BWJP Announces the Award of the Firearms Technical Assistance Program by the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
BWJP will oversee training and technical assistance for OVW grantee communities to address domestic violence-related homicides and injuries committed with firearms.
St. Paul, Minnesota – June 1, 2023 – BWJP, the national non-profit organization dedicated to addressing systemic responses to gender-based violence, today announced they have been awarded a grant from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to facilitate the Firearms Technical Assistance Program (FTAP). FTAP is designed to help communities across the country reduce domestic violence homicides and injuries committed with firearms by partnering with communities to implement policies, protocols, and promising practices to prevent abusers from having access to firearms in domestic violence cases.
“Domestic violence homicides and injuries committed with firearms is a serious problem in our community, and it is only getting worse,” said Amy J. Sánchez, CEO of BWJP. “We are honored that the DOJ believes in our ability to make a difference in the lives of survivors of domestic violence, their families, and communities. We are committed to using this funding to continue our work to provide excellent training and technical assistance to communities across the Country around the intersection of firearms and domestic violence.”
FTAP will focus on the following areas:
- Supporting communities in implementing policies, protocols, and promising practices to prevent those who cause harm from having access to firearms in domestic violence cases, and to reduce domestic violence homicides and injuries committed with firearms.
- Providing expert consultations and training on a multitude of topics through information sharing, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, resources, referrals, site visits, and yearly national convenings based on a jurisdiction’s specific challenges and identified priorities.
- Providing tailored technical assistance designed to help each site incorporate community partners, particularly partner organizations that center underserved populations, into their efforts to implement effective responses to firearms and domestic violence Advocating for change in local policies to keep firearms out of the hands of domestic violence offenders.
BWJP has hired Lumarie Orozco, MA to be the Director of FTAP. Ms. Orozco comes to BWJP from Esperanza United where she served as the Director of Special Initiatives and provided strategic culturally responsive training and technical assistance on issues relevant to lethality and intimate partner homicide prevention to multidisciplinary teams and Latino community-based organizations and communities looking to reduce intimate partner homicide while advocating on behalf of Latina survivors and communities to ensure parity and equity in access to services and safety.
“We know that domestic violence is a complex issue, and there is no single solution,” said Ms. Orozco. “We are confident that with BWJP working with local grantee communities, FTAP will make a difference in the lives of survivors of domestic violence, their families, and their communities.”
BWJP has also brought on Rachel Graber, MA, MSW to be the Deputy Director of FTAP. Ms. Graber comes to BWJP from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), where she served as the Director of Public Policy and then the Director of Public Affairs after NCADV’s merger with the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Ms. Graber has been instrumental in the development and passage of important legislation to protect survivors, provide services, and keep firearms out of the hands of abusers, including the VOCA Fix Act to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund, the 2022 Violence Against Women Act, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
FTAP is funded by a grant from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women. The initiative is expected to launch in June and will continue for three years.
For media inquiries and requests please contact BWJP at communications@bwjp.org.
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About BWJP
BWJP is the National non-profit leader at the intersection of gender-based violence (GBV) and the law. BWJP is organized as a dynamic collection of national policy and practice centers which provide support, education, best practice, and innovation to advocates, systems professionals, community leaders, and policy experts. BWJP works with jurisdictions across the country to improve access to systems while paying attention to not causing further harm and injustice to historically marginalized communities. BWJP will continue this critical work to inform and keep survivors safe while supporting thriving families and communities. Find out more about BWJP at bwjp.org.
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