Office for Victims of Crime
Fiscal Year 1998 Discretionary Grant Program Plan
Assisting Communities to Assist Crime Victims
Introduction
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is pleased to announce its Discretionary Program Plan for Fiscal Year 1998. Discretionary programming is one of the major ways that OVC carries out its mission to promote comprehensive services for all crime victims. OVC's programs provide essential information and services to victims, training and technical assistance to the victim advocates and diverse professionals who work with them, and assistance for communities to weave together the most promising practices into a blanket of support for their residents who have been victimized by crime.
OVC administers two formula and many discretionary grant programs designed to help victims. These programs are funded by the Crime Victims Fund, which is derived from the fines, penalty assessments, and bail forfeitures of federal criminal offenders. Deposits in the Crime Victims Fund for FY 1998 reached $363 million, an amount exceeded only once in the Fund's history. About 90 percent of the funds collected each year is distributed directly to the states in formula grants to help support critical victim assistance and compensation programs. Approximately $5.3 million is available this year for discretionary programming, with an equal amount for federal system programs. In addition, under the Children's Justice Act, $1.5 million is allocated for programs to improve the handling of child abuse cases in Indian Country.
Over the last two years, OVC has supported a number of programs to identify and describe promising practices in many of the professional areas that work directly with crime victims, such as law enforcement and community policing, prosecutors, the judiciary, institutional and community corrections, and the use of technology to benefit victims. Information about these promising practices is now being disseminated through a number of different communication channels: published documents such as bulletins, monographs, compendiums, and training manuals; training workshops, seminars, symposia, conferences, and the National Victim Assistance Academy; videotapes; and teleconferences that present the information "live" to wide audiences.
In addition, OVC has launched several major demonstration initiatives to ground the promising practices in communities by creating victim-centered systems. These systems create an environment wherein crime victims receive assistance from the time a crime is first reported to the resolution of the case and beyond. All criminal and juvenile justice professionals--from the law enforcement officer who is first on the crime scene to the probation or parole officer who supervises the offender when he or she is returned to the community--work together to ensure that victims' rights and safety are protected and that their needs are addressed.
The President, in his June 1996 remarks supporting a Federal Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment, directed the federal criminal justice system to conform to a higher standard than ever before to guarantee maximum participation by victims. OVC's 1998 Program Plan includes significant funding to help federal agencies expand their victim-witness assistance programs to effect systemic change by building coordinated, multiagency, victim-centered service programs and for programs that support compliance with the Attorney General's Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance.
This year's theme for Native American discretionary grant programs is "A New Partnership." This depicts a renewed partnership among OVC, tribes, state compensation and assistance programs, and other federal agencies for enhancing the provision of assistance to victims of crime in Indian Country. For the first time this year, Victim Assistance in Indian Country discretionary grants will be made directly to tribes instead of to states for subgrants to tribes, as was done formerly.
During the past year, OVC canvassed the crime victims field to learn directly from victims, victim advocates and service providers, justice system professionals, and allied professionals about what they consider to be their most important needs. They asked for larger and longer programs. They said that it is important for OVC to promote services for victims who are underserved, for example, the disabled, the elderly, victims of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and children. They applauded initiatives like the field generated projects that provide them with opportunities for input into programming. They also made it clear that the needs of victims overlap the missions of a number of different federal agencies, both within and outside of the Department of Justice (DOJ). Victims have needs that can appropriately be addressed by the Department of Education (DOEd), the Department of Treasury, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as a multitude of other agencies and offices.
In response to this input from the field, OVC will direct the majority of its FY 1998 discretionary funding to continue and expand the efforts already begun to assist communities in improving their response to crime victims. A number of these continuation programs and new projects focus on serving underserved populations of victims, particularly children. Many of the promising practices that earlier projects have identified and provided training on will be integrated into OVC's existing and new demonstration sites, notably the four Victim Services 2000 communities and the Federal Victim-Witness Assistance Demonstration Programs in eight U.S. Attorneys Offices and two FBI Field Offices.
OVC will extend its collaborative activities to include new federal partners, such as the State Justice Institute (SJI), the Department of Treasury, and HHS's National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. OVC will continue numerous joint projects with other OJP components, such as the Evaluation of State Victim Compensation and Assistance Programs, conducted jointly with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ); the Hate and Bias Crime Project and the Triad Project, with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA); the Attorney General's Indian Country Justice Initiative, with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the Department of the Interior (DOI), and various DOJ components including the Criminal Division, Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ), and Office of Policy Development (OPD), and other OJP bureaus; and the Gang Violence Intervention Program of the Yale Child Study Center, with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Violence Against Women Grants Office (VAWGO). OVC also is joining with DOEd to offer communities crisis response training, with HUD to train public housing officials on victim assistance, with the Department of Defense (DOD) to provide multidisciplinary victim-witness training, with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to develop a training program using CD-ROM technology, and with the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect to develop guidelines for intervening in cases involving both domestic violence and child abuse.
We hope that the following program plan will elicit creative, collaborative proposals from the many dedicated people who touch the lives of crime victims, and that they will design the proposals in such a way that the practices and materials can be readily used by communities to assist their residents who have become victims of crime.
Reginald L. Robinson
Acting Director
Office for Victims of Crime
Organization of Program Plan and Application Process
This plan summarizes the projects OVC plans to support during the coming funding cycle. A number are competitive and open to public and private not-for-profit organizations. Most of the competitive initiatives seek to fund efforts that have national scope, unless it is clearly stated that they may be for local, state, or regional purposes.
Application Process
A Program Announcement and Application Kit (Application Kit), available on Friday, February 15, will serve as a request for proposals. It will contain detailed descriptions of competitive programs and complete forms and instructions for developing an application. To receive an Application Kit, please call 202/616-1926 or write to: Office for Victims of Crime, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20531. Federal Express uses a different zip code, so if the request is sent by Federal Express, use 20001 as the zip code. The Application Kit will also be available on the World Wide Web through OVC's home page at http:/www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/.
New Competitive Programs
The Application Kit will describe for each competitive program the purpose of the program, background, program strategy, eligibility requirements, award period, award amount, and application due date. OVC will establish a panel of experts for most competitive program areas to review and rank the applications. Awards will be made to organizations and agencies offering the greatest potential for achieving the programs' goals, based on information provided in the applicants' proposals and assessments of past performance on OVC/OJP grants. The Director of OVC will make funding decisions. All applications for competitive programs are due Monday, April 13, 1998 except for the following: 1) Children's Justice Act Partnership for Indian Communities, due Thursday, April 30, 1998; 2) Action Partnerships with Membership Organizations, due Friday, May 1, 1998; 3) the Field Generated National Impact Projects, Field Generated Programs for Federal Compliance Issues, and Other Training and Technical Assistance for Compliance with the Attorney General Guidelines for Victims and Witness Assistance, due Friday, May 29, 1998; and 4) concept papers (see below).
Continuations of Competitive Programs
OVC staff will contact applicants for continuation programs to discuss application requirements and due dates. Each applicant will receive a letter of invitation and the required forms for seeking continuation funding.
Solicitation of Concept Papers
OVC invites eligible public and private not-for-profit agencies to submit concept papers for potential funding in FY 1999. Concept papers must be submitted by Tuesday, September 1, 1998. Agencies submitting outstanding concept papers will be invited to submit complete proposals for funding consideration in FY 1999.
Invitation for Comments on OVC's FY 1998 Program Plan
We invite all of our constituents to send written comments on both the programs and processes described in this program plan. We will use your comments to shape our future program development efforts. It is most helpful to receive your comments by August 28, 1998 so that we have time to compile, analyze, and incorporate your suggestions in future program plans. Please direct your comments to Marti Speights, Director, Special Projects Division (see address above under Application Process.)
