Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Funding Hits New Height in N.J.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2020
Trenton, N.J. – After a historic budget-making season impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy signed the FY21 State Budget including a full reappropriation of $6.6M in funds for sexual violence services in New Jersey, with an additional $6M in funding for the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA).
“We are incredibly grateful for New Jersey’s continued investment in sexual violence prevention and response services,” said Patricia Teffenhart, executive director of NJCASA. “With the passing of this budget, both the Governor and the Legislature have reaffirmed their commitment to survivors of sexual violence and the service providers who support them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even throughout a global pandemic. We know that times of community crisis only increase the need for our program’s free and confidential services. This investment in our work will allow our network of professionals to keep meeting the needs of our communities.”
NJCASA’s county-based programs support survivors of sexual violence with crisis intervention, counseling, and hotline services, and conduct sexual violence prevention programming in schools and other community settings.
Over 1.8M survivors of sexual violence live in New Jersey, according to the CDC and the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey.
ABOUT NJCASA: NJCASA (www.njcasa.org) is the statewide technical assistance, and capacity building organization that represents New Jersey’s twenty-one county-based rape crisis centers, and the Rutgers University Office of Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance. NJCASA elevates the voice of sexual violence survivors and service providers by advocating for survivor-centered legislation, training allied professionals, and supporting statewide prevention strategies that work to address and defy the socio-cultural norms that permit and promote rape culture.