Funding Provided to Utah Communities to Prevent Sexual Violence

(Salt Lake City, Utah) – The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) awarded 27 agencies across Utah, including Native American tribes and higher education programs, with funding to prevent sexual violence.

The Utah State Legislature appropriated $750,000 in one-time funding to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) fund for the prevention of sexual violence in Utah. “We received 30 funding requests which totaled more than $1.3 million,” said Teresa Brechlin, UDOH intentional injury violence prevention coordinator. “Ultimately, the allocation committee was able to provide funds for 27 agencies located in 20 counties across the state.”

Funded agencies will implement sexual violence primary prevention projects over the next year. Projects will focus on helping underserved communities, including tribal communities, LGBTQ communities, high-need communities and individuals living in rural areas. Primary prevention efforts target violence before it happens. The agencies which received funding will address the root causes of violence, risks and protective factors, and teach skills to young people that will help prepare them for healthy, positive relationships.

Funded agencies include:

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake, Murray, Midvale and Price
  • Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse (CAPSA), Cache and Rich Counties
  • Carbon County Family Support Center, Carbon and Emery Counties
  • Canyon Creek Women’s Crisis Center, Iron, Beaver and Garfield Counties
  • Centro de la Familia, Salt Lake County
  • Centro Hispano, Utah and Juab Counties
  • Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Goshute Reservation
  • Davis Technical College, Davis Technical College, Utah Technical Colleges statewide, Davis County
  • DOVE Center, Washington and Kane Counties
  • New Hope Crisis Center, Box Elder County
  • Peace House, Summit and Wasatch Counties
  • PIK2AR, Salt Lake County, Utah, and Washington Counties
  • Pioneer Rugby 7s Foundation, Salt Lake County
  • Rape Recovery Center, Salt Lake County
  • Restoring Ancestral Winds, Northwestern Band of the Shoshone
  • South Valley Services, Salt Lake County
  • The Family Place, Cache County
  • Tricounty Health Department, Duchesne, Uintah and Daggett Counties
  • Talk to a Survivor, Salt Lake County
  • Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA), Statewide
  • Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake, Salt Lake County
  • Uintah River High School, Fort Duchesne
  • Utah Navajo Health System, Utah Navajo Nation
  • Wasatch County Health Department, Wasatch County
  • Weber-Morgan Health Department, Weber and Morgan Counties
  • Weber State University, Weber County, statewide
  • YCC, Weber and Morgan Counties

Last year, the UDOH provided agencies with TANF funds to implement evidence-based programs as Safe Dates and Shifting Boundaries for young people in school and after-school programs, as well as, other youth community-based programs. In addition, agencies provided education and training for parents and caregivers, implemented community mobilization and coalition strategies, and developed and adapted curriculum materials for specific communities.

For more information on sexual violence prevention in Utah, visit, http://health.utah.gov/vipp/topics/rape-sexual-assault.

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Media Contact:
Megan Waters
Violence & Injury Prevention
801-538-6626