Soteria Solutions Awarded Coveted Grant From The Office On Violence Against Women's Training And Technical Assistance Initiative

DURHAM, N.H., Sept. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Soteria Solutions, the leader in innovative programs that prevent sexual and interpersonal harassment while building safe and respectful organizational cultures, was awarded the OVW's Training and Technical Assistance (TA) Initiative Grant for $399,924. Soteria Solutions will provide training and technical assistance to institutions of higher education through the Strengthening Campus Needs Assessments and Strategic Planning Project.  

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), along with Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced the award. "Combatting sexual violence in our society requires training, education and resources to help stop violence before it happens, as well as empower peers, colleagues or friends to step in if they suspect someone is unsafe. Looking upstream by focusing on prevention education is essential in creating long-lasting change and eradicating violence in our communities. These federal funds will make important investments in research to develop programs to enhance safety at our schools," said Senator Shaheen. "I'm glad to see Soteria Solutions receive this award, which will bolster their programming that enhances safety training and prevention practices at campuses throughout the region and state. As government funding legislation for next year is negotiated, I'll keep fighting to secure funds for OVW grants that allow organizations like Soteria to continue their important work."

Soteria Solutions President, Jane Stapleton, explains that "We are excited to work with the Office on Violence Against Women Campus Grant unit to support campus grantees in their efforts to create safe campuses. We will provide training and technical assistance to support grantees strategic planning and assessment so that they can increase their effectiveness to respond to and prevent sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking on campus. This important work aligns with Soteria's mission to create safe and respectful living, learning and work environments.  Strategic planning and assessment are foundational elements to creating comprehensive approaches to prevent sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking on campus.  Soteria Solutions is a leader in using research and best practices to inform our clients' prevention and response strategies."

Soteria Solutions, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping practitioners reduce incidents of sexual and interpersonal violence and harassment, was co-founded by Jane Stapleton and Dr. Sharyn Potter, University of New Hampshire (UNH) researchers who also established the Prevention Innovations Research Center (PIRC) at UNH.

As co-founders, Stapleton and Potter have conducted extensive original research about sexual violence prevention and response. They are routinely called upon by academic, military, and government bodies for input and guidance, and their work has been recognized through both awards and participation on bodies such as President Obama's White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.

Jane Stapleton will lead this project with the support of Soteria Solutions' employees: LB Klein, Caroline Leyva, Michelle Bangen, along with project consultants at RTI International and Langford & Associates.

Specifically, this project aims to improve both the effectiveness of campus grantee's work and strategies used to respond to and prevent sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking while also increasing communication between the OVW Campus Unit and Campus grantees.

In addition to this award, Soteria Solutions continues to make a positive impact with its flagship products of Bringing in the Bystander® Prevention Programs in Colleges and High Schools as well as Workplace Solutions for businesses looking to build sexual harassment prevention skills. Developed within PIRC and licensed to almost 600 high schools and colleges, with partners in the U.S. and around the world, Bringing in the Bystander is a proven, research-informed curriculum that gives individuals the tools to safely and effectively intervene in situations where an incident is occurring, or where other individuals may be at risk. Soteria Solutions also offers the Know Your Power® Bystander Social Marketing Campaign. This messaging campaign tool has been demonstrated to resonate with students while reinforcing important bystander intervention principles.

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SOURCE Soteria Solutions