Summary of New Competitive Projects
To facilitate applications, new competitive projects described throughout the program plan are listed together below:
1. Solicitation of Field Generated National Impact Projects ($600,000)
2. Concept Papers for FY 1999: Innovative Training, Technical Assistance, and Demonstration Projects ($500,000)
3. Action Partnerships with Membership Organizations ($300,000)
4. Law Enforcement Resource Kit ($125,000)
5. Law Enforcement Training Programs ($250,000)
6. Promising Practices for Assisting International Tourist Victims ($75,000)
7. Victim Sensitive Family Group Conferencing in School Settings ($150,000)
8. National Crime Victims' Rights Week Kit ($70,000)
9. Children's Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities ($600,000)
10. Victim Assistance in Indian Country Discretionary Grant Program
($260,000)
11. Indian Country Triad ($25,000)
12. Field Generated Programs for Federal Compliance Issues, open to non-DOJ federal agencies ($100,000)
13. Other Training and Technical Assistance for Compliance with the Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance, open to DOJ agencies ($100,000)
This Program Plan is organized as follows:
Section I -- New Competitive Programs
Section II -- Proposals Competitively Reviewed in FY 1997 for FY 1998 Funding
Section III -- New Non-Competitive Collaborative Initiatives
Section IV -- Continuation Programs
Section I. New Competitive Programs
Solicitation of Field Generated National Impact Projects
Funding: $600,000
This program is designed to give the field wide latitude in making proposals to improve practices and enhance crime victims' access to rights and services. OVC invites the submission of proposals for training and technical assistance projects that: (1) address an area of ongoing or emerging need; (2) are national in scope or would have a national impact; and (3) will provide products or materials that may be easily adapted, replicated, or disseminated to practitioners in the field and that effectively transfer the information and ideas developed within the project. Proposals must be congruent with OVC's discretionary funding authority to support demonstration, training, and technical assistance projects that improve the response to and services for crime victims. Activities outside the scope of OVC's funding authority include prevention, treatment for perpetrators, research, evaluation [other than self-evaluation of the proposed program or evaluation of agencies funded under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)] , and other activities that are not directly linked to assisting crime victims. We expect to fund projects in amounts ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.
Examples of topics might include, but are not limited to: stalking, the elderly, rural issues, work-related violence and staff victimization, victim assistance programs tailored to meet the unique needs of non-English speaking or culturally diverse populations, and assistance practices that are responsive to "hidden" or underserved victim populations. Proposals involving partnerships between organizations that result in expanded services for crime victims and multidisciplinary approaches that improve the system response to crime victims are encouraged. In order to draw diverse skill, experience, and knowledge from a range of organizations that address crime victim issues, no more than two proposals or more than $150,000 will be considered for award to any single victim organization.
OVC's FY 1997 Program Plan also called for field-generated ideas, to be submitted in the form of concept papers, which were due on November 3, 1997. Two to four of these projects will be selected for funding in FY 1998.
Concept Papers for FY 1999: Innovative Training, Technical Assistance, and Demonstration Projects
Funding: $500,000
OVC is again soliciting concept papers for innovative demonstration, training, and technical assistance programs for funding consideration in FY 1999. Although the total amount reserved depends on the availability of discretionary VOCA funds, OVC hopes to support six projects that range from $50,000 to $100,000 each. Projects are to be designed to improve the quality of services to crime victims through: 1) providing products or materials that can easily be adapted and disseminated to practitioners in the field; 2) enhancing a specialized victim assistance program that can serve as a laboratory or training site for others; or 3) developing training materials and training on a variety of specific topics relating to crime victims. Demonstration projects must include an evaluation component that measures the impact of the project on crime victim services.
The concept paper solicitation serves the same purpose as the Field Generated National Impact Projects--it seeks ideas from practitioners and advocates in the field so that innovative approaches to improving services for crime victims can be surfaced and considered. It also allows OVC staff to review a concept and discuss the details of a proposed project before requesting a full proposal. The papers will be reviewed and ranked in FY 1999, and successful applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal that will be considered for funding during FY 1999. Program activities must be within OVC's funding authority to be considered. OVC's application kit will give guidance on preparing and submitting concept papers. The papers are due by Tuesday, September 1, 1998.
Action Partnerships with Membership Organizations
Funding: $300,000--up to $75,000 per grant, depending on activities proposed by applicant organizations
In FY 1996 and 1997, OVC funded a series of collaborative, innovative projects with national professional and membership organizations to provide information and training to their membership on effective, empathic responses to crime victims. OVC highlighted medical, mental health, legal, criminal justice, and other allied professional organizations that possessed communication channels and networks. This year OVC expands the scope of this program to a wide range of membership and nonprofit affiliation groups with the capacity and interest to extend and enhance OVC's ongoing outreach efforts to serve all victims of crime.
In addition to membership organizations whose members frequently interact with victims of crime, OVC invites proposals from organizations that wish to expand, enhance, or develop crime victim services. Organizations that have not traditionally addressed the needs of crime victims are encouraged to consider a project that will involve their constituents in improving services for crime victims. Interested organizations should demonstrate a unique capacity and consuming interest in reaching and serving crime victims, as well as the ability to advance the understanding of their varied needs and issues. The goal of the program remains the same--to improve services for crime victims through creating understanding and increasing the skills of those who come in contact or work with crime victims.
Examples of activities and products that OVC has previously funded under this grant program include tracks of training at national conferences, videotapes, newsletters, periodicals, handbooks, policy and procedures manuals, and training curricula. An example of a small project is the Care Manual for Funeral Professionals, which is a collaboration between a professional journal for funeral and cemetery professionals and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. A training curriculum to improve the response of general practice and family lawyers to victims of elder abuse and domestic violence, being developed by the American Bar Association, is an example of a larger project. Developed from tested materials and designed in a modular fashion for use in one, two, or three-hour programs, the curriculum will be easily adaptable to the needs of local, state, national, and other legal organizations. The curriculum will be strategically disseminated through a continuing education series, national conferences, and membership mailings. In FY 1998, OVC will fund four to six projects.
Law Enforcement Resource Kit
Funding: $125,000 for 15 months
As the "first responders" to most reported crimes each year, law enforcement officers must be well-trained and informed about victims' rights and services. To address this need, OVC has made a range of information and training available through the discretionary grant program. Examples include a compendium of promising practices, a victim assistance handbook, a series of videotapes that focus on domestic violence and elder abuse, national and regional Triad training events, victim-centered community policing protocols and training curricula, and several training programs that focus on specific skills, such as compassionate death notification. This program will support a grantee to review existing materials and assemble a highly adaptable, simple, and effective kit for law enforcement leadership on building a basic victim assistance program. Contents of the kit could include one-page informational sheets on assisting particular types of victims, a card describing rights and services, a "Victims' Rights and Services Check-off List," a brochure regarding expected victim reactions and available services, roll-call training that delineates basic responsibilities, a protocol, examples of memoranda of understanding and other essential program documents, job descriptions, organizational charts, and policies and procedures that can be adapted by departments in urban and rural districts.
A project advisory committee composed of police chiefs, staff from law enforcement victim assistance units, other victim advocates, and first responders will be formed to guide the development of the kit and its pilot-testing. An attractive product and a strong dissemination plan are important components of this project.
Law Enforcement Training Programs
Funding: $250,000 for three to four 12-month projects
This initiative will support three or four state-specific law enforcement training projects on the most effective procedures and policies for responding to crime victims. Individual awards from $50,000 to $75,000 will be made to successful applicants. Applicants must assess current state laws, procedures, and protocols; develop or revise a training curriculum; and propose a comprehensive training delivery plan that integrates practices from the "Promising Practices for Law Enforcement Compendium." A variety of training mechanisms, such as CD-ROM, existing satellite or law enforcement training networks, and traditional training methods, should be considered. Involving police training academies, state training associations, or other existing mechanisms for making the training available to leadership and line officers is important. Grantees must provide assurances that the training developed as a result of the grant will continue as an ongoing part of the training provided to law enforcement officers in the state.
Promising Practices for Assisting International Tourist Victims Funding: $75,000 for 12 months
Crime against international tourists is a chronic and growing problem in countries all over the globe. Tourists who become victims often face unique issues such as isolation and culture shock, lack of familiar social supports, travel stress, and language barriers. In addition, most tourists are unfamiliar with the criminal justice, social services, health, and mental health systems they must interact with after being victimized. When they return home, most victims once again do not know where to turn for assistance. Throughout the world, tourist-dependent economies have implemented a variety of promising, comprehensive programs to deal with the increasing number of tourists who are victimized, and many of these programs assist both domestic and international travelers. Programs to assist victimized tourists have been developed in some cities in the United States, as well as in countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands, Argentina, Costa Rica, and New Zealand. Specialized services provided by these programs generally include replacement of personal identification, assistance with transportation and lodging, emergency medical assistance, advocacy and support through embassies and consulates, bereavement services, and communication assistance.
This project will fund a review of domestic and international programs to explore ways that communities can more effectively respond to American citizens who have been victimized abroad, as well as foreign citizens who are victimized in the United States. It will also fund the development of a brief handbook that discusses the issues facing victimized tourists and describes promising practices in assisting them. The handbook will be disseminated to victim assistance programs, bureaus of tourism, airlines, U.S. embassies and consulates, travelers aid offices, and other points of contact for victimized tourists. The grantee will also develop a sample brochure that can be given to victims.
Victim Sensitive Family Group Conferencing in School Settings
Funding: $150,000 for 18 months
Schools throughout the nation, like the country's other institutions, are facing serious and difficult problems in dealing effectively with the high level of violence within their walls. Our schools are challenged to maintain an environment that is supportive of learning and protective of everyone's safety, without feeling like a prison.
