City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: May 27, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: KATE GARVEY, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND
HUMAN SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of Authorizing a Grant Application Seeking Funding from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to fund the City’s Sexual Assault Center and Domestic Violence Program.
BODY
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ISSUE: City Council approval to submit a grant application from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and for the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) to continue providing prevention services for domestic violence and sexual violence.
RECOMMENDATIONS: That City Council:
1. Authorize DCHS to apply for and receive a new cycle of funding in the amount of $500,000 for a thirty-six (36) month grant with no match required. This grant would provide domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking prevention programming in the City of Alexandria. This is the only source of prevention funding for the Sexual Assault Center and Domestic Violence Program, a OVW grant held since 2022.
2. Approve the continuation of one full-time Human Service Specialist II position (1 FTE), one part-time (0.5 FTE) Project Manager Consultant to oversee the prevention program, and a group of 6-7 young adult peer advocates who work 4-6 hours per week.
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: The funding notice for this grant opportunity was issued by DOJ/OVW on May 7, 2025. The Department’s Sexual Assault Center (SAC) and Domestic Violence Program (DVP) staff learned of this opportunity on the day of issuance, May 7th. The grant funding supports projects that educate vulnerable children and youth, up to 24-years of age to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking. The application is due July 2, 2025, and grant awards are scheduled to be announced in October 2025. DCHS has received this funding since October 2022. This grant enables the SAC and DVP team to continue and enhance violence prevention programming.
DISCUSSION: The SAC and DVP staff will submit the grant application requesting the maximum three-year award amount of $500,000. The proposal includes prevention strategies based on current sexual assault prevention research. Sexual and domestic violence are serious societal problems that can have lasting, harmful effects on victims and their families, friends, and communities. Interpersonal violence can and must be prevented. Primary prevention is a set of approaches that can be employed before any intimate violence has occurred to prevent initial perpetration and victimization. Primary prevention includes building an environment that encourages well-being and healthy choices. Preventing sexual and domestic violence includes:
• Promoting social norms that protect against violence, like encouraging young people to speak out or act when they see violence happening or the threat of violence and mobilizing boys and girls to be allies to anyone in need.
• Teaching skills to prevent sexual and domestic violence through social-emotional learning. In practice, this means holding workshops that teach healthy, safe dating and intimate relationship skills to adolescents, promoting healthy sexuality, and empowering young people.
• Providing opportunities to empower and support girls through leadership and economic opportunities for girls.
The overall program goal is to provide additional adolescent development and life skills to develop strong self-esteem, healthy values and attitudes about themselves and others, critical decision-making and goal-setting skills, and stress management strategies, resulting in the ability to reduce risky behaviors and impulsive decision-making.
SAC and DVP will continue to employ staff to administer the project, continue to create a continuum of support and programming for youth and supervise the paid Young Adult Peer Advocate positions.
Consistent with one of the grant conditions, SAC and DVP will continue existing community-based partnerships to provide evidence-based prevention programs. The partner will be:
• Capital Youth Empowerment Program - currently serves primarily Black/African American and Latino Youth from Alexandria City High School (ACHS) Main Campus, ACHS Satellite Campus, Community Lodgings, Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic Boys and Girls Club, Department of Recreation, Park and Cultural Activities, Shelter care Program of Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center, Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the Seaport Foundation.
This grant application is consistent with both the City Council Priorities (Eliminate Community Disparities) and the Alexandria Children and Youth Community Plan 2025 (Goal One).
FISCAL IMPACT: The budget for this grant is $500,000. The grant period is October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2028, with no required matching funds. The City is responsible for the normal administrative functions associated with this grant. These include financial and reporting oversight provided by DCHS, the administering agency. Existing administrative staff will provide these functions.
Grant funding will be used for personnel, program facilitation by partner organizations, grant-required training, and supplies/materials. The individuals who fill these grant-funded positions are notified that the positions may terminate if grant funds become unavailable in the future.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
STAFF:
Alethea Predeoux, Deputy City Manager
Kate Garvey, Director, Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS)
Federico Gutierrez, Deputy Director, DCHS
Morgan Routt, Director, Office of Management and Budget
Barbara Paulson, Director, Center for Children and Families, DCHS
Raphael Obenwa, Fiscal Officer III, DCHS
Nancy Sarpong, Fiscal Officer II, DCHS
Debra Evans, Division Chief, Sexual Assault Center and Domestic Violence Program, DCHS
Erika Callaway Kleiner, Consultant, DCHS