[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 116 (Monday, June 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41265-41272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-15149]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office for Victims of Crime

[OJP(OVC)-1355]


Notice of Solicitation for Victim Services

AGENCY: Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, 
Justice.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office for Victims of Crime is 
requesting applications for the Victim Services solicitation, which has 
two components. The first component is for awards that will support the 
creation and/or enhancement of collaborative networks that will provide 
comprehensive services for persons identified as trafficking victims in 
federal investigations or prosecutions within the United States. The 
second component of the Victim Services solicitation is for awards to 
be made to eligible entities to provide discrete (single service, such 
as housing, legal, or medical), episodic, and rapid-response victim 
services nationwide wherever and whenever trafficking victims are 
identified in the course of a federal investigation or prosecution.

DATES: Applications for competitive programs must be received (not 
postmarked) at the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center located 
at the address below on Monday, June 29, 2002, no later than 5:30 
eastern standard time. OVC will not grant extensions of the due date.

ADDRESSES: All applications should be addressed to Office for Victims 
of Crime, c/o OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center, 10530 
Rosehaven Street, Suite 400, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 (telephone 703-
385-3200). Applicants must clearly write the name of the program begin 
applied for in the lower left corner of the envelope. OVC does not 
accept faxed submissions. Please be advised that if an application does 
not reach the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) by 
the due date, it will not be considered for funding regardless of the 
postmark date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Avery Weston, Program 
Specialist (telephone 202-514-5084 or e-mail [email protected]). 
Interested applicants should obtain the OVC FY 2002 Services for 
Trafficking Victims Discretionary Grant Application Kit. This 
application kit provides the necessary information and guidance for 
preparing and submitting an application for an OVC Services for 
Trafficking Victims Discretionary grant program award. Section I of the 
application kit contains solicitation for the two competitive programs. 
Section II presents general application requirements and includes the 
required application forms. To request applicant kits, please call the 
OVC Resource Center at 1-800-627-6872 or call the OVC Reply Line at 
202-616-1926. In addition, the application kit can be downloaded from 
the OVC World Wide Web home page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Type of Award: Two types of cooperative 
agreements for victim services will be awarded under this program:

A. Comprehensive Services

    These awards will support the creation and/or enhancement of 
collaborative networks that will provide comprehensive services for 
persons identified as trafficking victims \1\ in federal investigations 
or prosecutions within the United States. Applicants must demonstrate 
the capacity to quickly mobilize resources to accommodate the needs of 
identified victims and to provide services to them. In addition to 
providing direct victim services, Comprehensive Services sites also 
will collaborate with a national training and technical assistance 
provider and evaluator to document activities, collect and share data, 
and produce protocols and other materials to facilitate replication, 
mentoring, and technical assistance provision in other localities. (For 
a more complete description of these awards, please see the Program 
Strategy section below.)
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    \1\ As defined by statute, victims of trafficking are persons 
who have been subjected to: (1) Sex trafficking in which a 
commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in 
which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 
years of age; or (2) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, 
provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through 
the use of force, fraud, coercion, for the purpose of subjection to 
involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. Sex 
trafficking is defined as the recruitment, harboring, 
transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose 
of a commercial sex act. 22 U.S.C. 7102 (8); (9); (14).
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B. Supplemental/Specialized Services

    These awards will be made to eligible entities to provide discrete 
(single service, such as housing, legal, or medical), episodic, and 
rapid-response victim services nationwide wherever and whenever 
trafficking victims are identified in the course of a federal 
investigation or prosecution. Applicants must specify the maximum 
number of victims that can be provided services at any given time. 
Applicants must demonstrate the ability to quickly mobilize resources 
to accommodate the needs of identified victims and to coordinate with 
other trafficking program grantees (Comprehensive Services funding 
recipients, national training and technical assistance provider, and 
evaluator) and other service providers to the extent possible. (For a 
more complete description of these awards, please see the Program 
Strategy section below.)
    For both types of awards contemplated by this grant program, 
services for trafficking victims should address victims' needs during 
the ``precertification'' period. (This is the period of time between 
when trafficking victims are initially identified by law enforcement 
and officially certified by the Federal Government as such.) Once 
trafficking victims have received certification, they become eligible 
to apply for a number of benefits and services provided through 
federally funded programs. Prior to certification, victims' needs are 
acute and largely unmet. Therefore, funding under this program is 
intended primarily to meet victims' precertification needs. Applicants 
for funding should indicate how they propose to meet such needs and the 
maximum number of victims that the applicant can serve.