A critical factor in creating a positive school atmosphere is the way conflicts are handled, particularly serious conflicts among students. In recent years, a number of techniques and programs for resolving conflict have been developed and are being used in schools. One such technique is family group conferencing, which involves the community of people most affected by a serious conflict, which may or may not be a crime--the major parties to the conflict, the victim and offender and their families, friends, and key supporters--in deciding the resolution of the incident. These affected parties are brought together by a trained facilitator to discuss how they and others have been harmed by the offense, and how that harm might be repaired. To participate, the offender must admit to the offense. Participation by all involved is voluntary. Family group conferencing is currently being used in schools in a number of states, including Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Montana. Family group conferencing was originally used by the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand, where it was formally incorporated into the juvenile justice system in 1989. Early research findings on its effectiveness indicate that it has great promise.
This project will examine the use of family group conferencing in school settings in these and other states, with a special focus on the treatment of and protections for the victims involved in the conflicts handled, particularly those conflicts that could be considered criminal incidents. The grantee will develop a set of guidelines, a protocol, and training materials for victim sensitive processes in family group conferencing. These materials may be used to conduct a series of training sessions in a second phase of the project.
National Crime Victims' Rights Week Kit
Funding: $70,000 for 12 months
Every April since 1982, National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) has been commemorated at the national level. NCVRW offers the nation the opportunity to highlight numerous reforms and acknowledge the achievements of outstanding individuals whose efforts have improved services for and advanced the rights of crime victims. In FY 1998, OVC will fund one grant recipient to conceptualize, develop, produce, and disseminate a National Crime Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide for use by victim service providers, advocates, elected leaders, and the general public in commemorating this annual event. Project applications may include suggestions for observance of NCVRW at the state and local levels, including sample poster art, public service announcements, fact sheets, speeches, or other commemorative items and activities. Applicants should consider creative approaches that have not been included in the Resource Guide in prior years, such as step-by-step directions for hosting a film and discussion forum on crime victim issues. A plan for disseminating the Resource Guide as broadly as possible must also be included. The Resource Guide will be disseminated to communities around the country to support the commemoration of NCVRW.
Children's Justice Act (CJA) Partnerships for Indian Communities
Funding: $600,000
OVC is soliciting new competitive applications from federally recognized tribes for the FY 1998 CJA Partnership Program. OVC anticipates supporting eight to ten projects at $60,000 each. The purpose of the CJA partnership is to support Indian communities in developing, establishing, and operating programs to improve the investigation, prosecution, and overall handling of child abuse cases, particularly cases of child sexual abuse, in a manner that increases support for and reduces trauma to child victims. The partnership projects are to address shortcomings in the tribal criminal justice system and to make systemic improvements in the overall response to serious child abuse and child sexual abuse cases on the reservation. It is anticipated that projects will require three to five years of funding to fully accomplish the program's goals. OVC will commit funding support for three years, contingent upon the grantee's satisfactory performance and the availability of funds. Grantees will be required to provide in-kind matching funds. The purpose of the in-kind match is to obtain tribal investment into the partnership from the beginning of the grant award, thereby enhancing the tribe's ability to institutionalize the program after OVC funding expires. The in-kind match could be in the form of staff time, facilities, office space and utilities, employee details/loans, and agency partnerships. Hard match is allowable in lieu of in-kind match. Volunteer time cannot be used as a match.
Victim Assistance in Indian Country (VAIC) Discretionary Grant Program
Funding: $260,000
OVC will provide funding directly to five to eight Indian tribes under federal criminal jurisdiction to support the establishment of reservation-based victim assistance programs in remote areas of Indian Country where there are limited or no services for victims of crime. OVC initiated the VAIC Discretionary Grant Program in 1988 to provide seed money for establishing reservation-based victim assistance programs in remote areas of Indian Country. The primary goal of the VAIC Grant Program is to create permanent, accessible, and responsive victim assistance services on reservations governed by federal criminal jurisdiction. OVC has awarded more than $7.3 million under this grant program. As a result, 52 Native American victim assistance programs have been established in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Indian Country Triad
Funding: $25,000
This funding will be awarded competitively for a demonstration program on one reservation that is under federal criminal jurisdiction. The project will link Indian reservation law enforcement to other law enforcement agencies to plan assistance to elderly victims of crime.
Field Generated Programs for Federal Compliance Issues
Funding: $100,000
This competitive program, which is available for application by non-DOJ federal agencies, provides initial funding for innovative victim-witness assistance programs, training initiatives, and products such as training manuals, protocols, and videotapes. OVC will solicit concepts from federal agencies regarding the establishment of programs and/or the development of products that can be replicated in other offices and agencies. OVC will enter into one to three interagency agreements under this program.
Other Training and Technical Assistance for Compliance with the Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance
Funding: $100,000
This competitive program, which is open for application by DOJ agencies, provides initial funding for innovative victim-witness assistance programs, training initiatives, and products such as training manuals, protocols, and videotapes in DOJ agencies. OVC will solicit concepts from DOJ agencies regarding the establishment of programs and/or the development of products that can be replicated in other offices and agencies.
Section II. Proposals Competitively Reviewed in FY 1997 for FY 1998 Funding
Concept Papers for FY 1998: Innovative Training, Technical Assistance, and Demonstration Projects
A wide range of agencies submitted concept papers for innovative demonstration, training, and technical assistance projects in response to OVC's FY 1997 solicitation. The following projects were selected to submit full proposals for FY 1998 funding:
A Multi-media Approach to Reduce Distress and Court Attrition Among Physically Injured Crime Victims, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, University of South Carolina, $98,802. This project will develop a hospital-based program that minimizes post-assault suffering of crime victims. Products include a two-part videotape, a brochure, and staff training materials that can be easily replicated by other hospitals. The informational materials, which focus on post-traumatic stress reactions of physically injured victims and the role of victims in the criminal justice system, will be designed for sharing with victims during their hospitalization.
Public Housing Victim Assistance Training, National Organization for Victim Assistance, $88,000 (OVC--$44,000, HUD--$44,000). Building on an existing OVC and HUD partnership in this area, this jointly funded project will produce a victim assistance training curriculum for public housing officials and public housing residents and a protocol for a community team approach. Using these materials, project staff will conduct two regional conferences. The project's goal is to stimulate the development of victim assistance services as an integral part of public housing services.
Justice for Deaf Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services, $96,460. The goal of this project is to create services in five communities for deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to ensure that these victims have access to the services they need and receive fair treatment from the legal system and support from their communities. During the first phase of the project, Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services (ADWAS) staff will train key leaders of deaf communities in five cities: Boston, MA; Austin, TX; Minneapolis, MN; Rochester, NY; and San Francisco, CA. During the project's second phase, staff will provide on-site technical assistance in each of the five cities to assist local teams in adapting ADWAS's model program to their own communities.
Officers as Victims Teleconference, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, $49,913. The project will result in a six-hour satellite training program that focuses on crime victimization, successful first-response interventions, and standards of services for law enforcement officers. Products include a guidebook for use by coordinators at the downlink sites, the teleconference, written training materials for audience members, and a videotape on the victimization of law enforcement officers.
Building a Home for Crime Victims on the Internet, Michigan Victim Alliance, $64,500. This project will produce a statewide Web site for victims in Michigan and develop a Web site Development Manual for other states wishing to replicate this service. The Web site will provide information about the criminal justice system, available victim services, and peer support groups; create an opportunity for victims to communicate with one another, tell their stories, and post memorials on the Web; establish a listserv for victims; and, through a partnership with the FBI, develop security and online protection procedures. Project staff will help victim groups from around the state set up their own sites and provide telephone and online technical assistance to other states wishing to establish statewide Web sites for crime victims.
Homicide Support Project, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Separation and Loss Services, $78,656. This award will fund the Separation and Loss Services to adapt and expand its Homicide Support Project for family survivors of homicide. In collaboration with police departments, victim assistance agencies, and mental health services in San Diego, New Haven, and New York City, project staff will provide preparatory training and followup consultation to replicate or adapt the Seattle model of clinical intervention for homicide survivors.
International Training and Technical Assistance for Victim Assistance Professionals, National Organization for Victim Assistance, $87,786. This project will establish an International Steering Committee on Training and Technical Assistance and, utilizing the recently developed International Training Manual on Victim Assistance, develop a train-the-trainer curriculum for international trainers. The committee will oversee the development of a training and technical assistance plan that can reach leaders in countries throughout the world.
State Victim Assistance Academy, Michigan State University $68,000. When OVC launched the National Victim Assistance Academy, one of the long-range goals was to encourage a victim assistance course of study in universities and state training programs across the country. In FY 1998, Michigan State University will match OVC support to establish a State Victim Assistance Academy that will adapt the National Academy curriculum to the needs of advocates and practitioners in Michigan. In FY 1999, OVC expects to announce a competitive solicitation for state victim assistance academies.
