Patchwork

In this episode, Office on Violence Against Women grant specialist Jessica Neal interviews Dorian Johnson, formerly a project director at Spelman College in Georgia, to discuss how OVW funding through its Campus Program benefited students and provided new training opportunities to faculty and staff. Johnson and Neal also talk about the importance of OVW's grants for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the vital role that technical assistance providers play in supporting grantees. 

In this episode, OVW's Peer Review Working Group joins Patchwork to discuss an integral part of our grantee application review process – peer review. Peer review is a collection of experts from the field coming together to evaluate grant proposals based on the requirements outlined in each program's solicitation. The working group also share answers to frequent questions that they receive, as well as contact and submission information for interested peer review applicants. Join Darlene Johnson, Neelam Patel, Myrta Charles, and Sandi Van Orden, as they shed light on this important step in award-making. 

In our first episode of the new year, Jennifer Landhuis, the Director of the Stalking Prevention and Resource Center (SPARC), joins Patchwork to discuss common misconceptions surrounding stalking, including how abusers are misusing technology. She also shares available resources for OVW grantees as well as the public to educate on stalking, identify when someone is being stalked, and help victims and survivors of stalking. The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The Biden-Harris Administration shares OVW's commitment to eliminating gender-based violence, both in-person and online. The White House recently issued a proclamation recognizing January as National Stalking Awareness Month in support of individuals who are threatened and harmed by the pervasive crime of stalking, in recognition of those who raise awareness and advocate for survivors, and in rededication to prevention efforts for a future without stalking. 

Ending gender-based violence requires effort from everyone. In this episode, Kellie Greene, a program specialist at OVW, joins Patchwork to share how her program seeks to engage children and men as allies in ending gender-based violence. As she puts it, the children of today will grow to become our future policy-makers, CEOs, and teachers, so educating them about the foundations of healthy relationships now will be instrumental in ending gender-based violence as they grow into their roles as future leaders. 

Human Trafficking is a crime that affects all socio-economic backgrounds and it does not discriminate based on race, education level, citizenship status or gender. In this episode, Savannah Sanders, the founder of sextraffickingprevention.org, author of Sex Trafficking Prevention: A Trauma-Informed Approach for Parents and Professionals, and a survivor herself, joins Patchwork to share her story. She shares what she has learned about the field and how to help survivors of human trafficking on their paths of healing. 

One of the top priorities at DOJ is preventing violent crime. At OVW, one area we focus on specifically is sexual assault on campus. Jennifer Hirsch, professor of Sociomedical Sciences and steering committee member at Columbia University, and Shamus Khan, formerly professor and chair of Sociology at Columbia and now a professor at Princeton University, wrote a book titled “Sexual Citizens: A Landmark Study of Sex, Power, and Assault on Campus.” In this episode, they join Patchwork to discuss issues they found that led to sexual assaults on campuses and describe how early education may help prevent gender-based violence. 

For many victims of sexual assault, the road to recovery and becoming a survivor begins with the care of a nurse who is trained to help in the critical moments following a violent crime. These nurses are commonly referred to as a sexual assault nurse examiner, or SANE.In this episode, Kim Day joins Patchwork to share stories and advice that she has collected during her time working with victims as a SANE. She defines what she views as the single most important role a SANE can fulfill when they have a patient in their care and paints an image of what future SANEs can expect their training to look like. 

OVW funds a program that seeks to address abuse, neglect, and exploitation -- including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking -- within the elder community.In this episode, Kristin Burki, the Director of the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL), joins Patchwork to frame the topic of elder abuse. She explains how the abuse of elders is a form of power and control and elaborates on the complexities that may arise for elders when they want to report the crimes. She recalls efforts she has seen work well and shares her outlook on the future of supporting survivors of elder abuse. 

Dr. Tricia Bent-Goodley, a professor at Howard University who has spent decades as a social worker specializing in gender-based violence, joins Patchwork to share her first-hand experience on how cultural differences can drive misconceptions and create obstacles when working with victims of crime. To meet victims where they are means understanding where they come from, she says. To adequately care for a victim from a trauma-based perspective, care providers must first understand the community and the culture that inform the context of the crime.