[[Page 41266]]

    Number and Amount of Awards: No set number of awards has been 
established for this program. Award amounts will vary depending on the 
types of services to be provided and the number of victims anticipated 
to be served. For further information, please see the ``Budget'' 
subheading under the ``Selection Criteria'' section below.
    Interested parties may apply for both types of awards. For example, 
an applicant for a Comprehensive Services award to provide trafficking 
victim services within a defined geographic area also may apply for a 
Supplemental/Specialized Services award to provide additional victim 
services beyond those services contemplated under the applicant's 
Comprehensive Services proposal. Applications will be reviewed 
carefully to assess the applicant's capability to provide both types of 
services and avoid duplication of efforts. Small organizations are 
specifically invited to apply for funding under this grant program to 
provide services to trafficking victims. Applicants must indicate in 
their applications the type of award for which they are applying: 
Comprehensive Services or Supplemental/Specialized Services, or both. 
If applications are submitted for both, the applicant must describe how 
funded activities will complement and not duplicate one another.
    Award Period: 12-36 months, in increments of 12 months. Applicants 
must indicate whether they are applying for 12, 24, or 36 months of 
funding.
    Goal: The goal of the Services for Trafficking Victims 
Discretionary Grant Program is to develop, expand, or strengthen victim 
service programs for victims of trafficking.
    Purpose(s): The purpose of this grant program is to provide 
comprehensive services for victims of trafficking by building on 
existing community resources to meet the unique needs of victims, 
particularly during the precertification period when victims' needs are 
especially urgent. Specifically, this project aims to:
     Develop, expand, or strengthen victim service programs for 
victims of trafficking.
     Strengthen the collaboration and cooperation between 
existing agencies and organizations that serve or have the capacity to 
serve trafficking victims to build an effective, comprehensive system 
or network of services to respond to the needs of victims of severe 
forms of trafficking in the federal criminal justice system.
     Support the development of services and programs currently 
unavailable to assist trafficking victims as additional components of 
an integrated system.
     Provide training to increase the awareness among criminal 
justice entities, social services providers, and the public of the 
rights and needs of trafficking victims.
     Support the ability of trafficking victims to cooperate 
with law enforcement and prosecutors in trafficking cases.
    Background/Problem Statement: Trafficking in persons includes the 
recruitment, transportation, or sale of persons (males and females, 
adults and children) for labor or services through the use of force, 
fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary 
servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. Many trafficking victims 
are forced to work in the sex trade; however, other trafficking 
situations exist, including domestic servitude, labor in a prison-like 
factory, or migrant agricultural work.
    Trafficking in persons is a significant, yet still largely 
undetected crime. Although there are no hard data on the number of 
cases nationally, the Federal Government estimates that 50,000 women 
and children are trafficked into the United States each year. Estimates 
by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working on trafficking issues 
are much higher, at more than 2 million victims each year. Victims 
often come from economically disadvantaged circumstances, have little 
or no formal academic or skills training, and therefore have limited 
opportunity for economic independence. In some cases, victims have 
received a formal education but due to limited economic opportunities 
in their home country they have fallen prey to traffickers' false 
promises of legitimate, well-paying jobs in the United States. 
Regardless of their background, victims typically feel great shame and 
responsibility for their victimization.
    Trafficking victims' service needs are complex and acute. While 
victims share some of the same needs as other types of victims, such as 
victims of domestic violence, trafficking victims also require 
additional services. For example, victims trafficked into the United 
States from other countries typically experience language and 
communication barriers and lack information about their legal rights 
under federal and state laws, the legal process, or availability of 
crime victim assistance.
    According to many experts, one of the critical needs of trafficking 
victims is appropriate and adequate shelter. Victims also may need 
mental health treatment, both crisis counseling and longer-term 
support, as well as emergency and ongoing medical attention. Other 
victims' needs include social services advocacy to help victims 
understand and access available benefits. All services provided to 
victims should be provided in a culturally sensitive manner, taking 
into account victims' linguistic, cultural, and religious identity.
    Unfortunately, trafficking victims face many barriers that prevent 
them from accessing necessary services. Due to the nature of the crime, 
in which trafficking victims often are held hostage and isolated from 
others, they are prevented from learning about their legal rights or 
the services available to them. They often have a great fear of 
deportation by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and/or 
detention by local law enforcement agencies, a fear that is manipulated 
and exploited by traffickers to keep victims isolated and under their 
control.
    Given the diversity of trafficking victims' origins and the forms 
of their victimization, multiple service needs, barriers to accessing 
services, and the fact that trafficking cases with numerous victims may 
surface anywhere in the country, the challenges faced by service 
providers are clear. Existing service providers have been called on to 
develop and deliver expanded services on an ad hoc basis, often at a 
moment's notice and without receiving additional resources to support 
these expanded services. Many service providers throughout the United 
States remain unaware of the crime, the needs of victims, the existing 
services for trafficking victims in their area, if any, and the need to 
coordinate among government and nongovernment entities at all levels 
(local, state, regional, tribal, and federal).
    In recognition of the critical circumstances faced by trafficking 
victims, Congress enacted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 
2000 (Pub. L. 106-386), 22 U.S.C. 7101 et. seq., to respond and combat 
trafficking in persons. In addition to establishing new tools and 
resources to prevent and prosecute trafficking in persons, this 
legislation also authorizes a new array of services and protections for 
victims. Congress appropriated $10 million in funding to the Department 
of Justice to support the development or enhancement of victim services 
programs for trafficking victims.
    Program Strategy: An ideal response to the acute and complex needs 
of trafficking victims should be based on a comprehensive approach that 
incorporates all necessary victim support services (provided in-house, 
via

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collaboration with community-based resources, or via supplemental 
assistance from a specialized service provider) to address the needs of 
persons identified as trafficking victims in federal criminal 
investigations and prosecutions. This initiative aims to develop, 
expand, or strengthen victim service programs for victims of 
trafficking in two distinct yet complementary ways, which are described 
below.
    For both types of awards, applicants must identify the need they 
seek to address with project funding, such as the presence of 
identified or suspected trafficking victims and the lack of services to 
meet their needs. Applicants for Comprehensive Services also must 
demonstrate the capacity to perform the intensive case management and 
record keeping needed to adequately serve trafficking victims. 
Applicants for Supplemental/Specialized Services also must demonstrate 
the willingness and capacity to collaborate with the service delivery 
and case management efforts of other victim service providers.