Indian Nations Conference
Funding: $300,000
This funding will be provided for a competitive grant that was announced in FY 1997, but is currently in the process of being awarded in FY 1998. OVC will sponsor a seventh national conference to train victim assistance personnel and criminal justice professionals on providing services and securing rights for crime victims in Indian Country. The conference will bring together service providers, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, judicial personnel, and health and mental health professionals from the tribal, federal, and state levels. The conference will highlight promising practices in serving Native American victims and will emphasize cooperation and coordination among tribal, federal, and state agencies that preserve the integrity of tribal cultures. A conference resource manual for participants will be prepared to accompany the training.
Federal Victim-Witness Demonstration Programs
Funding: $450,000 for three years
This project provides initial funding to extend the Model Victim Witness Program developed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin to three additional federal districts. The sites were competitively selected in 1997 by the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) and OVC based upon the districts' size, caseload diversity, and level of commitment to victim-witness issues. The districts selected are: the Northern District of California, a large district with a significant white collar and violent crime caseload; the Southern District of Indiana, a small district with a caseload from a military base, national park, and prison; and the District of South Dakota, a district with a large caseload from Indian Country. These districts will assist other districts in replicating promising practices for victims of federal crime. Funding in the amount of $450,000 will be available each year for a total of three years to support the new programs.
EOUSA Field Generated Victim-Witness Demonstration Programs
Funding: $40,000
This grant provides initial funding for an innovative federal victim-witness assistance program in the Western District of Pennsylvania. This U.S. Attorney's Office was selected competitively from applicants for field generated projects under a FY 1997 solicitation. In addition, projects in the District of Minnesota ($25,000) and the Western District of Washington ($33,326) were funded from FY 1997 solicitations.
FBI Victim-Witness Programs
Funding: Tampa--$ 475,000 for three years
Salt Lake City--funded in FY 1997 for 18 months
OVC is providing initial funding to two FBI Field Offices (Tampa and Salt Lake City) to establish pilot sites for implementation of victim-witness assistance programs. The two sites were selected competitively in coordination with the FBI Headquarters Victim-Witness Unit. The Tampa office will address violent and elderly crime issues and the Salt Lake City project ($180,000) will address resident agency Indian Country issues. Additional funding will be provided to Salt Lake City to extend its demonstration program for a total of 36 months.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Training and Technical Assistance Specialist
Funding: Funded in FY 1997 for three years
OVC is providing three-year funding ($300,000) for a temporary training and technical assistance specialist (not to exceed three years) who will be assigned to: 1) ensure that Victim-Witness Coordinators from DEA field offices have full access to information about the latest victims' rights laws, DOJ policies and procedures, Attorney General initiatives, and other DOJ efforts to assist victims and witnesses; effective training on up-to-date topics; technical assistance; and onsite mentoring; 2) train all new and currently employed agents on issues related to the implementation of relevant provisions of federal victim-witness assistance statutes; and 3) monitor the implementation of the agencies' training and technical assistance programs. This funding will assist the DEA in establishing its victim-witness assistance programs.
Federal Compliance Training: Department of Defense (DoD)
Funding: $200,000
This funding will be provided in five separate agreements to the DoD, Army, Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Air Force. Each service will establish multidisciplinary training teams to provide victim-witness training, and each will sponsor from five to 20 separate training sessions.
Federal Compliance Training: Department of Transportation, U.S. Coast Guard
Funding: $25,000
OVC will provide funding to the U.S. Coast Guard to establish a training program similar to the program established by the military services. A multidisciplinary team will provide victim-witness training to Coast Guard Victim-Witness Coordinators.
Victim Assistance in Indian Country Guidebook
Funding: $75,000
OVC is in the process of funding the development of a guidebook for implementing effective victim services in Indian Country. The guidebook, applications for which were solicited in FY 1997, will address: 1) establishing tribal victim services programs; 2) coordinating services with federal, state, and local resources; 3) recruiting and training volunteers; 4) program management and record keeping; and 5) working with tribal governments. The guidebook will include a training curriculum for victim service providers, tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and judicial personnel. The guidebook and training curriculum will be pilot-tested at programs funded by OVC's Victim Assistance in Indian Country and Children's Justice Act grants, and VAWGO.
Section III. New Non-Competitive Collaborative Initiatives
Many OVC programs grow out of joint efforts with other agencies or OJP bureaus and offices. These programs are usually accomplished through an interagency agreement with the participating agency, and are based on prior successful efforts in an identified area, such as those to implement specific provisions of the 1994 Crime Law. New national-scope collaborative programs that have been awarded non-competitively are included in this section, as are new joint initiatives with other federal agencies involving federal crime victims.
Domestic Violence Fatality Reviews: A National Summit
Funding: $70,000 for 12 months
Domestic Violence Fatality Review Teams--made up of representatives from the courts, police, victim assistance, and social services agencies--focus on fixing system obstructions and gaps and determining how best to use available resources to intervene in domestic violence incidents before they become fatalities. SJI and OVC jointly will support the National Summit on Domestic Violence Fatality Reviews project, which will compile procedures, protocols, and models resulting from a national forum, and use that information to develop an educational training module and informational materials. Project staff will disseminate the finished products nationwide for use by new and ongoing fatality teams seeking to establish or improve procedures and programs.
Team Building and Effective Partnerships with Courts
Funding: $50,000 for 12 months
SJI has solicited concept papers from courts and judicial districts proposing training and technical assistance initiatives that would help to establish, maintain, or institutionalize effective partnerships among courts, criminal justice agencies, treatment providers, and other organizations. OVC will participate in SJI's review process and jointly sponsor one or more team building projects to improve the system's response to crime victims. Of special interest to OVC are programs that will strengthen victim participation in court processes and increase the effectiveness of the court's services to victims, including the management of restitution payments, referrals to supportive services, and information and notification about offender sanctions.
Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice
Grantee: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Funding: $38,183 for 12 months
With the support of OVC and the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) will develop a set of recommended guidelines on intervening in domestic violence and child abuse cases. The grantee will compile materials from promising programs and provide that information to a multidisciplinary committee of national experts on the subject, which will meet several times to develop the guidelines. The guidelines will be for use by child protective services staff, law enforcement, attorneys, courts, family preservation agencies, and battered women's programs. The goal of the project is to improve the recognition of the coincidence of child abuse and domestic violence and the way courts and agencies respond to battered mothers and their children.
International Conference on Restorative Justice for Juveniles
Funding: $25,000 for 12 months
For the past several years, OVC has been engaged in partnership with other DOJ agencies to advance the understanding of restorative justice principles and to provide forums for jurisdictions to network and exchange ideas about these principles and their practical application. Restorative justice focuses on addressing the harm caused by crime, thus placing the needs of crime victims in a central position in the administration of justice. OVC is currently cosponsoring, with four other DOJ agencies, a series of five regional symposia on restorative justice. OVC intends to continue collaborating with other OJP components by cosponsoring an International Conference on Restorative Justice for Juveniles, which will be held in November 1998 at Florida Atlantic University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This conference will be the second in a series of five that are scheduled through the year 2002. The conference series grew out of a United Nations working group on restorative justice.
Victim Advocates in a Specialized Domestic Violence Court
Grantee: Criminal Court of New York
Funding: $275,000 for 12 months (OVC--$100,000, VAWGO--$175,000)
In FY 1998, OVC will work with VAWGO to fund two victim advocates in a Domestic Violence Court of the Criminal Court of New York. This new position, the first of its kind in the court setting, will serve to both enhance victim safety and increase the accountability of defendants. The Domestic Violence Court, which will handle misdemeanor offenses and preindictment felony contempt cases based on violations of criminal court orders of protection, will be staffed by a dedicated judge who will use the authority of the court to coordinate and monitor the responses of all of the criminal justice and social service agencies charged with addressing domestic violence.
Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) System Support
Funding: $200,000 for 12 months
BJA has transferred $200,000 to OVC to support the VINE system, an automated notification program that links police, prosecutors, and corrections officials to victims. VINE provides confidential notice of inmate status changes, such as release and relocation, allowing victims to take necessary measures of precaution to protect themselves from further harm. This project will endeavor to strengthen the VINE system in a way that improves compliance with victim notification laws and enhances the criminal justice system's response to victims.
Aftermath of Law Enforcement Death
Funding: $270,000 (OVC--70,000, BJA--$200,000)
Family members and coworkers of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty need support and permission to mourn their losses. Through a joint OVC and BJA effort, Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. will hold eight regional training programs. The program curriculum will address sensitive death notification, the emotional needs of the victim's family and coworkers, and other information about the kinds of support that influence a survivor's recovery.
