Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) Grant

The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) in Ohio, administered by the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, allocates crucial funds to combat family violence. These funds support essential services such as immediate shelter and counseling for victims. The program emphasizes community-based projects led by nonprofit organizations, ensuring that at least 70% of the funds are dedicated to providing urgent shelter and supportive services. Collaborative efforts among various stakeholders are vital for enhancing project effectiveness.

The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. By statute, OCJS is the lead justice planning and assistance office for the state of Ohio, administering millions of dollars in state and federal criminal justice funding every year. OCJS also evaluates programs and develops technology, training, and products for criminal justice professionals and communities.
OCJS has been designated by Governor Mike DeWine to administer the FY 2025 Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) funds. The FVPSA funds support programming that prevents incidents of family violence and provides immediate shelter and related assistance for victims of family violence and their dependents.

Eligibility

Eligible subrecipients include:

• Distribution of FVPSA funds:

Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 10407(a)(2)(B)(iii), the state will emphasize the support of effective community-based projects that are carried out by nonprofit, private organizations and that do the following:

• have the operation of shelters for victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, and their dependents as their primary purpose; or

provide counseling, advocacy, and self-help services to victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, and their dependentsThe terms Grantee/Recipient and Subgrantee/Subrecipient are used interchangeably throughout this document.
Distribution of FVPSA grant funds: not less than 70 percent of the funds distributed by a State to sub-recipients shall be distributed to entities for the primary purpose of providing immediate shelter and supportive services to adult and youth victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and their dependents, not less than 25 percent of the funds distributed by a State to subgrantees/recipients shall be distributed to entities for the purpose of providing supportive services and prevention services.Projects applying under FVPSA must have a collaborative group representing various stakeholders from the community, including but not limited to other victim service providers, law enforcement, prosecution, courts, children services, community organizations, hospitals, and any other applicable agency/representative that will help to inform the project’s activities and goals.