FLS 2024-27 Expanding Access for Haitian Crime Victims

Florida Legal Services (FLS) proposes a three-year project to provide victim-centered, trauma-informed, culturally, and linguistically appropriate civil legal assistance and wraparound services for LEP Haitian crime victims throughout Florida. Facing significant cultural and linguistic barriers, these victims are susceptible to various crimes and are critically underserved by the state's victim and legal services systems. This project aims to enhance legal assistance to help them achieve safety, independence, empowerment, and self-sufficiency.

The proposed project builds on FLS' current FY2022 Enhancing Access funding, through which we have developed strong relationships and partnerships with existing Haitian community organizations and victim services and legal services providers throughout the state. FLS will pilot a unique outreach model, focusing on a more concentrated partnership with two nontraditional, local entities deeply connected to this underserved community: Global Help Center and Daily Bread Distribution Center. To increase access for LEP Haitian survivors, FLS will establish monthly office hours at partner locations engaging crime victims in a familiar, safe, and culturally sensitive environment that acknowledges and addresses socioeconomic issues. Partners will function as a comprehensive, physical hub for wraparound services for this community. FLS plans to develop and refine this non-traditional partnership model, evaluating its effectiveness and optimizing its implementation, with the goal of successful adoption and replication with other partners statewide.

The project will be led by a full-time Project Attorney and a part-time Supervising Attorney, both fluent in Haitian Creole and raised in Haitian farmworker communities in Florida. The Project Attorney has spent two years developing partnerships and trainings for organizations serving Haitian crime victims and has experience creating a Medical-Legal Partnership in Central Florida. She handles immigration, public benefits, family law, housing, and consumer issues. The Supervising Attorney, who will oversee the project, also oversaw the FLS project to enhance access for LEP Haitian crime victims, and has over 12 years’ experience in providing trauma-informed legal assistance to victims of domestic violence.

The project will serve LEP Haitian crime victims statewide through both telephonic legal assistance and representation in court and administrative hearings on legal matters arising out of the victimization, such as injunctions for protection, family law, immigration, housing, public benefits, and consumer matters. As a result of their capacity-building and partnership activities, FLS expects to provide legal assistance to at least 125 LEP Haitian crime victims, and achieve successful outcomes in at least 60% of cases resolved.