CAMDEN, N.J. –  Today, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) announced a $607,500 award from the Department of Justice for the Center for Family Services in Camden that will provide training and services to end violence and abuse against individuals with disabilities and deaf people.

“These federal resources will provide for and protect the most vulnerable members of our community in South Jersey. We must end violence and abuse against our neighbors with disabilities and deaf people, and this grant will do just that,” Rep. Norcross said. “I’m proud to announce this funding that will change lives and deliver effective care and services in communities throughout South Jersey.” 

The Training and Services to End Violence and Abuse Against Women with Disabilities and Deaf People Grant Program (Disability Program) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. § 20122. The goal of the Disability Grant Program is to create sustainable change within and between organizations that improves the response to individuals with disabilities and Deaf individuals who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and to hold perpetrators of such crimes accountable.

“Center For Family Services is proud to be part of this important effort. The HEAL of Tri-County collaboration will increase the capacity of service providers to deliver effective, safe, and accessible healing services to individuals with disabilities and Deaf individuals who have experienced violence and abuse,” Merilee Rutolo, President & Chief Strategy Officer of Center for Family Services said.

The Center for Family Services will collaborate with Services Empowering Rights of Victims, Pathways to Recovery for Adults, and the Arc Gloucester to strengthen partnerships and maintain or enhance a multidisciplinary collaborative team, known as HEAL of Tri-County; increase organizational capacity to provide accessible, safe, and effective services to individuals with disabilities and Deaf individuals who are victims of violence and abuse; identify needs within the grantee’s organization and/or service area; and develop a plan that addresses those identified needs and builds a strong foundation for future work.

The HEAL of Tri-County collaboration focuses on increasing and improving services to deaf people and people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in Camden, Cumberland, and Gloucester Counties in southern New Jersey.

During this project period the HEAL of Tri-County collaboration will:

• Develop an auxiliary aids reservation system and create a web-based central repository for access issues.
• Develop and test Communication Boards focusing on domestic and sexual violence.
• Conduct cross-training and develop tools to increase the capacity of advocates that work with Deaf survivors and survivors with I/DD in the areas of law enforcement, courts, and hospitals.
• Host Self-Advocate Engagements & Learning Opportunities.
• Engage in Sign Language Interpreter Development and revise Services Empowering Rights of Victims’ Sign Language Interpreter Application.
• Implement trainings on Serving Survivors living with Disabilities, Guardianship, and Deaf Culture & Serving Survivors who are d/Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and living with Hearing Loss.
• Participate in the development of the Services Empowering Rights of Victims’ Client Handbook.
• Implement items identified in the barrier removal plan and identify safety enhancements for each partner organization.

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