A. Comprehensive Services

    Awards for Comprehensive Services are intended to build 
collaborative and/or community-based networks of comprehensive, 
integrated, and culturally appropriate services for trafficking victims 
within a defined geographical area, such as a city, state, or region of 
the United States.\2\ Projects funded to provide comprehensive services 
will have several components/phases:

    \2\ The phrase United States refers to the 50 states of the 
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories 
and possessions of the United States. 22 U.S.C. 7102(12).
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     Coordination and collaboration with other agencies.
     Assessment of existing services, resources, and needs.
     Coalition building and outreach (identify key partners and 
roles).
     Development and implementation of a comprehensive victim 
services model.
     Development of a plan to sustain the project after OVC 
funding ends.
     Collection of data for program information dissemination 
and program evaluation purposes.

Coordination and Collaboration With Other Agencies

    An ideal trafficking victim response should provide a comprehensive 
approach to address the acute needs of trafficked persons by either 
directly providing services or coordinating access to services that 
provide shelter and sustenance, general health and mental health care, 
legal services, job skills training, and cultural support from the 
community and educational services. Given the unique circumstances of 
trafficking victims, the proposed community response should incorporate 
both governmental and nongovernmental (community-based) social service 
entities in an advisory and/or service provision capacity. Applications 
should describe how applicants will coordinate with law enforcement 
agencies in providing services to victims of trafficking.
    Key partners/actors should include (but are not limited to):

Federal, state, and local law enforcement, investigative, and 
prosecutorial agencies
City and/or county governments
State or local government social services agencies
Community-based service providers
    Shelter providers
    Mental health care providers
    Medical care providers
    Immigrant advocacy providers
    Legal services providers
Faith-based organizations
Local civic and business community

    Other collaborative partners may include (but are not limited to):

State VOCA Victim Compensation and Assistance Administrators
Professional affiliation associations
Institutions of professional education

Assessment of Existing Services, Resources, and Needs

    Services needed by trafficking victims include (but are not limited 
to):
     Shelter/housing and sustenance (emergency and long term).
     Medical and mental health care (emergency and long term).
     Special services for child/juvenile victims.
     Interpreter/translator services.
     Criminal justice system-based victim advocacy.
     Legal services.
     Social services advocacy (explanation of benefit 
entitlements/availability).
     Explanation of legal rights and protections.
     Literacy education and/or job training.
     Outreach services directed toward immigrant populations.
     Transportation.
    For application purposes, applicants should identify and provide a 
description of existing victim services or other community resources to 
serve trafficking victims. Applicants also should provide data 
regarding the number and types of trafficking victims already served 
(if any). In addition, applications for funding should describe the 
assessment plan or process applicants will use to further identify and 
assess community resources, services, and needs for trafficking 
victims. If applicants already have conducted such needs assessments, 
their applications should describe how the assessment was conducted, 
provide a summary of the assessment findings, and describe how 
applicants propose to develop or enhance victim services based on 
existing community resources (rather than creating a new set of 
narrowly tailored services). Specifically, applicants should identify 
existing resources and describe how they propose to adapt or expand 
those resources to meet the full range of victim needs throughout the 
various stages of recovery that victims experience.
    In addition to the specific needs listed above, trafficking victims 
often also have important safety, security, privacy, and 
confidentiality concerns; therefore applicants' assessments of existing 
resources and needs should discuss available resources to promote 
victims' safety, security, privacy, and confidentiality. Applicants' 
assessments also should discuss the cultural competency of available 
resources and services, if known, or describe how such competency will 
be assessed, if not known. Other resources for developing cultural 
competency, such as available training options, also should be 
described.

Coalition Building and Outreach

    Applications for funding should identify key community partners and 
their respective roles and responsibilities in providing services to 
trafficking victims. Additionally, applicants should indicate how they 
propose to perform outreach/coordination to educate government agencies 
and NGOs about trafficking to increase/enhance identification of 
victims.
    Applicants should describe how they will perform community outreach 
through both formal and informal collaborative mechanisms among service 
providers and the local/state/federal criminal justice systems. 
Applicants should have the capacity to network and reach out to 
federal, state, and local justice systems. Effective working 
relationships with law enforcement at all levels will improve the law 
enforcement response, such as law enforcement's expertise in