The Resource Sharing Project is part of a national movement to end sexual violence. They provide support to coalitions across the country that serve victims of sexual violence.In this episode, Kris Bein, the Assistant Director at the Resource Sharing Project, and Monika Johnson Hostler, the Executive Director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, join Patchwork to elaborate on creating safe spaces for victims. They discuss challenges advocates have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and share their positive outlooks on how the field will continue to evolve in order to serve victims.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives protects the public in party by enforcing gun laws. The agency plays a leading role the Department of Justice’s efforts to keep communities safe by regulating gun traffic and removing weapons from dangerous people, including perpetrators of domestic violence.In this episode of Patchwork, Regina Lombardo, the first woman to lead the ATF, explains how her agency works in partnership to prevent domestic violence. She shares how the ATF ensures that the victims of domestic violence get the help they need for their safety and survival, as well as the critical role that protective orders play in the coordinated effort to prevent violence.

Firearms in the hands of abusers dramatically increase the risk of homicide for victims of domestic violence. Law enforcement officers face significant danger when responding to domestic violence emergencies where a gun is present. United States Attorneys are taking a leading role in working to reduce the danger. In this episode, Erin Nealy Cox, the US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, describes how she enforces gun laws to keep people safe. She describes how federal prosecution serves victims of domestic violence by eliminating the need for their testimony in court.

The presence of a firearm dramatically increases the likelihood of homicide in a domestic violence situation. This heightened danger extends to everyone in the household as well as law enforcement officers who respond to domestic violence calls. In this episode, David Keck, the Project Director for the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Firearms, shares concerns he has heard from the communities he works with in their efforts to ensure that domestic violence abusers do not have firearms. David also frames the definition of mass shootings and how domestic violence situations are often a catalyst for large-scale shootings.

Pastor Tony Lowden serves as the Executive Director of the Federal Interagency Council on Crime Prevention and Improving Reentry. In his role, he travels to different communities to learn how to best address issues to prevent crime, including domestic violence. Growing up in a home where he was exposed to domestic violence, Tony draws from his past to connect with those who need help today. In this episode, Tony shares some of his experiences and offers suggestions for communities to tackle this issue. In the past, Tony has served as a pastor at President Jimmy Carter’s church, in Georgia, where he led discussion about family values and setting good role models. If you or anyone you know is suffering from domestic violence, there is help available at the National Hotline. They can be reached at www.thehotline.org, or called at (800) 799-7233.

On October 15th, 2020, the Department of Justice will be transitioning to a new grants management system called JustGrants as well as a grants payment system known as the Automated Standard Application for Payments, or ASAP.In this episode, Lauren Nassikas, the Associate Director for the Legal Assistance for Victims and the Justice for Families programs at OVW, describes the transition experience for grantees as they prepare to adopt the new system. She is joined by Maria Swineford, the Business Manager for JustGrants at the Office of Justice Programs. Maria sheds light on the technical aspects of the transition, such as how to register for the systems and the available trainings. Together, they share their hopes for a unified and easy-to-use system for OVW, OJP, and COPS grantees.

Dr. David Hunt is a recipient of the Attorney General’s Citizen Volunteer Service Award. He was recently recognized for his volunteer work with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) where he works with their artists to illustrate what children who have gone missing might look like years later. When he is not helping solve cases, Dr. Hunt works as a physical and forensic anthropologist and archaeologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. In this episode of Patchwork, Dr. Hunt describes cases that he’s helped with and sheds light onto the many facets of his work. He also provides a general framework on how to be successful for those who are interested in a career in forensic science.

Carrie Mitchell has worked at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) as a Grant Program Specialist for 12 years. She currently works on the Justice for Families Program. In this episode of Patchwork, Carrie shares tips about how articulating a strong business case for a good cause helps secure grant funding. She talks about the elements of strong grant applications and offers suggestions about how to make a strong pitch to secure federal funding.

Deb DeBare serves as Senior Deputy Director at the National Network to End Domestic Violence. The NNEDV works to provide technical support to frontline staff across the nation combating domestic violence. In this episode of Patchwork, Deb shares stories of how domestic violence coalitions are continuing their work to provide services and hope to victims of domestic violence during the public health crisis created by COVID-19.

Beth Hassett is CEO of WEAVE, an organization with a mission to promote safe and healthy relationships and support survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and sex trafficking. In this episode of Patchwork, Beth talks about the difference between trafficking and domestic violence, the many facets of getting trafficking victims into housing, and the biggest challenges WEAVE faces when serving survivors.

Patchwork, a podcast from the U.S. Department of Justice, offers a glimpse into the implementation of VAWA, a federal movement to protect women. The podcast shows how VAWA grants are made, how federal funding supports communities across the country and features voices of people on the front lines. Patchwork threads together stories from over 25 years of federally funded efforts to serve victims and hold offenders accountable.