What are STOP Formula Grants?
The STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants are awarded to develop and strengthen the criminal justice system's response to violence against women and to support and enhance services for victims. Each county recipient must allocate 25% of the grant funds to law enforcement, 25% to prosecution, and 30% to victim services. The remaining 15% is discretionary and must be used within the parameters of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
How is STOP funding used?
The primary purpose of STOP funding is to support communities in their efforts to develop and strengthen effective responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking through multidisciplinary collaboration. The federal Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), which administers the STOP Program, strongly encourages the use of STOP funding to support projects that promote civil rights (including meeting the needs of underserved and marginalized survivors), improve access to justice, enhance survivor safety, and hold offenders accountable.
The goals and objectives for use of Pennsylvania's STOP Formula Grant funds are determined by a four-year implementation plan. The implementation plan emerges from a months-long strategic planning process convened by PCCD's Office of Victims' Services. The committee participating in the planning process is drawn from representatives of victim services, law enforcement, prosecution and the courts and reflects the diversity of the commonwealth's communities. A key part of the implementation planning process consisted of gathering and considering a variety of information about the needs of Pennsylvania in relation to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The goals and objectives in Pennsylvania's 2022-2025 STOP Implementation Plan were created and affirmed by the statewide implementation planning committee as well as the Statewide Victim's Services Advisory Committee and the full Commission.
Overview of Requirements
The STOP Program requires cross-system collaboration to improve the criminal and juvenile justice systems' response to violence against women and to support and enhance services to victims. In order to achieve this, there must be collaboration among law enforcement, prosecution and victim services. The foundation of this collaboration is the STOP Coordinating Team.
To receive funding, each county in Pennsylvania must have a Coordinating Team for its STOP Project. The STOP Coordinating Team has several functions including providing leadership and direction to the STOP project; overseeing the creation, dissemination and implementation of the protocols required under the grant; tracking the progress made on grant goals and objectives; identifying and responding to issues in the response to violence against women; and evaluating the impact of the project. STOP Coordinating teams are expected to develop a mission statement, elect a chair, take substantive minutes and convene at least four times per year. STOP Coordinating Team Membership consists of required members and suggested members.
Required members (and/or their designee) must be part of the STOP Coordinating Team for the project to be funded. Suggested members are left to local discretion based on the goals and objectives of the applicant's proposal.
Eligible Applicants
When STOP Program funding is available, all 67 counties in Pennsylvania are welcome to apply; however, in order to be considered eligible there are certain requirements that grantees must agree to meet. County governments and non-profit victim service agencies are eligible to apply for STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Funding.
2023 STOP Protocol Guides
On June 21, 2023, PCCD in collaboration with our statewide partners announced the Protocol Development Guides for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. During this webinar, current STOP grantees and members of STOP Teams learned about these guides and how to use them to improve or create their Protocols. The development guides provide a detailed template to help counties develop comprehensive, multi-system response protocols.
Introductory Protocol Webinar (6/21/23)
Protocol Webinar PowerPoint (6/21/23)
Domestic Violence Protocol
Domestic Violence Appendices
Sexual Assault Protocol
Sexual Assault Appendices
Frequently Asked Questions on Protocol Tools
PCCD has established a STOP Resource Account(RA-OVSSTOPGRANTS@pa.gov) for grantees to submit questions at any time. PCCD staff will check the resource account regularly and formulate responses. The responses are linked below and will be updated as questions arise.
FAQ's on Protocols
STOP Bulletins
PCCD in collaboration with its statewide protocol workgroup partners will help counties as they work through the PCCD Protocol Development Tools. The assistance will be provided through informational emails and live, web-based check-in opportunities.
It is anticipated that the live, web-based check-ins will be comprised of a short presentation (approximately 20 minutes) on the topic listed, with the remaining time open for attending questions. While we can't anticipate how long each check-in last, we are reserving up to 90 minutes. The length of time for each check-in will not exceed 90 minutes but will depend on the amount and scope of questions from grantees. Live check-ins will be posted on this page shortly after each session.
This represents a tentative schedule of the topics each email or check-in will cover. The schedule could change based on the needs expressed by the field and/or presenter availability.
Tentative schedule for virtual check-ins and bulletins.