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appropriately identifying and serving trafficking victims, and also 
facilitate the participation of trafficked persons as witnesses in the 
investigation and prosecution of traffickers. Applicants should 
describe previous experience in providing or coordinating victim 
responses with federal law enforcement agencies investigating or 
prosecuting trafficking or similar cases, or in situations involving 
mass trauma or torture.
    Victims who are returned home to other countries often are socially 
ostracized, particularly in the cases of sexual exploitation and 
victimization, in which victims also have particular health care needs 
as well. Applications for funding should indicate an applicant's 
willingness and/or ability to collaborate with international 
organizations, government agencies, and NGOs to provide appropriate and 
safe repatriation and reintegration for trafficked persons who are 
going back home. (Please note that funding under this program is 
available only to entities in the United States for services to victims 
in the United States.)
    Applications for Comprehensive Services awards must include, as an 
attachment, a Letter of Intent developed and signed by the directors of 
all participating agencies that will collaborate to plan, develop, and 
implement the project. The Letter of Intent must:
     Provide a brief history of the collaborative relationship 
among the partners, including when and under what circumstances the 
relationship began and when each partner entered into the relationship. 
If the collaboration will begin with this project indicate such intent.
     Specify the extent of each party's participation in 
developing the application.
     Clearly delineate the roles and responsibilities each 
organization or agency would assume to ensure the success of the 
proposed project.
     Describe each partner's awareness of or experience in 
working with federally funded benefits-issuing programs and agencies.
     Identify the representatives of the planning and 
development team who would be responsible for planning, developing, and 
implementing project activities and describe how they would work 
together and with project staff.
     Demonstrate a commitment on the part of all partners to 
work together to achieve project goals.
     Indicate approval of the proposed project budget by all 
signing parties.
     Describe the resources each partner would contribute to 
the project, either through time, in-kind contributions, or grant funds 
(for example, office space, project staff, training).

Development and Implementation of Comprehensive Victim Services Model

    The crime of trafficking requires more than just a law enforcement 
or victim service response, but a collaborative and integrative effort 
to address special needs and circumstances. Victim service programs for 
trafficking victims should help alleviate the practical and cultural 
barriers that keep victims from turning to law enforcement for help. In 
addition, service providers must have the capacity to perform case 
management and protocol development to coordinate the multiple services 
needed by trafficking victims.
    In all applications for funding, applicants must provide a strategy 
for providing and/or obtaining appropriate services, such as housing, 
legal, mental health, and medical services for victims. Applications 
should describe the specific steps that applicants will take to serve 
trafficking victims, including procedures for initial intake and 
assessment of victims' needs, development of an individualized service 
plan, provision and coordination of services, periodic assessment of 
whether victims' needs are being met, documentation of referrals and 
services delivered, and modification of services as appropriate 
throughout victims' recovery. For example, providers should describe 
their capacity to conduct necessary and appropriate intake assessments, 
such as health, mental health, and safety evaluations, primarily to 
identify victim needs, but also to minimize health and safety risks to 
other victims being served. For all tasks described above, applications 
also should describe the staff resources (i.e., number of staff and 
their roles and responsibilities) to be dedicated to accomplishing the 
tasks.

Development of Plan To Sustain the Project After OVC Funding Ends

    All applicants should provide information on the potential for 
generating community and individual support for the project to sustain 
the project once federal funding ends, and the steps they will take to 
explore resources and develop a plan to sustain services to trafficking 
victims if awarded funding. As significant lead time often is necessary 
to build community support and garner financial resources, funding 
recipients should begin soon after receiving an award to develop a 
detailed plan for maintaining services to trafficking victims in the 
absence of federal funding.

Collection of Data for Program Information Dissemination and Program 
Evaluation Purposes

    Evaluation is necessary to ensure that Comprehensive Services 
projects meet their goals in terms of the process and impact on 
trafficking victims. Documentation of projects also will facilitate 
replication/adaptation of best practices in other locations. All 
Comprehensive Services projects must collect data on their operation 
and effectiveness in assisting trafficking victims.
    The objectives of the evaluation are:
     To document project interventions, implementation 
processes, and key factors affecting successful implementation, 
including levels of collaboration and sustainability.
     To document the impact of service interventions by 
capturing and reporting data on victims from initial intake through 
exit interviews.
    Comprehensive Services award recipients will have two major 
evaluation responsibilities. First, grantees must collect process 
evaluation data and generate process evaluation reports following 
guidelines to be developed by the independent evaluator for this 
Trafficking Program. Second, award recipients will establish an 
information management system to generate, collect, store, and report 
outcome data designated by the independent evaluator.
    To address their capability to successfully perform these tasks, 
Comprehensive Services applicants should provide detailed information 
in their applications regarding their proposed methodology for 
monitoring program activities. Applicants also must state that they 
have or will create an electronic infrastructure capable of fully 
supporting data collection for the project and that they will have 
sufficient qualified staff to carry out these responsibilities.
    In addition to the evaluation plan required of all applicants for 
collecting data about the project and its progress, a small number of 
sites will be identified for further evaluation. An important purpose 
of this demonstration program is to gain a better understanding of how 
best to serve the needs of trafficking victims. As a result, one or two 
Comprehensive Services sites will be selected to work with an 
independent evaluator to study the activities funded under this 
solicitation. Comprehensive Services sites chosen to participate in the 
evaluation will have the unique opportunity to receive indepth feedback 
on their program as well as participate in the

