Office of Crime Victim Services

Sexual Assault Victim Services Grant (SAVS)

The Sexual Assault Victim Services grants were created under section 165.93, Wis. Stat., with implementation of grants within OCVS beginning in 1993.  The goal of the grant program is to provide state money to expand, enhance and support services for sexual assault victims in the State of Wisconsin.  The funding source for the SAVS grants is the crime victim/witness surcharge.  

 SAVS grants reflect the statewide priorities set by the Sexual Assault Service Provider (SASP) programs in conjunction with the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA):

Sustaining Existing Services

• Providing all basic core services;
• Strengthening or expanding core services;
• Maintaining existing core services when funding has been lost.

Promoting Healthy Agencies

• Improving salaries and benefits of sexual assault staff in order to attract and retain qualified employees;
• Ensuring adequate staffing levels to provide core services;
• Providing sufficient training for new sexual assault staff; offering ongoing training opportunities to longer-term staff; cross training for non-sexual assault staff; and ensuring other agency members, such as Executive Directors; Board Members and Volunteers, receive adequate sexual assault training;
• Promotion of sexual assault services: activities aimed at increasing the number of victims being served and/or the number of referrals made by other agencies; and increasing collaboration with cooperative agencies.

Fostering Expansion of Services

• New programs in un-served and underserved counties;
• Outreach/satellite offices in un-served and underserved counties;
• Sexual assault services aimed at underserved populations.

 The Wisconsin Department of Justice may fund grant proposals that represent any of the following:

• Continuation - to continue an established, successful program or service
• Expansion - to expand an established, successful program or service
• Replication - to replicate an established program or service in a new geographical area
• Innovation - to fund a program or service that has not been done before

 Core services required to be provided are defined as follows:

24 Hour Crisis Response: Agency provides a telephone number with 24-hour immediate access to a person trained in providing sexual violence crisis counseling/intervention, information and referrals.

Personal Advocacy:  Agency addresses victim's/survivor's self -identified needs through an ongoing supportive process of listening, providing emotional support, identifying options, problem solving and skills development.

Systems Advocacy: Agency acts on behalf of and in support of victims/survivors of sexual violence to ensure their interests are represented and their rights upheld.  This includes legal and medical accompaniment/advocacy, as well as the development of cooperative relationships with community partners in order to improve systems response to all survivors.

Information and Referral:  Agency provides and maintains current information pertaining to appropriate community resources.

Support Groups: Agency provides regular facilitated meetings of victims/survivors of sexual violence and/or survivor allies (e.g. family members, partners) with a supportive and educational focus.

Accessible Services:  Agency adheres to policies, procedures, attitudes, communications and accessible physical space (according to ADA guidelines) for all members of the community. Agency works toward removing barriers to services through a commitment to cultural competency.

Community Outreach and Prevention Education:  Agency increases awareness and understanding about sexual violence through community outreach and engagement.

 SAVS grant applicants must be a nonprofit or public agency which provides or proposes to provide the following services: 

• Advocacy and counseling services
• Crisis telephone services 24/7
• Professional intervention and prevention education
• Services for victims with special needs or that are hard to reach (i.e., rural residents, men, children, elderly, disabled, minority groups)

SAVS Documents and Forms

2009 SAVS Grantees

For questions relating to the Sexual Assault Victim Services Grant (SAVS), click here.

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