OCVA has been thinking about the ways in which the resources that we distribute and manage can be used to help address racism and the ongoing violence against Black people.
Below is a list of grant activities and expenses that may be allowable with your OCVA grant funds. This is not an exhaustive list, but a place to start.
As always, grantees must talk with their grant manager to confirm allowability prior to incurring any expenses.
Allowable Activities
Personnel
- Support Black staff in taking time off, reducing workload, etc.
- Ensure paid leave policies are trauma-informed
- For example: do not require a doctor’s note to take sick leave, allow staff (including new employees) to take paid sick leave, and allow for ample paid time off
- This may include, for example, staff to donate to a shared leave pool
- Staff of color may want to participate in trainings, support networks, and other spaces that are healing – these costs are allowable and leaders should be supporting these opportunities and these spaces
Training and Education
- Prioritize training on racism, systemic oppression, and violence against the Black community in this time
- This can include reading books and having book clubs/discussions internally
- It is important for service providers to seek education on the disproportionality and disparity of criminal justice actions against Black people
- We encourage ongoing learning about the roots of sexual violence in our nation’s founding and the history of racism
Partnerships
-
-
- Take the opportunity to partner with Black-led organizations, businesses, and groups in your community
-
Allowable Activities
System Coordination and Systems Advocacy
- These efforts can focus on advocacy by and for the Black community
- We encourage trainings that educate system partners about racism and white privilege and discussion on how this impacts their work
- At multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings, talk about how each partner is responding to the Black community (including law enforcement and systems-based partners)
- Are they able/willing to make a statement? What would they want to say?
- Are they reaching out to and meeting with leaders in the Black community?
- What changes can the MDT make to address racism in its work?
Language Bank Funds
- These funds can be used to translate materials that provide resources, information, and support for Black immigrant communities that may have limited English proficiency
Community Outreach
- Use your platforms (radio, social media, newspapers, etc.) to remind survivors that working with law enforcement is not a requirement to access community based sexual assault services
We understand that making statements in support of Black communities, Indigenous communities, and Communities of Color may create conflict with other systems and providers; this is part of dismantling systemic oppression. We encourage programs to center the needs of Indigenous communities and Communities of Color, especially Black communities, in this time. Your OCVA grant manager is available to talk with you about the impact this work may have on your grant funded services, to clarify allowable costs, and to address any other grant related questions that you may have.
As Governor Inslee shared in a recent message to state employees, “People across our state and nation are justifiably outraged at the killing of George Floyd. Our communities are heartbroken and angry. I am furious too. It is incumbent on all of us to push for justice and to hold our current institutions of power and privilege responsible. We all have a responsibility to work for meaningful, systemic change – including myself. […] We need more education about systemic racism in our society. For those of us who are not subjected to prejudice and discrimination, we need to be honest with ourselves about our privilege and the need to be better allies.”
Please reach out to your relevant Coalition(s) and OCVA if you need additional information or resources.
Washington State Coalitions
- Children’s Advocacy Centers of Washington https://cacwa.org/
- Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs https://www.wcsap.org/
- Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence https://cacwa.org/
- WomenSpirit Coalition http://www.womenspirit.net/