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groundbreaking work of identifying elements of an effective integrated 
service delivery system for trafficking victims. Criteria for selecting 
the Comprehensive Services sites to be evaluated will be developed by 
the evaluator in conjunction with OVC, but an appreciation by project 
staff of the significance of this evaluation will be an important 
factor. Accordingly, applicants who would be interested in being 
selected as one of these sites should indicate their interest and 
willingness to work with the national evaluator in their applications. 
Any additional costs associated with the independent evaluation will be 
borne primarily by the national evaluator, although some incidental 
costs may be covered by the evaluation set-aside required of all 
applicants for funding. (This set-aside is described in the budget 
section below.)
    Comprehensive Services sites selected for independent evaluation 
will be required to assist the independent evaluator in collecting data 
and maintaining records including victims' demographic information, 
number and types of referrals to services, and documentation of 
services delivered. The evaluation of Comprehensive Services sites also 
may include surveys and interviews of victims, service providers, and 
government and community stakeholders. (To ensure victim 
confidentiality and victim/witness security, evaluation interviews will 
not be conducted in open investigations or prosecutions.) Qualitative 
and quantitative data will be collected. The evaluation will seek to 
identify the range of services required for a comprehensive 
collaborative approach, document the impact of these services, identify 
how these services can most effectively be delivered and use this 
information to facilitate replication of comprehensive service models 
in other communities.
    The evaluation may consider some of the following basic questions:
     What are the obstacles faced by the community in providing 
services for trafficking victims?
     What needs and resources were identified through the 
community assessment?
     Is there a viable network of services to adequately and 
appropriately respond to the needs of trafficking victims?
     Has there been an increase in the number of trafficking 
victims being identified and served? If so, what is the increase?
     What additional or enhanced services have been provided?
     Have previously unserved victims received services?
     What approaches were successful in overcoming obstacles to 
establish or enhance services for trafficking victims?
     How were these approaches developed and implemented?
     How do grantees plan to sustain their victim service 
programs after OVC funding ends?

B. Supplemental/Specialized Services

    OVC anticipates that many communities nationwide will need 
assistance in providing appropriate and adequate services for 
trafficking victims in the United States, often on a rapid-response and 
episodic basis. This is especially true in areas where trafficking 
victims are identified for the first time and where very limited 
services may be available, and in cases where there are multiple (i.e., 
large numbers of) victims with needs that exceed services available in 
a given community. The purpose of Supplemental/Specialized Services 
awards are to support victim services in such communities by providers 
that have the capacity to marshal resources on an as-needed basis 
anywhere throughout the United States or a large geographic region of 
the United States (such as the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, 
Northwest, or Southwest). Examples of specialized and/or supplemental 
services for trafficking victims include, but are not limited to, 
shelter/housing, legal services, and mental health/counseling services.

Shelter/Housing

    Shelter/housing for trafficking victims presents a unique set of 
challenges for service providers primarily because there is a shortage 
of safe, appropriate, and adequate temporary housing for victims. Men, 
women, and children who are trafficking victims have a critical need 
for immediate, short- and/or long-term shelter. In particular, 
appropriate and safe housing is needed in place of custodial detention 
by Federal or state criminal justice systems. Existing shelter options, 
such as domestic violence or homeless shelters, often have scarce 
resources to meet the needs of the discrete populations they are 
intended to serve. In addition, many existing shelters are able to 
house individuals only for brief periods of time, are not equipped with 
special resources trafficking victims need, such as multilingual staff 
and heightened security, or have other restrictions that might preclude 
trafficking victims.
    Thus, supplemental/specialized services awards may be used to 
address trafficking victims' shelter/housing needs. Providers of 
appropriate and adequate shelter/housing for trafficking victims should 
have the capacity to accommodate emergency and longer-term residents; 
single or large numbers of victims; male, female, and juvenile victims, 
and victims' family members (parents, spouses, and children); victims 
from diverse cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds; and 
victims of various forms of trafficking (such as sex trafficking, 
forced labor, and domestic servitude). Applicants with limited capacity 
to accommodate only certain types of victims (e.g., women only, 
individuals without dependents only) should clearly indicate this in 
their application. OVC is especially interested in receiving proposals 
from applicants with the capacity to house victims for whom shelter/
housing options are particularly scarce, such as minors or victims with 
dependents.
    Due to the intensive case management needs of trafficking victims, 
shelter/housing providers also should offer in-house victim services 
and case management or have the capacity and willingness to collaborate 
with community-based services in the locality where they are providing 
shelter/housing resources. Shelter providers also should describe their 
capacity to conduct necessary and appropriate intake assessments, such 
as health, mental health, and safety evaluations, primarily to identify 
victim needs, but also to minimize health and safety risks to other 
shelter residents.
    Applicants for Supplemental/Specialized Services awards should 
describe their capacity to provide housing to victims of trafficking 
based on existing resources. Applicants also should indicate the 
geographic area in which they have the capacity to provide shelter/
housing services.