Victim-Witness Coordinator Training and Technical Specialists
Funding: $500,000 for three years
OVC will provide funding to five federal agencies to establish victim-witness programs. Funding will pay for a three-year position in each agency to establish programs and provide training and technical assistance on compliance to agency components. Each agency will receive $100,000 for each of the three years, and bureaus within each agency may compete for the funding. Agencies will be required to analyze and revise, as appropriate, their agency's guidelines for victim and witness assistance. Agencies will be urged to seek permanent funding for the positions prior to the termination of OVC funding. The agencies tentatively selected to receive funding are the Departments of Treasury, Interior, State, and Defense, and USPS Inspection Service. A sixth agency will be added in FY 1999.
Toll-Free Telephone Numbers
Funding: $50,000
As a collaborative effort with EOUSA, toll- free lines will be installed as a demonstration project in three diverse federal district offices. One district will be located in Indian Country, one in a district with a large geographical scope, and one in a district with a large caseload and a densely populated, low socioeconomic environment. EOUSA will make a selection of districts based upon an open solicitation and will fund the program in future years if the demonstration meets its goals.
Training Videotape
Funding: $50,000
The Federal District of South Dakota will contract to produce a videotape similar in scope to the District's videotape entitled, B.J. Learns About Federal & Tribal Court, which describes the federal and tribal court processes to children. The videotape will be geared to adult victims of violent crime and will explain what to expect while going through the federal court process.
Update Library, Office of Legal Education (OLE)
Funding: $3,000
This funding will update the DOJ OLE lending library with materials for federal prosecutors that specifically address matters relating to the rights and needs of crime victims.
OLE Training Videotape
Funding: $75,000
A contractor will produce a videotape that can serve as a permanent resource for OLE courses and will be available for each federal district's prosecutor training. The videotape will address post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the impact of crime upon victims, responsibilities of prosecutors working with victims, and legal issues surrounding victimization.
Violence Against Women Act Regional Training
Funding: $25,000
OVC will join with VAWGO, EOUSA, and other DOJ components to cosponsor a series of DOJ regional video teleconferences for federal and local/tribal personnel regarding provisions of the Violence Against Women Act. These regional teleconferences will be conducted twice in 1998 in five regions throughout the country.
INS Training Videotape
Funding: $50,000
This funding, which will be transferred through an interagency agreement to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), will enable INS to produce a training videotape for staff throughout the agency on victim-witness issues and the Violence Against Women Act. OVC will work closely with the agency to develop the videotape.
DEA Skills Development Training
Funding: $25,000
OVC will support skills development training of DEA Victim-Witness Coordinators at an annual in-service training.
Crisis Response Training
Funding: $ 75,000 (announced in FY 1997)
OVC will support a crisis response team training session for federal Victim-Witness Coordinators. This national training will enhance the federal criminal justice system's capability to respond more quickly and effectively to the needs of victims of federal domestic terrorism and other catastrophic criminal acts. Federally specific case scenarios will be utilized to ensure the correct application and coordination of the Memoranda of Understanding developed among DOJ, the American Red Cross, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) concerning federal criminal acts causing mass casualties.
CD-ROM Technology
Funding: $50,000
OVC will support a demonstration project with the USPS Inspection Service to develop basic victim-witness training for federal agencies using CD-ROM technology. The training will include information regarding the requirements of the Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance as well as OVC's training tape, Justice for Victims.
Training Videotape--Child Exploitation on the Internet
Funding: $40,000
OVC will support the development of a videotape for children to illustrate how some Internet contacts have led to child exploitation.
National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse
Funding: $50,000
OVC will support the participation of teams of federal criminal justice personnel nominated by U.S. Attorneys' Offices to attend the National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse in Huntsville, Alabama. Nominations for the FY 1998 teams will include only Indian Country jurisdictions, and U.S. Attorneys will be urged to include tribal judges with their team nominations.
Interagency Agreement with Indian Health Services (IHS)
Funding: $25,000
OVC will, in collaboration with IHS, provide continuation support for two training seminars for Child Protection and/or Multidisciplinary Teams in the IHS Aberdeen, Bemidji, and Portland areas. The seminars will focus on child abuse issues and the development of strategies to address these issues.
Immigration Practitioner Fraud Program
Funding: $150,000
OVC will, in collaboration with BJA and the Office of Special Counsel, Civil Rights Division, provide support for an outreach program to identify, educate, and assist immigrants who have been victimized by unscrupulous immigration practitioners (both attorneys and non-attorneys). While very damaging, this kind of fraud has not been aggressively prosecuted because many victims are unwilling to come forward, and because such cases have generally not attracted the attention of state and federal authorities. This program will also work with federal, state, and local authorities to enhance efforts to prosecute or discipline immigration practitioners who engage in fraud.
Section IV. Continuation Programs
The projects in this section build on successful grants that were competitively or non-competitively awarded in prior years. Many of the products developed through OVC grants are field-tested and refined through use and adaptation to the needs of specific groups. This process generally requires several years and at least two funding cycles. For example, OVC's Promising Practices programs usually have the following stages, during which they: (1) identify key issues; (2) identify outstanding practitioners and programs in a specific area and compile information about them in a compendium or guidebook; (3) develop, test, and refine a training curriculum based on the best information available on the subject; and (4) institutionalize the knowledge or expertise as part of a basic training or education program. Only the applicants identified are eligible to receive continuation grants.
Victim Services 2000: A Vision for the 21st Century
Grantee: Denver, Colorado VALE Board
Funding: Amount to be determined, 12-month period
This multiyear demonstration initiative is designed to support communities in developing networks of integrated services for crime victims that can respond flexibly to the interrelated needs of victims. OVC intends to award second-year funding to the Denver VALE Board of the Second Judicial District, Denver, Colorado to begin the implementation phase of Victim Services 2000 in the City of Denver. The Board's planning process, which is currently under way, is the first phase of this three-phase demonstration project. The exact amount of the award will be determined after a review of the Board's community-specific program model for Victim Services 2000 and its plan to implement the model.
School Demonstration Projects to Assist Victims and Witnesses
As violence has taken over our streets, it has also moved into the schools. For many children, school is no longer a safe haven. Many who witness violence in their homes and neighborhoods are unable to concentrate in school and are impaired in their abilities to function, learn, and grow. Moreover, in most schools, teachers and students do not have access to the victim assistance services, information, and support that they need to deal effectively with this problem.
Safe Harbor, Victim Services, Inc., $150,000. In coordination with the Victims of Gang Violence project, Victim Services will revise its existing PEARLS (People Empowered to Address Real Life Situations) curriculum to include lessons that address issues surrounding victims of gang activities in schools. A teacher's manual, as well as a train-the-teachers manual defining strategies for developing a Safe Harbor, will be developed to complement the curriculum. After piloting the new materials, second-year funding will support training sessions in other schools, the production of additional materials to aid in the replication activities (videotape, brochures, and a guidebook), and the establishment of a Safe Harbor host site in East New York for delivery of training and technical assistance. In addition, the project will develop a strategy for setting up a full Safe Harbor program in a selected site outside of the New York area.
Child Development-Community Policing Partnership with Schools, Yale Child Study Center, $701,999 (OVC--$92,893, OJJDP--$278,627, VAWGO--$278,628). The Gang Violence Intervention Program is a new school-based initiative by the Child Development-Community Policing Program (CD-CP), funded by OJJDP and VAWGO. The goal of this grant is to develop a model victim assistance program designed for young children and families who are victims, both directly and indirectly, of gang-related violence. The pilot phase, which is currently under way, involves eight group sessions aimed at helping children to identify the sources of danger in their community and to develop a range of coping strategies and conflict resolution skills that can help them remain safe without resorting to maladaptive responses or involvement in gangs or violent activities. The program provides a support group for parents to assist them in understanding and responding to their children's experiences of violence. This group serves as a major liaison between the New Haven police and the neighborhood in the development and implementation of community action plans. Continuation funding will support training on the model and technical assistance at existing and new CD-CP replication sites, as well as startup of this program in other cities.
National Victim Assistance Academy
Grantee: Victims' Assistance Legal Organization
Funding: $221,000 for 12 months
In 1995, OVC initiated the National Victim Assistance Academy, the first course of its kind to train a diverse group of victim practitioners and policy makers from around the country and offer academic credit via a compressed video link with a state university. In 1996 and 1997, OVC provided funding for a five-day national victim assistance course that linked multiple university sites for approximately 20 hours of the 45-hour course. In 1998, OVC will once again fund a consortium of national victim assistance organizations that includes the Victims' Assistance Legal Organization, the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center of the Medical University of South Carolina, and California State University-Fresno. The 45-hour updated course will originate from a university campus site in Washington, D.C. and will be simultaneously broadcast to three additional campuses in the southeast, midwest, and western United States, expanding the training and educational experience to approximately 350 victim service providers from the federal, state, tribal, and local levels.
