Applicants must access the PSO’s eGrants grant management website at https://eGrants.gov.texas.gov to register and apply for funding.

1. For eligible local and regional projects:

• Applicants must contact their applicable regional council of governments (COG) regarding their application.
• Each of Texas’ 24 COGs holds its own application planning workshops, workgroups, and/or subcommittees and facilitates application prioritization for certain programs within its region. Failure to comply with regional requirements imposed by the COG may render an application ineligible.

2. State agencies, and other organizations proposing projects with a statewide impact, may submit applications directly to PSO.

Applicants are required to submit fully developed and detailed grant budgets at the time of application, PSO will not accept placeholder applications and/or budget line items in lieu of a well written and detailed grant application.

Non-profit applicants are limited to a single application per agency, and all other eligible organizations are limited to one application per unit, district or division.

Projects may not exceed 12 months and must begin on or after 10/01/2024 and expire on or before 9/30/2025.

Minimum: $10,000

Maximum: No Maximum

Match Requirement: 20% of the total project

The match requirement can be met through cash or in-kind contributions.

Note: Applicants are strongly cautioned to only apply for the amount of funding they can responsibly expend in the grant period. PSO will be tracking expenditure rates throughout the life of the grants and may take action to avoid large de-obligations at the end of grant periods.

• Grantees must comply with standards applicable to this fund source cited in the Texas Grant Management Standards (TxGMS), Federal Uniform Grant Guidance, and all statutes, requirements, and guidelines applicable to this funding.

The following list of eligible activities and costs apply generally to all projects under this announcement.

Crisis Services

• Services that respond to immediate needs (other than medical care), emotional, psychological, and physical health and safety including:
  • Crisis intervention services;
  • Accompanying victims to hospitals for medical examinations;
  • Hotline counseling;
  • Safety planning;
  • Emergency food, clothing, and transportation;
  • Window, door, or lock replacement or repair, and other repairs necessary to ensure a victim's safety;
  • Costs of the following, on an emergency basis (i.e., when the State's compensation program, the victim's health insurance plan, Medicaid, or other health care funding source, is not reasonably expected to be available quickly enough to meet the emergency needs of a victim (typically within 48 hours of the crime): Non-prescription and prescription medicine, prophylactic or other treatment to prevent HIV/AIDS infection or other infectious disease, durable medical equipment (such as wheel-chairs, crutches, hearing aids, eyeglasses), and other healthcare items; in all cases the grant must be considered the option of last resort; and
  • Emergency legal assistance, such as for filing for restraining or protective orders, and obtaining emergency custody orders and visitation rights;
• Personal advocacy and emotional support including:
  • Working with a victim to assess the impact of the crime;
  • Identification of victim's needs;
  • Case management;
  • Management of practical problems created by the victimization;
  • Identification of resources available to the victim;
  • Provision of information, referrals, advocacy, and follow-up contact for continued services, as needed;
  • Traditional, cultural, and/or alternative therapy/healing (e.g., art therapy, yoga – with appropriate training, certification, or licensure);
  • Transportation of victims to receive services and to participate in criminal justice proceedings; and
  • Public awareness and education presentations (including the development of presentation materials, brochures, newspaper notices, and public service announcements) in schools, community centers, and other public forums that are designed to inform crime victims of specific rights and services and provide them with (or refer them to) services and assistance, this activity will only be funded in conjunction with programs providing direct services.

Forensic Interviews (with the following parameters):

• Results of the interview will be used not only for law enforcement and prosecution purposes, but also for identification of needs such as social services, personal advocacy, case management, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services;
• Interviews are conducted in the context of a multi-disciplinary investigation and diagnostic team, or in a specialized setting such as a child advocacy center; and
• The interviewer is trained to conduct forensic interviews appropriate to the developmental age and abilities of children, or the developmental, cognitive, and physical or communication disabilities presented by adults.

Legal Advocacy

• Facilitating participation in criminal justice and other public proceedings arising from the crime, including:
  • Advocacy on behalf of a victim;
  • Accompanying a victim to offices and court¹;
  • Transportation, meals, and lodging to allow a victim who is not a witness to participate in a proceeding;
  • Interpreting for a non-witness victim who is deaf or hard of hearing, or with limited English proficiency;
  • Providing child care and respite care to enable a victim who is a caregiver to attend activities related to the proceeding;
  • Notification to victims regarding key proceeding dates (e.g., trial dates, case disposition, incarceration, and parole hearings);
  • Assistance with Victim Impact Statements;
  • Assistance in recovering property that was retained as evidence; and
  • Assistance with restitution advocacy on behalf of crime victims.
• Legal assistance services (including those provided on an emergency basis), where reasonable and where the need for such services arises as a direct result of the victimization, including:
  • Those (other than criminal defense) that help victims assert their rights as victims in a criminal proceeding directly related to the victimization, or otherwise protect their safety, privacy, or other interests as victims in such a proceeding; and
  • Those actions (other than tort actions) that, in the civil context, are reasonably necessary as a direct result of the victimization.