Legal Services

    Trafficking victims have a critical need for appropriate and 
adequate legal services.
    Victims often lack knowledge/information about their legal rights, 
the legal process, or the services available to them. In cases where 
victims have been trafficked into the United States from other 
countries, victims' immigration status also is an issue. Applicants for 
Supplemental/Specialized Services funding should be legal service 
providers versed in relevant legal areas, have an understanding of 
federal criminal laws and procedure, and be culturally sensitive.
    Funding for Supplemental/Specialized Services may be used to 
provide legal counsel to service providers in assisting trafficking 
victims with their various legal needs as part of a network of 
comprehensive, integrated

[[Page 41270]]

victim services. Legal service providers applying for Supplemental/
Specialized Services funding should demonstrate a willingness and 
capacity to establish working relationships with Comprehensive Services 
sites and other NGOs/service providers (such as shelters, mental health 
and medical care providers, immigrant advocacy providers, and faith-
based organizations) for collaboration and cooperation in providing 
adequate and appropriate services to trafficking victims. Applicant(s) 
should demonstrate an understanding of legal procedure in federal, 
state, and local justice systems and an awareness of the need to 
coordinate with law enforcement and other NGOs to provide appropriate 
and adequate legal services. Applicants should further indicate how 
they would perform such outreach and coordination in any given location 
and define the geographic area in which they have the capacity to 
provide legal services.

Mental Health/Counseling Services

    Trafficking victims often experience extreme isolation, 
degradation, and abuse by their traffickers. Traffickers frequently 
deny mental health and medical treatment to victims to control or 
punish them, keep them from being discovered, and avoid incurring the 
expense of such care. Trafficking victims need mental health and 
medical assessment and treatment by providers who are versed in the 
dynamics of victimization, trauma issues, and appropriate 
interventions. Ideally, trafficking victims should receive such 
services from practitioners who are proficient in the victim's language 
and knowledgeable about the culture.
    Applicants for Supplemental/Specialized Services to provide mental 
health services should describe their capacity to offer culturally 
competent services, including the language(s) in which services could 
be delivered. Applicants also should describe the geographic areas in 
which they have the capacity to serve victims and discuss their 
capacity to assess and treat victims (including the maximum number of 
victims that could be treated, length of time services could be 
offered, and number and type of treatment that could be provided) on 
short notice.

Additional General Information for Supplemental/Specialized Services 
Awards

    Generally, Supplemental/Specialized Services funds may be used to 
support an entity or network that will provide appropriate and adequate 
housing, legal, mental health counseling, or other relevant form of 
assistance for victims of trafficking anywhere throughout the United 
States (or a large geographic region of the United States) on short 
notice. If more than one organization or agency proposes to form a 
network of providers to deliver Supplemental/Specialized Services, the 
application must identify one entity as the lead agency for purposes of 
grant administration and project coordination.
    Regardless of the type of victim services proposed, applications 
should further describe applicants' capacity to provide Supplemental/
Specialized Services:
     With very little notice and lead time.
     In any location nationwide or within a broad geographic 
region.
     For large numbers of victims.
     For victims with special needs or for whom resources may 
be even more limited, such as minors or victims with disabilities.
     For victims from diverse cultural and linguistic 
backgrounds.
     For victims who have experienced distinct or multiple 
forms of victimization (physical and sexual assault, forced labor, 
denial of medical care, etc.).
    Applicants for Supplemental/Specialized Services funds must commit 
to collaborating as appropriate with recipients of funding for 
Comprehensive Services, and to the extent possible, with other service 
providers throughout the country who are addressing the needs of 
trafficking victims. In addition to the particular Supplemental/
Specialized Services they propose to provide to victims, applicants 
should indicate their capacity to coordinate with Comprehensive 
Services funding recipients (and other service providers, as 
applicable) to ensure trafficking victims have access to the full range 
of victim services identified in the ``Comprehensive Services'' 
section.
    Project Management: For both types of awards, Comprehensive 
Services and Supplemental/Specialized Services, the management 
structure, staffing, and overall organizational capability must be 
adequate to conduct projects successfully. Applicants must demonstrate 
that the project will be appropriately staffed and that key staff have 
significant experience in providing services and collaborating with 
other community resources.
    Specifically, applications should provide evidence of the degree to 
which applicants possess:
     Experience in providing or the ability to provide services 
to a diverse or immigrant population.
     Understanding of crime victimization and resulting trauma.
     Knowledge of victims' rights and remedies.
     Experience in or the ability to make referrals to or to 
provide appropriate services.
     Ability to work in coordination with other (governmental 
and nongovernmental) agencies, such as benefits-issuing agencies.
     Cultural sensitivity.
    Performance Measurement: To ensure compliance with the Government 
Performance and Results Act (GPRA), Public Law 103-62, this 
solicitation notifies applicants that funding recipients will be 
required to collect and report data that measure the results of the 
projects implemented under this program. To ensure accountability for 
this data, the following performance measures are provided:
     Conduct a needs assessment in each Comprehensive Services 
site to identify gaps in existing services and available resources.
     Establish or enhance services in each Comprehensive 
Services site for victims of trafficking in the community based on 
findings from the needs assessment.
     Develop a plan for sustainability of the Comprehensive 
Services and Supplemental/Specialized Services after OVC project 
funding ends.
    Award recipients will be required to document achievement of these 
measures in periodic progress reports submitted to OVC. Award 
recipients also will be required to provide a copy of the needs 
assessment tool and major findings and a copy of the preliminary plan 
to establish or enhance victim services in their community.
    Eligibility Requirements: By statute, grants under this program may 
be awarded to states, Indian tribes, units of local government, and 
nonprofit, nongovernmental victims' service organizations.
    For the purposes of this program, a unit of local government is any 
city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other 
general-purpose political subdivision of a state, including local 
courts, law enforcement agencies, prosecutor's offices, and shelters.
    Selection Criteria: All applicants for Comprehensive Services 
funding and Supplemental/Specialized Services funding must address each 
of the following criteria in their applications, unless otherwise 
indicated. Applications will be rated by a review panel on the extent 
to which they meet the criteria below.