As a part of the grant, the project faculty will work with states and universities that wish to adapt the curriculum for state training programs. OVC will also fund the grantee to enhance the train-the-trainer guidebook for the National Victim Assistance Academy, as well as develop a training videotape to be used in conjunction with the existing Academy training curriculum.
Cultural Considerations in Assisting Crime Victims
Grantee: National Multicultural Institute
Funding: $75,000 for 12 months
The diversity of crime victims presents victim advocates and criminal justice professionals with unique challenges in outreach and service delivery. Language barriers, cultural stigmas, and unfamiliarity with existing services often deprive victims with varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds of critical victim assistance services and criminal justice protections. In response to this issue, OVC awarded FY 1997 funds to the National Multicultural Institute (NMI) to develop a training curriculum on cultural issues for victim service providers and criminal justice professionals involved in working with crime victims of various ethnic backgrounds. The training curriculum is currently being developed and pilot-tested. In FY 1998, the grantee is eligible to apply for second-year funding to conduct training sessions across the country.
Neighbors Unite Against Hate and Bias Crime
Grantee: Victim Services, Inc.
Funding: $27,500 for 12 months
This project will address bias crimes by developing a neighborhood response that serves both individual victims and the larger community. Project staff will work with one diverse community to organize a community-based response and system of services for victims of hate/bias crimes. The organizing process and strategies developed by the working group will be captured in a handbook that can be used and adapted by other communities across the country.
Hate and Bias Crime
Grantee: Educational Development Center (EDC)
Funding: $100,000 for 12 months
Through a joint OVC/BJA grant, EDC developed the National Bias Crime Training Curriculum for Law Enforcement and Victim Assistance Professionals and conducted a series of regional training events. Building on the curriculum and training experience, EDC will refine the materials into compact units that can be used in a variety of settings. The units will be tested at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in October 1998.
Building Skills for Sexual Assault Responders
Grantee: Minneapolis Research Foundation, Sexual Assault Resource Service
Funding: $100,000 for 12 months
In response to an ongoing and profound need to improve the quality and continuity of services to victims of sexual assault, OVC awarded a training and technical assistance grant to the Sexual Assault Resource Service of the Minneapolis Research Foundation to address this problem. The grantee is currently developing a comprehensive training and technical assistance package for crisis counselors and victim advocates on the trauma of sexual victimization and the crisis responses, advocacy, and mental health services that can promote personal recovery and healing. The grantee will pilot-test the training in Colorado in April 1998 and in Minnesota in May 1998. During the second phase of the project, the grantee will modify the curriculum based on results of the pilot-testing, and conduct a series of regional training workshops for direct service providers.
Traumatic Grief: The Synergism Between Trauma and Grief
Grantee: Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia
Funding: $100,000 for 12 months
Very few curricula and training materials currently exist for victim advocates and other professionals who work with survivors of homicide victims. The Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia received OVC funds in FY 1997 to develop a training model based on a new construct of "traumatic grief." The project included the development of an assessment tool to measure the experience of traumatic grief and a three-day multidisciplinary training curriculum for victim advocates, criminal justice practitioners, and allied professionals. The curriculum will be pilot-tested in Philadelphia in March 1998. During the project's second year, the grantee will organize and implement six three-day regional workshops using the training curriculum.
Healing Through Action: Crime Victims and Community Activism
Grantee: Victim Services, Inc.
Funding: $35,000 for 12 months
Victim Services, Inc. received funding from OVC in FY 1996 to conduct a project documenting how community involvement by crime victims can help them recover from the trauma of victimization. The grantee has reviewed available literature on the topic of victim activism, surveyed victim service organizations across the country to document different types of community activism activities, and interviewed and profiled individual victims who engage in these activities. The final product will be a summary monograph that will illustrate ways in which victims become active, educate victim service agencies about how to involve victims who want to become active, and inform victims about the opportunities and the dangers of becoming involved in community activism efforts. This project is the first of its kind and has proved to be considerably more complex than was originally anticipated. Continuation funding will enable the grantee to interview more victim activists and develop a more thorough and comprehensive final product.
Children's Advocacy Centers
Grantee: National Network of Children's Advocacy Centers
Funding: $50,000 for 12 months
Children's Advocacy Centers (CAC) are assisting communities across the country to improve the handling of child victim cases by creating child-friendly environments, adjusting criminal justice procedures to the needs and abilities of children, and adopting multidisciplinary approaches. In 1997, OVC joined with OJJDP and the National Network of Children's Advocacy Centers to: 1) develop a program demonstrating comprehensive, multidisciplinary, state-of-the-art medical services for child victims living in rural areas; 2) produce a videotape to enhance CAC efforts to improve collaboration with domestic violence advocates to better serve child victims and their parents; and 3) provide training and technical assistance through a mentoring program with communities that are interested in establishing a children's advocacy center. In FY 1998, OVC will provide funding to continue the mentoring program, with an emphasis on establishing children's advocacy centers in culturally diverse communities and assisting existing centers to better serve the needs of the various cultural and ethnic populations in their areas.
Crisis Response Training
Grantee: National Organization for Victim Assistance
Funding: $125,000 for 18 months (Department of Education--$125,000)
In a joint effort with DOEd, OVC will provide funding to organize, conduct, and assess a series of three training events for school-based personnel on effective responses to incidents of violence and victimization that impact schools or students. The program also will support one training-of-trainers session for school-based crisis response teams, which will create a cadre of educators who can train other educators on crisis response skills, and three regional training seminars on establishing community and institutional crisis response teams. The regional training will assist participants in preparing a community or institutional crisis response plan that is flexible enough to address many possible crime-related crises. The plan must address both chronic situations and crises, such as multiple victimizations on one college campus, and acute crises, such as hostage situations. The training also will assist in identifying key professionals to serve on the crisis response teams.
Evaluation of State Victim Compensation and Assistance Programs
Funding: $500,000 for 12 months
In FY 1997, OVC funded the first phase of a multiyear collaborative program with NIJ to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of VOCA-funded compensation and assistance programs in meeting the needs of crime victims. Employing a pilot population sample, the first phase is investigating the harm and loss caused by criminal victimization, and the nature and magnitude of unmet victim needs.
Second-year funding for the project will support a study or studies focusing on the operation of VOCA state compensation and assistance programs and the state subgrantees. This effort will employ a sample of VOCA administrators, service providers, and clients. It will examine such topics as: the effects of program administrative location, staffing, and management on efficiency, effectiveness, and impact; program funding criteria used by state-level VOCA administrators; outreach; and the relation of VOCA to other programs addressing similar needs.
Family Violence Intervention Model for Dental Professionals
Grantee: University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and the Program Against Sexual Violence
Funding: $80,000 for 12 months
Dental professionals are uniquely positioned to identify victims of family violence. Research indicates that many injuries resulting from family violence are found in the head and neck area. Dentists and their staffs frequently have not been trained to intervene effectively and sensitively with family violence victims. OVC awarded funds to the School of Dentistry and the Program Against Sexual Violence at the University of Minnesota to develop a comprehensive education model for dentists and their ancillary staffs, including a videotape on family intervention. This training will be pilot-tested in rural Minnesota in early 1998. During the project's second phase, the grantee will enhance the training curriculum, develop a videotape on the detailed clinical presentation of intentional injuries as a companion to the intervention videotape, conduct a minimum of four regional training workshops for dental professionals, and collaborate with dental professional and educational organizations to disseminate the videotape and training nationwide.
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) Development and Operation Guide
Grantee: Minneapolis Research Foundation, Sexual Assault Resource Service
Funding: $125,000 for 12 months
The first SANE program was established in 1975 to improve services to sexual assault victims. Currently, 87 SANE programs are in operation nationwide. Individuals interested in developing similar programs in their communities have besieged existing programs with requests for information and guidance. To address this rapidly compounding need for standardized technical assistance, OVC awarded funds to the Sexual Assault Resource Service of the Minneapolis Research Foundation to develop a SANE guidebook. This guidebook, which will be available in early 1998, will lead interested individuals through the process of establishing and operating a SANE program, comprehensively addressing clinical, legal, and operational issues. The second phase of the project will provide technical assistance through a series of 12 to 15 regional training workshops, develop a SANE Web site for dissemination of information and technical assistance, and evaluate program efficacy through statistical tracking of new and existing programs, focusing on outcomes that measure the impact of SANE services on sexual assault victims and their communities.
Professional Education, Phase II
Grantee: Victim Services, Inc.
