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Three St. Lawrence County agencies that deal with domestic abuse to receive over $100,000 in federal grant funding

Posted 12/18/14

Three St. Lawrence County agencies that deal with domestic abuse will receive more than $100,000 in federal Violence Against Women Act grant funding. In the victim services category, the Legal Aid …

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Three St. Lawrence County agencies that deal with domestic abuse to receive over $100,000 in federal grant funding

Posted

Three St. Lawrence County agencies that deal with domestic abuse will receive more than $100,000 in federal Violence Against Women Act grant funding.

In the victim services category, the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, in St. Lawrence County, is receiving $35,591 for civil legal services for domestic violence victims.

In the law enforcement category, the domestic violence and sexual assault service agency St. Lawrence Valley Renewal House for Victims in Canton will receive $35,600 for a sexual assault nurse examiner program and on-call pay for sexual assault nurse examiners.

On the prosecution side, the St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office is due $35,600 to partially fund a domestic violence/sexual assault assistant district attorney so that the position can be full time.

These grants are part of $6.2 million in federal funds community organizations, hospitals, police departments and district attorneys’ offices around New York to enhance services and protections for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

The grants will also support the work of health care professionals who are specially trained in examining sexual assault victims and collecting evidence that can be used by law enforcement, as well as allowing the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault to develop protocols and training that better address sexual assaults on college campuses.

The funds will support programs that assist victims and the work of law enforcement professionals, including advocacy, counseling and legal services; salaries of sexual assault examiners, who are nurses or other medical professionals specially trained to perform forensic exams; salaries of police investigators, prosecutors and probation officers that specifically handle domestic violence and sexual assault cases; and training programs for law enforcement, judges and service providers.

The grants are funded through the federal Violence Against Women Act and administered by the State Division of Criminal Justice Services. The grants process was open and competitive for the first time in more than a decade, which resulted in grants being awarded to 14 organizations and agencies that had not been funded in the past. As a result, services for sexual assault and domestic violence victims will be expanded in St. Lawrence and other counties.