASP funding may not be used for lobbying.
   4. SASP funding may not be used for research projects. SASP funding may not be used for physical modifications to buildings, including minor renovations and vehicle purchases.
   5. SASP funds may not be used for Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SANE) projects.
   6. SASP funds may not be used for criminal justice-related projects including law enforcement, prosecution, courts and forensic interviews.
   7. SASP funds may not be used to support Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART). However, if an advocate position is funded under the SASP grant, the advocate’s time in attending SART meetings may be covered as part of the advocacy he or she provides.
   8. SASP funds may not be used for providing domestic violence services that do not relate to sexual violence.
   9. SASP funds may not be used to purchase food and beverage.
   10. SASP funds may not be used for fundraising, including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions.
2. Unallowable Costs Relating to Activities that Compromise Victim Safety and Recovery

   The following activities have been found to jeopardize victim safety, deter or prevent physical or emotional healing for victims, or allow offenders to escape responsibility for their actions:

   1. Procedures or policies that exclude victims from receiving safe shelter, advocacy services, counseling, and other assistance based on their actual or perceived age, immigration status, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health condition, physical health condition, criminal record, work in the sex industry, or the age and/or gender of their children;
   2. Crafting policies that deny individuals access to services based on their relationship to the perpetrator;
   3. Developing materials that are not tailored to the dynamics of sexual assault or the culturally specific population to be served;
   4. Crafting policies or engaging in practices that impose restrictive conditions to be met by the victim in order to receive services (e.g., counseling, seeking an order for protection);
   5. Sharing confidential victim information with outside organizations and/or individuals without the documented consent of the victim; and
   6. Crafting policies that require the victim to report the sexual assault to law enforcement.

SASP projects that engage in activities that compromise victim safety and recovery may be eliminated from further funding consideration.

See Chapter XV- Unallowable Costs

The recipient agrees that all materials and publications (written, web-based, audio-visual or any other format) resulting from subaward activities shall contain the following statement:

"This project was supported by Subgrant No. __________________ awarded by the state administering office for the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice's SAS Formula Grant Program. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the state or the U.S. Department of Justice.”

Note: The “Subgrant No.” is the SASP contract number and should be confirmed with the agency’s OCJP program manager before publication completion.​

Production/Publication of Copyrighted Works

The subrecipient must obtain advance written approval from their OCJP program manager, and must comply with all conditions specified by the program manager in connection with that approval before:

1. Using award funds to purchase ownership of, or a license to use, a copyrighted work; or
2. Incorporating any copyrighted work, or portion thereof, into a new work developed under this award:
   
   Pursuant to 28 CFR §66.34, the Office on Violence Against Women reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use, in whole or in part (including in the creation of derivative works), for Federal Government purposes:
   • any work that is subject to copyright and was developed under this award, subaward, contract or subcontract pursuant to this award; and
   • any work that is subject to copyright for which ownership was purchased by a recipient, subrecipient or a contractor with support under this award.

The above information is specific to SASP funds used to create and produce publications. For additional required information regarding Publications, see generic Chapter XI – Printing, Publications and Media.

The Project Director is responsible for timely submission of completed program and fiscal reports. Inability to submit required reports in a timely fashion is considered a failure of required contract obligations. 

NOTE: The subrecipient is required to gather and maintain statistical data relating to grant project activities as required by the Office of Criminal Justice Programs. The data collected should support the information submitted on the annual reports. OCJP may periodically request to see the back-up data that supports the information submitted on your output and outcome reports. 

OVW agencies must develop a policy that addresses workplace-related incidents of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, and dating violence. The following links contain example policies:

https://www.workplacesrespond.org/resource-library/model-guidelines/

The policy must address the following:

1) allegations of workplace-related incidents of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, and dating violence by an employee, volunteer, consultant, or contractor;

2) workplace supports for employees, volunteers, consultants, or contractors who are victims of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, or dating violence; and

3) adjudications that will result in an employee, volunteer, contractor, or consultant being prohibited from occupying positions that could undermine the ability of the recipient or subrecipient to carry out the grant-funded project, such as positions working with victims and other vulnerable populations. A policy may provide that certain adjudications do not prohibit an individual from occupying such a position but must include standards for granting such an exemption for an individual.

When developing your policy, please consider your agency’s organizational structure and type. OCJP recognizes that leave policies, staff resources, and staff procedures for how and where to route allegations may require approval outside your agency’s department. 

Definitions:

“Adjudication” includes a conviction, issuance of a final protection order, court-ordered diversion, or other judicial finding that the employee, volunteer, consultant, or contractor has engaged in domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.” The recipient may choose to include additional, related offenses, such as sex trafficking, as adjudications.

“Domestic violence,” “dating violence,” “sexual assault,” or “stalking” have the meanings given in 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a).

“Sexual misconduct” means sexual assault, stalking, and sexual harassment.

“Sexual harassment” means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment, whether such activity is carried out by a supervisor or by a co-worker, volunteer, or contractor.

An individual is considered to be in the “workplace” of the recipient or subrecipient while in, or using the resources of, the recipient’s or subrecipient’s offices or facilities, using its equipment or vehicles, engaging in approved telework, on work-related travel, or otherwise conducting business on behalf of the recipient or subrecipient. The availability and nature of the response to a workplace-related incident may depend on the location at issue.

“Workplace-related incidents” of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, and dating violence include acts, attempted acts, or threatened acts by or against employees, consultants, volunteers, or contractors, that occur in the workplace or that occur outside the workplace but have an impact on the workplace or otherwise undermine the ability of the recipient or subrecipient to carry out the grant-funded project.