Funding: $50,000 for 12 months
Victim Services, Inc. (VSA) received an award to produce and pilot-test a multidisciplinary, core curriculum on crime victim issues. Once the curriculum is developed, VSA may apply for funding to conduct additional pilot-tests in several different academic environments, resulting in a final core curriculum. In addition, the grant recipient will develop a comprehensive dissemination plan and package the curriculum for use through several mediums, such as academic institutions, the Internet, videotape conferencing, etc. The dissemination plan will include a strategy to target various disciplines and environments, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. Lastly, the grant recipient will prepare a final report with recommendations for developing discipline-specific curricula on crime victim issues for graduate schools of law, medicine, nursing, divinity, criminal justice, mental health, and social work.
Triad/Elder Abuse
Grantee: National Sheriffs' Association
Funding: $450,000 for 15 months (OVC--$150,000, BJA--$300,000)
In 1994, OVC entered into a partnership with BJA and HHS's Administration on Aging to support regional Triad Conferences. Triad is a joint effort of the National Sheriffs' Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, and American Association of Retired Persons to build a coordinated service response to elderly crime victims. The Triad training conferences conducted to date have stimulated the growth of over 500 Triad programs in 49 states. In FY 1998, the grantees will conduct a national conference, two regional conferences, and five train-the-trainer conferences.
Victims' Rights Compliance Efforts Resource Package and Mentoring
Grantee: National Criminal Justice Association
Funding: $80,000 for 12 months
OVC will support the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) to provide resources to states for establishing victims' rights compliance programs. The project will build on information gathered from a study conducted by NCJA of compliance programs in Colorado, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The study examined state laws and administrative procedures, sample cases, and avenues of recourse for victims whose rights may have been violated. The continuation project will support the development of a resource package on how to establish a compliance program and provide mentoring to states on the use of the package.
Assistance for Battered Foreign-born Spouses
Grantee: American Bar Association (ABA)
Funding: $75,000 for 12 months
In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act, including within it the Battered Immigrant Women provision. This provision protects abused immigrant women married to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. In the past, abused immigrant women with interim status who left abusive husbands faced the possibility of immediate deportation. Today, these individuals may self-petition for the right to remain in the U.S., so that they may remain with and care for their naturalized children and fulfill requirements to attain citizenship. Still, many service providers and attorneys do not know how to implement this law, and they are often unaware that these women can be helped. As a result, battered women may not be benefiting from this law or getting needed victims services. In FY 1997, OVC provided funding to the ABA and AYUDA to develop a training curriculum for victim advocates and attorneys about this new law and how best to serve battered immigrant women. In FY 1998, OVC will continue to fund the ABA and AYUDA to conduct training and technical assistance for victim service providers and attorneys to assist battered immigrant women.
Child Victim Assistance Demonstration Program
Funding: $79,000 for 12 months
In FY97, OVC and EOUSA supported a specialized child victim assistance multidisciplinary program in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia. The multidisciplinary center coordinated services and implemented a joint interview/assessment process and specialized services for child victims. A range of program implementation and informational materials, including Child Victims and Witnesses: A Handbook for Criminal Justice Professionals, were developed and distributed to professionals from other programs who work with child victims. In FY 1998, OVC will support the expansion of this program and offer training and mentoring services to other sites wishing to replicate the program or develop similar services for child victims.
Juvenile Court Response to Victims of Juvenile Offenders
Grantee: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Funding: $150,000 for 12 months
This project is currently developing information and training materials on victim-related issues for juvenile court personnel and probation staff for the purpose of improving services to victims of juvenile offenders. In the continuation phase of the project, the grantee will use the newly developed materials to provide intensive training and technical assistance to three to five juvenile court jurisdictions at the regional, state, or local levels. The grantee will also disseminate information about the project and its products and provide limited technical assistance to additional court jurisdictions.
Promising Strategies and Practices for Victim Assistance in Corrections
Grantee: National Victim Center
Funding: $170,000 for 18 months
In 1995, OVC awarded an 18-month grant to the National Victim Center (NVC) to initiate and enhance corrections-based victims services. The project is providing intensive training and technical assistance to adult and juvenile corrections and parole agencies in eight states and to one large jail system. The products of the grant, which include a revised training curriculum and a compendium of promising practices, continue to be in high demand by correctional agencies across the country, as is the training by project staff. In response, OVC will award continuation funding to provide intensive training and technical assistance to additional states and jail jurisdictions. Agencies participating in this project include the American Correctional Association, the American Jail Association, the Association of Paroling Authorities International, the American Probation and Parole Association, and the Restorative Justice Association.
Promising Victim-Related Practices in Probation and Parole
Grantee: American Probation and Parole Association (APPA)
Funding: $80,000 for 12 months
Funded in FY 1996, this project has developed a compendium of innovative policies, procedures, and programs implemented by probation and parole agencies to respond to the needs of crime victims. Based on this information, the grantee developed a training curriculum and provided training and technical assistance to community corrections practitioners and trainers on exemplary practices. In the continuation phase of the project, APPA will conduct a two-hour videotape conference on promising victim-related practices in probation and parole, which will be held in conjunction with APPA's annual training conference. In addition, a series of shorter video conferences will be broadcast to probation and parole agencies in rural areas. These sessions will be adaptations of segments of the larger training curriculum.
National Technical Assistance Conference for State VOCA Victim Compensation and Victim Assistance Administrators
Grantee: National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) and the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards (NACVCB)
Funding: $100,000 for 12 months
In FY 1998, OVC will provide funding to expand and enhance its support of national-scope training and technical assistance for state VOCA victim compensation and assistance administrators. NOVA and the NACVCB will plan and conduct a national training and technical assistance meeting in FY 1999 to bring VOCA victim compensation and assistance administrators together to receive guidance and technical assistance that advances their administration of the federal VOCA grant programs. A major purpose of the grant is to foster ongoing collaboration and coordination among compensation and assistance programs. Compensation and assistance administrators throughout the country will be consulted by the grantees concerning conference dates, presenters, and the agenda.
Federal District Specific Training
Funding: $150,000
OVC will continue to provide funding to federal districts to support training conferences and seminars addressing federal victims' rights issues and compliance with the 1995 Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance. The purpose of this program is to allow U.S. Attorneys' Offices to sponsor training events that go beyond the basics and help create systemic change for the benefit of victims of federal crime.
Office of Legal Education (OLE) Victim Rights and Legal Issues Instructor
Funding: $170,000
OVC will continue to support an attorney instructor in OLE who will draft a series of chapters on litigation issues and supplementary course material, and present classroom instruction to federal prosecutors and victim-witness coordinators on federal victims' rights legislation, case law and policy, and prosecutors' responsibilities to federal crime victims. OVC will make funding available through an interagency agreement with EOUSA.
Victims Issues Legal Specialist Position
Funding: $130,000
OVC will provide second-year funding for a Victims Issues Legal Specialist position within the LECC/Victim-Witness Program at EOUSA. The specialist provides training and technical assistance to federal Victim-Witness Coordinators on current victims' rights laws and guidelines.
Violence Against Women Act Specialist Position
Funding: Funded ($92,540) in FY 1997
OVC has provided second-year funding to support a Violence Against Women Act Specialist Position based in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Maine. The purpose of the position is to assist EOUSA in providing training and technical assistance to all presently employed and new Assistant U.S. Attorneys, federal Victim-Witness Coordinators, advocates, and specialists from U.S. Attorneys' offices nationwide concerning the effective and efficient implementation of relevant provisions of the Violence Against Women Act.
Travel for Federal Victim-Witness Coordinators and Prosecutors
Funding: $300,000
OVC will support travel for federal Victim-Witness Coordinators and prosecutors to attend training sessions that improve their capability to provide high quality services to victims of federal crime. Travel will be funded to attend and participate in training events such as: the "Strengthening Indian Nations: Justice for Victims of Crime" Conference; the National Symposium on Victims of Federal Crime; the National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse; the National Victim Assistance Academy; the National Organization for Victim Assistance conference; crisis response training at EOUSA's national LECC/Victim-Witness conference; and the Violence Against Women regional teleconference training series.
EOUSA Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund
Funding: $ 50,000
Through an interagency agreement with EOUSA, OVC provides funding to address the immediate needs of federal crime victims when immediate assistance is unavailable through any other source. The Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund has been used to provide crisis counseling, pay temporary shelter costs, provide payment for travel related to victim participation in criminal justice proceedings, defray emergency medical treatment expenses, and hire interpreters for non-subpoenaed victims. EOUSA's Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund will continue to support these types of critical services in FY 1998.
