WHITE PLAINS – The City of White Plains has been awarded a $450,000 grant from the US Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women.
Mayor Thomas Roach said the 36-month program grant with partners Pace Women’s Justice Center, Westchester Independent Living Center, el Centro Hispano, My Sister’s Place, the Loft, and Westchester Jewish Community Services “will enhance the quality of life for those dealing with violence in their lives.”
The city will use the funds in its TRUST – Training, Response, Underserved Support Team – project.
The grant will be used specifically to fund overtime costs of two police officers, who will monitor offenders, conduct follow-u home visits, and make cross-referrals for service for victims; support a bilingual attorney to represent victims at protection order; support a domestic violence advocate/counselor from My Sister’s Place, who will receive calls via their hotline from victims; conduct outreach and multi-disciplinary team meetings with project partners to reduce domestic violence in the disabled, Hispanic and LGBT communities; and provide training for law enforcement on the trauma-informed response to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, to increase understanding of the impact of trauma, encourage trauma-informed practices and techniques, and provide strategies for developing and implementing trauma-informed policies department-wide.
The federal grant was announced by Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D, NY-17).
