About OFVPS

The Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, a newly established office within the Administration for Children and Families, administers the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). OFVPS director, program managers, program specialists and management analysts previously administered FVPSA funding and grant programs as the Division of Family Violence Prevention and Services in the Family and Youth Services Bureau.  

FVPSA is the primary federal funding stream dedicated to supporting emergency shelters and related assistance for victims of domestic violence and their children. OFVPS recognizes the interrelated aspects of domestic violence with homelessness, economic hardship, workplace readiness, physical and behavioral health concerns, and culturally specific needs. Through its grant programs, OFVPS puts the power to effectively address the prevalence of domestic violence into the hands of communities and supports their efforts to strengthen community-based services, while also funding prevention and public awareness efforts nationwide.

OFVPS works across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration for Children and Families to increase supports for survivors, including meeting the needs of children exposed to domestic violence. These coordinated efforts ensure that survivors can more easily access supportive services, violence-prevention resources, health care, housing, early childhood education, child support, responsible fatherhood programs, and much more. In addition, for organizations working with survivors of domestic violence, FVPSA resources, training, technical assistance, and grant support may help increase their service capacity, community engagement, and survivor-centered practice.

OFVPS Innovative Partnerships

Access to Health Services for Domestic Violence Survivors

• Survivor Health Connection Project was two-year collaboration between the OFVPS, HRSA Office of Women’s Health, HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Through SHCP, The Hotline trained HRSA-funded Community Health Center (CHC) staff on the warning signs and immediate and chronic health impacts of experiencing domestic violence, and how to safely and confidentially refer patients to resources and support from the Hotline and local providers, many of whom receive FVPSA funding. The Hotline trained its entire advocate staff on the unique services provided by CHCs and on the Find a Health Center tool. By equipping Hotline advocates with training and information on the CHC’s scope and services, they can support survivor connections to a local health care provider, regardless of their ability to pay. These bi-directional referrals are important for those who contact The Hotline presenting an increased need for medical assistance related to the abuse (e.g. strangulation, traumatic brain injury) or reporting other critical health needs such as being pregnant or postpartum.

Safe Access to Child Support for Domestic Violence Survivors

• In October 2022, OFVPS partnered with ACF's Office of Child Support Enforcement to issue a new Information Memorandum (IM) for child support agencies about the impact of domestic violence, training resources, and collaboration with domestic violence programs. The prevalence of domestic violence among individuals receiving child support and offers information about training, resources and strategies for improved collaboration between systems to effectively respond to survivors, youth and children experiencing domestic violence. This information memorandum is available online: IM-22-04: Domestic Violence Resources, Training, and Collaboration.

Trauma-Informed Mental Health Services for Survivors

• SAMHSA and ACF issued a joint Information Memorandum (IM) in March 2019 calling for increased collaboration between domestic violence, mental health, and substance use disorder treatment service providers and systems. Working at the Intersections of domestic violence, substance use, and mental health, this IM highlights the prevalence of domestic violence among individuals receiving services in mental health and substance use disorder treatment settings and offers information about training, resources and strategies for improved collaboration between systems to effectively respond to survivors, youth and children experiencing the traumatic effects of domestic violence.

Housing and Housing Assistance for Survivors

• Since 2015, OFVPS has partnered with the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, Office for Victims of Crime, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and seven national technical assistance providers to launch and maintain the Safe Housing Partnerships Technical Assistance Consortium . The Safe Housing Partnership Technical Assistance Consortium’s online resource center provides in-depth information and explores strategies to address the intersections between domestic and sexual violence, homelessness and housing. 

• The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a set of one- to two-page resource guides for specific subgroups of our program participants, prospective participants, and their communities. These user-friendly, concise documents are intended to help individuals and families understand the array of programs and resources that may be able to assist them specifically.

  All of these resources are housed on this new page on the ACF website, and Assistant Secretary Contreras published a post on the ACF Family Room blog with more information about this effort, which aligns with ACF’s strategic goal around taking preventative and proactive approaches.

• HOUSING FACT SHEET FOR SURVIVORS: The Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS) and the FVPSA Safe Housing Capacity Building Center partnered with the ACF Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary (IOAS) to create a new fact sheet for survivors seeking housing or trying to keep their current housing.  We extend a huge thank you to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence team for their quick and thoughtful contributions to this new resource.