Multi-Disciplinary Teams and Case Coordination

• Representatives of several agencies meet regularly to discuss common cases and share information to enhance investigation, prosecution, and victim restoration. Cases are followed through in this manner to closure. Participating agencies may include Child Protective Service, law enforcement, prosecutors’ offices, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners or other medical personnel, mental health professionals, etc.

Peer Support Groups

• Peer-support, including activities that provide opportunities for victims to meet other victims, share experiences, and provide self-help, information, and emotional support.

Professional Therapy and Counseling

• Mental health counseling and care, including, but not limited to, out-patient therapy/counseling provided by a person who meets professional standards to provide these services in the jurisdiction in which the care is administered.

Protective Order Assistance:

• Legal representation provided by program staff and/or staff attorneys to obtain protective orders and assistance;
• May be provided by law enforcement personnel, prosecution staff or other service providers; and
• Services may be available at non-traditional locations and times.

Shelter Programs

• Providing a safe place for victims/survivors and their children;
• Short-term (up to 45 days) in-home care and supervision services for children and adults who remain in their own homes when the offender/caregiver is removed; and
• Short-term (up to 45 days) nursing-home, adult foster care, or group-home placement for adults for whom no other safe, short-term residence is available;

Victim-Offender Meetings

• Meetings between the survivor and the offender who perpetrated the crime against the survivor. At a minimum, grantees must consider:
  • The safety and security of the survivor;
  • The benefit of therapeutic value to the survivor;
  • The procedures for ensuring that participation of the survivor and offender are voluntary and that everyone understands the nature of any meeting or other activity;
  • The provision of appropriate support and accompaniment for the survivor;
  • Appropriate debriefing opportunities for the survivor after a meeting;
  • The credentials of the facilitators; and
  • The opportunity for a survivor to withdraw from the process at any time.

Transitional Housing

• Travel, rental assistance, security deposits, utilities, and other costs incidental to relocation of survivors into transitional housing, as well as voluntary support services such as childcare and counseling. Provision of this service is limited to 18 months in duration per client and must require active participation in program services designed to enable self-sufficiency of the client. PSO should be considered the payee of last resort for this service. To be eligible, this service must be included in the original application budget prioritized by the local Council of Government’s Criminal Justice Advisory Committee.

Victim Notification Systems

Agencies seeking grant funding to implement crime victim notification systems are encouraged to include the following features:

• Automatically, and without the requirement to download a software application to opt-in to notifications, notify a victim or relative of a deceased victim by e-mail or text message of all the following regarding a victim's case:
  • The date on which the incident report is created;
  • The case number;
  • The names of investigators who are assigned to the case;
  • The date an arrest is made;
  • The date an affidavit alleging probable cause is presented to the attorney representing the state;
  • The date the defendant is arraigned under Chapter 26, Code of Criminal Procedure;
  • Whether the case has been dismissed by the attorney representing the state; and
  • Any other information relevant to the case;
• Interface with the law enforcement agency's system of records;
• Provide configurable triggers to directly send messages;
• Provide the capability:
  • To attach informational brochures or other electronic attachments to the messages;
  • For a person to check the case status;
  • To transmit notifications in English or Spanish; and
  • To respond to questions via artificial intelligence;
• Monitor the number and types of messages sent and enable a user to visualize that data; and
• Provide a survey tool so the law enforcement agency can solicit feedback on victims services.

Note related to hospital accompaniment with sexual assault survivors: In accordance with Art. 56A.351, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, a victim shall be offered the opportunity to have a sexual assault program advocate available during a sexual assault forensic exam. Sec. 420.051, Texas Government Code defines a sexual assault program advocate as an individual who has completed a sexual assault training program certified by the attorney general and is an employee or volunteer of a sexual assault program.

All projects under this funding announcement must meet the following requirements:

Cultural competency: Applicants must be culturally competent when providing services to victims. Victim service providers must have the ability to blend cultural knowledge and sensitivity with victim restoration skills for a more effective and culturally appropriate recovery process. Cultural competency occurs when: (1) cultural knowledge, awareness and sensitivity are integrated into action and policy; (2) the service is relevant to the needs of the community and provided by trained staff, board members, and management; and (3) an advocate or organization recognizes each client is different with different needs, feelings, ideas and barriers.

Victim services assessment survey: All recipients of funding under this announcement may be required to participate in a victim services assessment during their grant period, as directed by PSO.

Special requirements for vehicle purchases:

Only non-profits will be eligible to purchase vehicles under this funding announcement. The vehicles must be for the purpose of transporting victims to receive various services.