[[Page 41271]]

1. Problem(s) To Be Addressed
    The problem statement should discuss how the characteristics of 
trafficking victims and existing resources demonstrate the need for 
trafficking victim services. Applicants must identify the community or 
geographic area in which the project will operate. The priority 
selection criteria and indicators of community need are identified 
earlier in this solicitation under the Program Strategy subsections for 
Comprehensive Services and Supplemental/Specialized Services.
2. Goals and Objectives
    Applicants are encouraged to be realistic in developing their 
projects' goals and objectives. The overall goals of the project must 
be clearly defined and linked to the needs of trafficking victims set 
forth in the ``Problem(s) To Be Addressed'' section (above). Applicants 
must be specific in addressing identified problems. Each applicant must 
include a statement of purpose that describes the expected outcomes and 
achievements for the project period.
    Project goals must be stated in clear and measurable terms so that 
project staff can track the project's progress. Project objectives must 
be clearly defined, measurable, and described. Objectives must be 
stated as a list of quantifiable activities that will assist applicants 
in achieving project goals.
3. Program Strategy/Design
    The project design must be sound and contain programmatic elements 
directly linked to the achievement of the project's goal(s) and 
objectives. Specific information must be included about the types of 
services to be provided, the geographic community(ies) or area(s) where 
the services are provided, and any restrictions that might limit the 
provision of specific services to a victim or a certain geographic 
area. In addition, applications should describe the ability of the 
service provider(s) to perform, at a minimum, the implementation steps 
listed below.
    For Comprehensive Services Awards:

Receipt of victim referrals
Initial intake and assessment of victims' needs
Development of individualized victim service plans
Provision and coordination of services
Periodic assessment of whether victims' needs are being met
Modification of services as appropriate throughout victims' recovery
Number and range of victims for whom appropriate services will be made 
available (e.g., women, men, children, victims of one or more forms of 
trafficking)
Range of time that services can be provided (e.g., days, weeks, months; 
business hours/24 hours)

    For Supplemental/Specialized Services Awards:
Process for providing a particular victim service in response to urgent 
requests
Number and range of victims for whom appropriate services will be made 
available (e.g., women, men, children, victims of one or more forms of 
trafficking)
Range of time that services can be provided (e.g., days, weeks, months; 
business hours/24 hours)

    All applicants (Comprehensive Services and Supplemental/Specialized 
Services) should further discuss their capacity to provide services:
     To accommodate fluctuating numbers of victims, but 
particularly large numbers of victims, on short notice.
     To serve victims with special needs or for whom resources 
may be even more limited, such as juveniles or persons with 
disabilities.
     To victims from diverse cultural and linguistic 
backgrounds.
     To victims who have experienced distinct or multiple forms 
of victimization (physical and sexual assault, forced labor, denial of 
medical care, etc.).
     That address the safety and security concerns experienced 
by trafficking victims.
    All applicants must include a workplan/timeline chart for each year 
of the project period. The timeline must include the tasks to be 
completed to meet the project objectives, the months in which the tasks 
will be accomplished, the staff person(s) or entities responsible for 
completing each task. Applicants should describe the nature of all 
products (such as service delivery protocols) to be developed and note 
anticipated completion dates for each.
4. Program Management and Organizational Capability
    All applicants will be evaluated on their capability to conduct the 
project successfully. The applicant organization's or agency's history 
of working collaboratively with other community agencies and their 
experience in serving diverse crime victims will be assessed. 
Applicants must demonstrate that proposed projects will be staffed 
appropriately with qualified persons to perform each of the project 
tasks. For each staff position, applicants must provide a resume (if 
specific staff have been identified) or job description (if staff have 
not yet been identified) in an appendix.
    All applicants must describe their existing or proposed information 
management system and how it will support their capability to perform 
case management and collect data related to trafficking victims and the 
services provided to them. Specifically, applicants should describe the 
data they currently collect (if any) regarding their operations, 
including their capacity to track victims, the services provided to 
them, and the outcomes for victims (i.e., impact of services).
    Applicants for Comprehensive Services awards will be required to 
enter into a collaborative working relationship with complementary 
government and NGOs to create a comprehensive, systemic response to 
trafficking victims. To demonstrate their capacity and willingness to 
do this, these applicants also must provide a copy of the signed Letter 
of Intent described above in ``Comprehensive Services: Coalition 
Building and Outreach.''
    Applicants for Supplemental/Specialized Services awards also will 
be required to work collaboratively with other agencies and 
organizations to support a comprehensive, systemic response to 
trafficking victims. These applicants must state their willingness and 
capacity to do this in their applications for funding.
5. Program Evaluation
    All applications must contain a plan for evaluating the 
accomplishment of project objectives. Applicants must describe what 
evaluation data will be gathered and analyzed and the resources that 
are being committed for this purpose. In determining the quality of the 
evaluation plan, the following factors will be considered:
     Extent to which the evaluation plan will provide the kind 
of information that contributes to the effectiveness of management and 
administration of the project, documents that objectives have been met, 
and determines the overall effectiveness of the project.
     Extent to which the proposed methods of evaluation are 
thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and 
outcomes of the proposed project.
     Adequacy of the identified performance measures to 
demonstrate whether and to what extent the proposed strategy is meeting 
its short-term, intermediate, and long-term objectives.