White-Collar Crime Victim Advocate Program
Funding: $125,000
OVC will provide continuation funding for a demonstration project in the Northern District of California U.S. Attorney's Office to improve services for white-collar crime victims. The project will identify, implement, and document promising practices for assisting white-collar crime victims. Funds will be used to support a White-Collar Crime Victims Advocate, who will assist in identifying and recovering assets for victims. The Advocate will continue to work under the direction of the Chief of the Economic Crimes Division and will work closely with other components, including the Asset Forfeiture Division Unit, U.S. Marshals, and the Victim-Witness Coordinator. Funds also will provide for computer support and travel. As part of the project, a representative of the U.S. Attorney's Office will participate in an ad-hoc working group that will: 1) identify and assess materials and practices that benefit white-collar crime victims; 2) produce a resource kit that includes a victim pamphlet, victim handbook, and videotape; and 3) create a Victim-Witness Coordinator guide to assisting white-collar crime victims. Information about the results of this demonstration program will be distributed to other U.S. Attorneys' Offices for possible replication.
FBI Skills Development Training
Funding: $200,000
Through an interagency agreement with the FBI, OVC will continue to support skills development training for FBI Victim-Witness Coordinators. This funding will support the following activities: the attendance of selected FBI staff at a yearly in-service training, crisis intervention training, and the NOVA annual conference; mentoring; and an orientation training session for new Victim-Witness Coordinators.
FBI Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund
Funding: $50,000
Through an interagency agreement with the FBI, OVC will provide funding to address the immediate needs of federal crime victims when immediate assistance is unavailable through any other source. The FBI's Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund may be used to provide emergency transportation and crisis counseling, pay temporary shelter costs, and defray emergency medical treatment expenses.
FBI Training and Technical Assistance Specialists (2)
Funding: Funded in FY 1997 for two years
FY 1997 funding ($200,000) will continue to support two three-year training and technical assistance specialists at the FBI through FY 1998. FY 1999 funding will support the positions for a third and final year.
INS Training and Technical Assistance Specialist
Funding: $100,000
OVC will provide second-year funding for the position of a temporary training and technical assistance specialist (not to exceed three years) who will be assigned to: 1) ensure that Victim-Witness Coordinators from INS field offices have full access to information about the latest victims' rights laws, DOJ policies and procedures, Attorney General initiatives, and other DOJ efforts to assist victims and witnesses; effective training on up-to-date topics; technical assistance; and on-site mentoring; 2) train all new and currently employed agents on issues related to the implementation of relevant provisions of federal victim-witness assistance statutes; and 3) monitor the implementation of the agencies' training and technical assistance programs. This funding will assist the INS in establishing their victim-witness assistance programs.
INS Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund
Funding: $50,000
Through an interagency agreement with INS, OVC will continue to provide funding to address the immediate needs of federal crime victims when immediate assistance is unavailable through any other source. The INS's Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund may be used to provide crisis counseling, pay temporary shelter costs, and defray emergency medical treatment expenses.
DEA Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund
Funding: $50,000
Through an interagency agreement with DEA, OVC will provide funding to address the immediate needs of federal crime victims when immediate assistance is unavailable through any other source. The DEA's Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund may be used to provide crisis counseling, pay temporary shelter costs, and defray emergency medical treatment expenses.
U.S. Parole Commission
Funding: $60,000
Through an interagency agreement with the U.S. Parole Commission, OVC will provide third and final year continuation funding for a Victim-Witness Coordinator position. This position will assist victims and witnesses with attendance at federal parole revocation hearings and notify them of the results of those hearings. The Victim-Witness Coordinator will coordinate with the Federal Bureau of Prisons when an offender's parole is revoked to ensure that the victim of the original federal offense is notified of the offender's return to prison, of any subsequent parole considerations, and of the offender's eventual release. By the end of the project, the Parole Commission will evaluate the effort by reviewing case files for victim and witness appearance data and surveying victims, witnesses, and parole staff about their experiences with the parole process. Evaluation results may provide information that can be used in state systems.
Federal Compliance Training: Department of the Treasury, The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)
Funding: $200,000
This continuation funding is targeted to fulfill OVC's responsibility to train federal law enforcement officers in the delivery of services to victims of crime. FLETC trains officers from over 70 agencies with basic and advanced classes. This agreement funds one-and-a-half positions and supports agency-specific training sessions.
Federal Compliance Training: Federal Travel
Funding: $325,000
This funding will support travel for federal criminal justice personnel to both present at and attend OVC-sponsored training sessions such as the National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse, the NOVA Conference, Dallas Crimes Against Children Conference, the National Victim Assistance Academy, and others. This travel account is intended to be utilized for travel orders that must be processed through OVC.
White-Collar Crime
Grantee: Police Executive Research Forum
Funding: $29,000
This funding will supplement a current grant to the Police Executive Research Forum to complete a Victim-Witness Coordinator Guidebook and associated videotape concerning the response to the needs and rights of white collar crime victims.
Children's Justice Act (CJA) Discretionary Grant Program for Native Americans
Funding: $917,000
In FY 1996, OVC funded 12 programs to make the investigation and prosecution of child physical and sexual abuse cases less traumatic for child victims. The projects have helped to establish: special prosecution units on the reservation; children's advocacy centers; children's court preparation programs; revised tribal juvenile and criminal codes; children's bills of rights; child-centered interviewing rooms; and training programs for law enforcement personnel, social services personnel, health and medical personnel, and other professionals/practitioners involved in the handling of child abuse cases. OVC will provide second and third-year funding to continue these projects.
Victim Assistance in Indian Country (VAIC) Discretionary Grant Program
Funding: $740,000
From 1988 until 1996, OVC awarded VAIC grants to state agencies that would make subgrants to Indian tribes or tribal organizations. In 1997, OVC modified the program so the tribes would receive funding directly from OVC. This change resulted from OVC's commitment to honor tribal sovereignty and improve the government-to-government relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes, while fulfilling an OVC-established goal to improve the response to victims of crime in Indian Country. To ensure continuity of funding and facilitate a smooth transition to the new direct funding strategy, OVC continued to fund each existing VAIC program in FY 1997 at the FY 1996 level. OVC also encouraged states to increase their efforts to fund tribal victim service programs with state VOCA assistance grant funds. All 37 VAIC programs funded in FY 1997 will be funded for one additional year at their FY 1997 levels.
Children's Advocacy Centers in Indian Country
Funding: $50,000
In FY 1996, OVC provided funding through an interagency agreement to OJJDP to assist Indian tribes in establishing Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs) in Indian Country. The Tulalip Tribe in Washington State was selected as a demonstration site to develop a coordinated strategy to meet the needs of Native American child victims and the criminal justice system. This year, OVC will continue the program and support one or more new and/or existing CAC demonstration sites in Indian Country. The funding may be used as operational funds that would assist a tribe to stabilize an existing CAC program, or as technical assistance funds that would provide ongoing assistance in establishing a CAC program.
OVC will transfer the funding to OJJDP through an interagency agreement, which will award it to the Western Regional Children's Advocacy Center.
Training and Technical Assistance for Victim Assistance in Indian Country (VAIC)
Funding: $166,000
This continuation funding will support the National Indian Justice Center to provide training and technical assistance to VAIC grantees and to organize a post-award conference for the grantees.
Tribal Court-Appointed Special Advocate Programs (CASA)
Funding: $125,000
OVC will provide continuation support to CASA programs in Indian Country. The funding will support four demonstration programs, attendance of CASA staff at the National CASA conference, training and technical assistance, and development of guidelines for all 14 tribal CASA programs.
Tribal and Federal Judges Training
Funding: $115,000
OVC will continue its program to provide legal education to tribal and federal judges on the adjudication of child sexual abuse cases occurring in Indian Country. The program will provide legal education on federal procedural law involving the Federal Rules of Evidence, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures, and the Major Crimes Act. Issues of prosecutorial discretion and relevant tribal law regarding child abuse cases will also be covered. This program includes a scholarship component for travel by tribal judges to attend other OVC-sponsored conferences and training workshops on crime victim-related issues.
Training and Technical Assistance for Children's Justice Act (CJA)
Funding: $100,000
This program will provide funding to continue skills-building training and technical assistance to CJA grantees to help them successfully implement their projects. The program will: support the assessment of the needs of the grantees and development of plans to meet those needs; provide on-site and technical assistance via telephone to both new and continuing grantees; and produce written papers, bulletins, monographs, and other information to assist child victims in Indian Country.
Attorney General's Indian Country Justice Initiative
Funding: $100,000
OVC will make second-year funding available to support the Attorney General's Indian Country Justice Initiative at the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana. This interagency initiative, which funds comprehensive services for the two Indian tribes, is a collaborative effort among the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, DOI, and various DOJ components, including the Criminal Division, OTJ, OPD, and OVC, as well as other OJP bureaus. OVC will support Children's Justice Act and Court-Appointed Special Advocate projects and victim-witness programs at each site.