City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: OCTOBER 21, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: KATE GARVEY, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Concept Proposal from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) for the Rape Prevention and Education Program (RPE).
ISSUE: City Council’s permission to submit the concept proposal and if awarded accept the award from the Virginia Department of Health, Rape Prevention and Education Program, for the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence. On September 18, 2026, DCHS was formally invited by VDH to submit a grant proposal for this cycle. The grantor designated an eligible funding range of $25,000 to $100,000 per year for our project concept, with the final award amount dependent upon available agency funding and program allocations.
RECOMMENDATIONS: That City Council:
1. Authorize DCHS in the submission of the concept proposal and if awarded accept grant funding for the lifetime of the grant from VDH in an amount ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence. This grant is renewed on an annual basis, from February 1st - January 31st; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: For more than 10 years, the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) has received prevention funding that has supported a staff position responsible for the City’s sexual assault and domestic violence crisis response and core services. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH), which administers the Rape Prevention Education (RPE) Grant, subsequently revised its funding guidelines, rendering local sexual and domestic violence programs ineligible for funding under the grant.
Following the change in eligibility guidelines, RPE funding of $25,000 has been provided to DCHS’s Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Program (SAC/DVP) to support a weekly online support group for parents of LGBTQ+ children and youth and two community trainings for parents, caregivers, and service providers focused on supporting and advocating for LGBTQ+ children and youth.
DCHS’s SAC/DVP was recently notified by VDH that, by expanding the scope of these initiatives and submitting a concept proposal for consideration, the program may be eligible to receive between $25,000 and $100,000 annually for the duration of the grant. Given the variability in available VDH funding, the project scope will be scaled dynamically, and the following listed items will be prioritized and executed depending on the final funding amount received:
a. Continuing to provide a weekly online support group for parents of LGBTQ+ children and youth and 2 community trainings with parents/caregivers/service providers on caring for and advocating for your LGBTQ+ child, where each participant gets an information and education packet.
b. Continued funding for one part-time (.50 FTE) LGBTQ+ consultant to oversee the project and provide training to service providers; continue funding for one part-time consultant (40 hours per month) to provide the weekly virtual parent support group.
c. New objectives of the concept proposal are: 1) provide 6-9 trainings for service providers on creating safer environments for LGBTQ+ people, offered by the Alexandria LGBTQIA+ Task Force;2) conduct at least one cohort (6 workshops) of the Harm and Accountability curriculum with at-risk youth, led by non-profit partner Capital Youth Empowerment Program and Alexandria Sexual Assault Center and Domestic Violence Program (SAC/DVP).
DISCUSSION: DCHS has received funding from VDH since 2015. DCHS was recently notified by the grant monitor of an opportunity to apply for additional funding. The scope of funded activities may be expanded or modified during the grant period, provided the activities are consistent with and derive from the original grant application and are allowable through VDH.
If awarded, the grant would support the continuation of the weekly online support group, as well as expand to include training on creating safer environments for LGBTQ+ people and prevention programming addressing domestic violence and sexual assault. If additional funding is received, we will fund one part-time (.50 FTE) LGBTQ+ consultant to oversee the project, provide training to service providers, and provide Harm and Accountability education for at-risk youth. Funding through this opportunity would allow DCHS to continue supporting the positions and services described above, strengthening the quality and reach of its sexual and domestic violence prevention programming while complementing existing core services.
FISCAL IMPACT: The funding request in this concept proposal would be for the lifetime of the grant award and totals between $25,000 and $100,000 per year beginning February 1, 2027 - January 31, 2028.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
STAFF:
Alethea Predeoux, Deputy City Manager
Morgan Routt, Director of OMB
Federico Gutierrez, Deputy Director, DCHS
Barbara Paulson, Director, Center for Children and Families, DCHS
Debra Evans, Division Chief, DCHS