[[Page 41272]]

6. Budget
    All applicants (Comprehensive Services and Supplemental/Specialized 
Services) must provide a proposed budget and budget narrative for the 
proposed project. The budget must be complete, detailed, reasonable, 
allowable, and cost effective in relation to the activities proposed. 
OVC prefers that applicants use the Budget Detail Worksheet/Budget 
Narrative form (OJP Form 7150/1) provided in Section II of the 
application kit.
    All applicants (Comprehensive Services and Supplemental/Specialized 
Services) must indicate in their budgets the amount of project funds 
for applicable standard program costs such as personnel, fringe 
benefits, equipment, supplies, travel, consultants/contracts, and 
indirect costs. In addition, under the category of ``Other Costs,'' 
budgets must indicate the total average projected cost of providing 
direct services to victims, based on a calculation of the number of 
victims anticipated to be served, the average anticipated number and 
type of services to be provided, and the average anticipated number of 
days services would be provided. Please see the sample budget detail 
sheet in the Forms Appendix of the Application Kit for an example.)
    All applicants (Comprehensive Services and Supplemental/Specialized 
Services) should anticipate either a post-award meeting with the OVC 
program monitor or an OVC meeting for discretionary grantees each year 
of the project. For these meeting costs, applicants outside the 
Washington, DC, metropolitan area should budget $1,000 for travel, 
lodging, and per diem costs for one key project staff person to attend 
the meeting.
    All applicants (Comprehensive Services and Supplemental/Specialized 
Services) also must set funds aside in their proposed budgets to 
support collaboration with the national training and technical 
assistance provider and evaluator for the Trafficking Program.
    Specifically, all applicants must budget for the travel, lodging, 
and per diem expenses of project staff to attend one 2-day training 
event and meeting for all award recipients for each year of the 
project. (For Comprehensive Services sites, this should include the 
project director and one other key staff person; for Supplemental/
Specialized Services, this should include one key staff person.) The 
location of this 2-day meeting will be determined at a later date. For 
budgeting purposes, applicants from the West Coast and Midwest should 
budget for these meetings to be held in Washington, DC. Applicants from 
the East Coast should budget for these meetings to be held on the West 
Coast. The purpose of this meeting will be to provide training and 
technical assistance and review program implementation, evaluation, and 
other related programmatic matters.
    Applicants also must budget costs to attend one Financial 
Management Training Seminar sponsored by the Office of Justice 
Programs, Office of the Comptroller. Specific information (such as 
dates and locations of upcoming training events) to assist grantees in 
estimating such costs can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/oc/fmts.htm and 
www.ncja.org/financial_management.html.
    In addition to these amounts, all applicants should set aside 5 
percent of budgeted project funds to support a range of ongoing 
training and technical assistance for program staff and 5 percent of 
budgeted project funds to support project evaluation. These set-asides 
should be indicated as line-item budget costs to provide flexibility 
and resources so that award recipients may benefit from training, 
technical assistance, and evaluation activities to develop, expand, or 
strengthen trafficking victim services.
    By statute, federal funds for this project may not exceed 75 
percent of total project costs; therefore, federal funds may be used to 
pay up to 75 percent of the total costs of a victim services project. 
The matching requirement is 25 percent of total project costs. 
Applicants should apply the match requirement over and above the total 
amount requested. (For example, if the grant award is $75,000, the 
total project cost would be $100,000. The match would therefore be 
$25,000 or 25 percent of total project costs.) The matching requirement 
may be met through cash or in-kind contributions, or a combination of 
both.

Additional Selection Considerations

    In addition to the selection criteria listed above, the Office for 
Victims of Crime also may consider the community setting of applicants 
(urban, suburban, rural), regional balance, and the extent to which the 
priority selection criteria are met and documented when making awards. 
Applicants from small organizations are specifically invited to apply. 
Applicants must not discriminate based on the type of labor or services 
that victims were forced to perform.
    Application: Applicants must follow the guidance provided in 
Section II of the Application Kit.

    Dated: June 11, 2002.
John W. Gillis,
Director, Office for Victims of Crime.
[FR Doc. 02-15149 Filed 6-14-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P