North Dakota does not consider this to be an issue since we manage both assistance and compensation.

The larger agencies have been providing excellent effective training based on local needs.  Examples of participants in the training include military, volunteers, paramedics, guardians, teachers, human service providers, victim advocates, law enforcement, attorneys, medical professionals and clergy.  They collaborate with Social Services Child Protection Teams and the agencies become leaders in areas concerning sexual assault as well as domestic violence issues. The smaller programs are attempting to establish efforts to aid crime victims by maintaining a healthy relationship with interested parties.

Most of our federal victims are on the Native American reservations and their programs serve their needs. Their programs coordinate with the state coalitions for domestic violence and sexual assault and maintain communication efforts that way.

Receiving VOCA funding offers the opportunity for the programs to provide public education, professional training, outreach services and community networking events which contribute to the improvement of delivering services. Without the funding, a number of smaller rural programs would be faced with the possibility of closing their programs. The larger programs are able to work on their own internal needs assessments to be consistent with the needs of the community and they are more likely to provide necessary training. The smaller programs also do participate in these. 

1.  A mail order bride from the Philippines, who married a farmer, wanted to leave because of his abuse.  He made sure that she had no money or resources to do anything or go anyplace. She hardly spoke English. The program helped her connect with a translator so she could deal with the people who could help her get her citizenship so she could stay in the U.S.  They helped her find a lawyer, found her an apartment and helped her find a job.





2.  A man and his teenage daughter got a protection order against his alcoholic abusive wife.  She physically and verbally abused him and his daughter. The program helped in this process and provided counseling for them.





3.  Shortly after the death of her husband, a woman met a man at church who soon began stalking her. After a period of time, she sought help from the agency and was helped in securing a restraining order. They also provided support for her as she went through the court process in order to extend the restraining order for two years.





4.  A program helped a woman who was physically, emotionally and sexually abused by her husband. He had strangled her several times, hit, slapped, punched, kicked and pushed her down. During her first pregnancy, her husband made her stand for several hours at a time, not allowing her to use the bathroom when needed and also made her sleep naked on the kitchen floor while he called her names and ridiculed her. She finally was able to escape the home and found help from the program that help her secure a protection order. They help her find an apartment and provided support services for her so that she could "start a new life" for herself.

A feeling on the part of some is that the fact that children are left home alone more, it contributes to their watching more violence and sex on T.V. and they began to accept that as normal. Also, due to the economics of the day, some valuable services,such as mental health services etc., are closing their doors which creates more problems in securing those services.

North Dakota has not used administrative funds for years.