The Healthy Relationship Grant Program
The Healthy Relationship Grant Program was initiated in conjunction with the Governor’s Council RESPECTfully project in 2019. The program seeks to promote healthy relationships and address dating violence and sexual assault among youth in high-risk communities. DPH partners with domestic and sexual violence service providers, community-based organizations, and school-based organizations to:
- Prevent sexual assault and dating violence, and promote healthy relationships among youth
- Address racial disparities and health inequities through innovative prevention strategies, tailored to teens who experience higher prevalence of sexual assault and dating violence, who may not have access to prevention programs
- Further develop the base of evidence of effectiveness of the sexual assault and dating violence prevention strategies through robust evaluation practices
Programming offered:
Programming is conducted through meaningful community partnerships and seeks to change social norms in communities across the Commonwealth by:
- Working with youth aged 12-18 to promote healthy relationships of all kinds and to prevent sexual violence and dating abuse
- Working collaboratively to adopt policies and practices within youth-serving organizations or school-based settings to reduce sexual assault and dating violence among youth and promote racial equity
- Collaborating to build capacity of partner agencies to support youth, value youth leadership, and safely, effectively, and sustainably continue working with youth to promote healthy relationships and prevent harmful behaviors
Each funded project focuses on one or more specific prioritized population (such as LGBTQ youth, BIPOC youth, youth with disabilities, etc.) while ensuring programming is intersectional in design.
| Location | Name of provider | Services | Hotline | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton | Safe Passage, Inc. | General community-based DV services; Children exposed to domestic violence; Healthy Relationships Grant Program | (413) 586-5066 | (413) 586-1125 |
RESPECTfully
RESPECTfully is a collaborative project of the Governor’s Council and the Department of Public Health to address sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking.
Working with subject matter experts and a youth advisory board, RESPECTfully seeks to promote healthy relationships and the skills to foster respect, honesty, and open communication among young people across Massachusetts.
DSDVP supports RESPECTfully through participation on the Governor’s Council Subcommittee, providing subject matter expertise, and supporting the young people engaged in this initiative. RESPECTfully shares resources about healthy and unhealthy relationships, signs to look out for, and how to talk about your relationship with people you care.