The Urban Institute, in partnership with John Jay College of Criminal Justice, is conducting a three-and-a-half-year evaluation from March 2019 to September 2022 of the FamilySafe Project (FSP). The FSP and the evaluation are both funded under the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) in response to the New York County District Attorney’s Office’s request for proposals for family and youth development programs, which are part of the initiative’s youth, families, and communities focus area. The FSP provides family-focused counseling and other services to survivors of gender-based violence and their children in New York City, and is administered by Sanctuary for Families and STEPS to End Family Violence. 

Initial findings from the process evaluation suggest that:

• The use of the FamilySafe Project Assessment Tool (FSPAT) helped the program shift toward a family-focused model and its design was well-received by participants and reduced re-traumatization.
• The FSPAT helped clients open up about their needs and goals, and allowed them to recognize process towards counseling goals.
• The FSPAT is a reliable and valid measure of PTSF symptoms and protective factors.