HR4510-119

What This Bill Does

The Healing Partnerships for Survivors Act adds a new Family Violence Prevention and Services Act grant authority. The HHS Secretary, acting through the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, may award grants to state, territorial, and tribal sexual assault coalitions; nonprofit community-based sexual assault programs, including rape crisis centers, culturally specific organizations, and community-based organizations; Indian Tribes; and tribal organizations. Grantees must develop, implement, and improve systems of support through partnerships with health and wellness providers, behavioral health programs, disability programs, service providers, and community-based sexual assault programs. Covered activities include prevention, screening, linkages to care, therapy, support groups, holistic healing, somatic approaches, substance-use supports, temporary housing assistance, personal advocacy through case management, referrals, support during health care or substance-use treatment, staff and partner training, and trauma-informed culturally relevant health and wellness modalities. Grantees must report activities, impact, and effectiveness and protect victim privacy, confidentiality, and safety. Up to 10 percent of funds may go to at least two training and technical assistance entities, including at least one with culturally specific expertise, and up to $5 million may be used for evaluation, monitoring, and administration.

Who Benefits and How

Survivors of sexual assault benefit from trauma-informed health, behavioral health, disability, housing, advocacy, and referral partnerships. Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse benefit because services must address survivors across the lifespan regardless of age. State sexual assault coalitions benefit from eligibility for grants and training support. Tribal coalitions and Indian Tribes benefit from eligibility to build culturally relevant survivor-support systems.

Who Bears the Burden and How

HHS and the FVPSA grant office must administer grants, reports, privacy rules, evaluation, and technical assistance. Grant recipients must build partnerships, protect confidentiality, submit reports, and evaluate program impact. Technical assistance providers must support grantees and disseminate best practices. Federal administrators must reserve no more than 10 percent for training and technical assistance and no more than $5 million for evaluation and administration.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes grants to sexual assault coalitions, rape crisis centers, culturally specific organizations, community-based programs, Indian Tribes, and tribal organizations.
• Requires trauma-informed partnerships with health, wellness, behavioral health, disability, service-provider, and community-based sexual assault programs.
• Provides services including prevention, screening, linkages to care, therapy, support groups, holistic healing, substance-use support, temporary housing assistance, case management, and referrals.
• Requires grantee reports on activities, impact, and effectiveness and requires privacy, confidentiality, and safety protections.
• Limits training and technical assistance awards to not more than 10 percent of funds and administrative or evaluation expenses to not more than $5 million per fiscal year.