In the State of Utah the Office of Crime Victim Reparations Program (compensation) and the VOCA Victim Assistance Program are administered within one office and housed within the same facility. The VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantee annual reports for this reporting period indicate 13,015 primary and secondary crime victims have been assisted with compensation applications and referred to CVR for compensation benefits.  Annualy the CVR Director and Assistance Director provide twelve to fifteen compensation trainings to Victim Assistance subgrantees. The Assistant Director also receives an average of four telephone calls and emails per week from VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantee prersonnel. There are five additional compensation officers that also receive telephone calls and emails from VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantee personnel.  Compensation program training is annually placed on the agendas of the Utah Victim Assistance Academy, Utah Victim Assistance Advanced Academy, and the Statewide Advocates for Victims (SWAVO). In summary the major issues that enable victim asistance programs to assist crime victims in filing for compensation benefits and in understanding state victim compensation eligibility requirements are as follows:  1) VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees have current information on compensation eligibility requirements through training sessions provided by the CVR staff, 2) CVR staff travel througout the State to provide training sessions on benefits, eligibility requirements, and application process, 3) VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees request that Compensation training be included on their staff (both paid and volunteer) training curriculums, 4) VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees and allied agencies are provided with compensation applications, brochures, and cards. 5) The information cards are available in several different languages, 6) VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees have included CVR program benefits and eligibility requirements on their local web pages, 7)Compensation Program staff not only attend the Utah Victim Assistance Academy; but also, act as Academy facilitors which enables Compensation staff and victim advocates attending the training to become professionally acquainted and to develop stronger working relatinships, 8) All VOCa Victim Assistance subgrantees assist crime victims in completing compensation applications and in submitting these applications to the CVR Office, 9) Victim advocates routinely discuss cases with Compensation Officers, provide useful infomation, and fax in police reports, and 10) The VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees assistance to the Compensation Officers helps to decrease the commmpensation award processing time and provides valuable infomation and personal advocacy to crime victims.   

Utah VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees have initiated the following activities to promote coordinated public and private efforts within the community to aid crime victims: 1) Extensive collaboration among agencies exists to ensure that all resources are made available to victims of crime.  For example domestic violence shelters and rape recovery centers (non-profits) refer crime victims to law enforcement agencies for reporting purposes and support through the criminal justice system.  Cross referrals exist among agencies in local communities.  Referrals made by local agencies to State agencies have increased as additional statewide services become available.  Agencies with victim advocate/assistance personnel provide crime victims with assistance in filing state compensation applications, write letters providing additional information about cases to include with CVR applications, and make follow up calls to compensation officers.  They also assist victims in obtaining police reports and other information to accompany applications which ensures completeness and a quicker turn around time.  The Utah Attorney General's Office Restitution program receives numerous crime victim referrals from local victim assistance programs, the Board of Pardons and Parole, and Crime Victim Reparations.  Referral sources include local hospitals, medical clinics, Utah State Division of Workforce Services, Utah Dept. of Human Services, Utah Legal Services, Legal Aid Society, LDS Social Services, domestic violence shelters, rape recovery programs, guardian ad litem programs, family support centers, schools, Division of Child & Family Services, mental health programs, Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic, and criminal justice agencies. 2) Local non-profits and criminal justice agencies have increased there efforts to increase community support from local businesses and community leaders. 3) Local non-profits and criminal justice agencies provide training for victim services staff and invite colleagues to join as presenters and participants in training workshops and conferences. 4) The statewide sexual assault coalition, UCASA, coordinates issues relating to sexual assault including education, training, public relations, legislation, statewide service development, surveys, and needs assessments.  UCASA has developed a forty hour training curriculum which is being implemented across the State.  UCASA also organizes local communities and provides technical assistance in developing rape recovery, SANE, and SART programs.  UCASA partners with the State Sexual Violence Council in many sexual assault initiatives. 5) A Statewide Advocates for Victims Organization, SWAVO, has been developecd to both maintain and improve the quality of services to victims of crime through training, to provide coordination of victim services progams across jurisdictional lines, to provide a standardized knowledge and skill based training program, and to provide administrative support to victim advocacy programs.  SWAVO conducts quarterly training sessions in different regions of the State.  Attendance at these training sessions ranges from seventy-five to ninety-five advocates and allied professionals.  6)The Utah Council on Victims of Crime acts as a coodinating body for training and legislative initiatives. 7) Non-profit organizations such as Holy Cross Ministries, Multicultural Legal Center, and the Utah Health and Human Rights Project train and accept referral of crime victims who need assistance with immigration (U Visa's and VAWA Act) and trafficking from law enforcement agencies and prosecution offices statewide.

VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees that offer services within Indian Nation territories in their local areas often have representatives from the Bureau of Indican Affairs and the Federal Bureau of investigation as part of their multidisciplinary task forces.  They meet monthly and coordinate services on active cases.  Many VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees have established policies which provide all available services to victims of federal crimes although many of these cases are referred to statewide agencies, such as the United States Attorney's Office. The County Attorney's Offices continue to handle major securities fraud cases involving crime victims. They also work with state and federal agencies involved in securities licensing and banking.  Services are provided to crime victims of defendants who are beng prosecuted federally by the INS for habitual criminal behavior. If a defendant has been deported back to his/her country of origin, enters the US illegally and commits a crime, that defendant can be charged as a Habitual Criminal and spend several years in the federal penitentiary.  County Attorney's Offices continue to have positive working relationships with local INS agents.  They are pleased to be able to provide these services to victims of federal crime in addition to their other cases.  County Attorney Offices continue to assist victims in cases such as bank robbderies, multi-state financial crimes and any other types of cases that may be prosecuted on a federal level.  Further, they assist victims of identity theft type crimes in working with Social Security Administration, Tax Commissions  and other agencies where credit or finances have been impacted.





CHILDREN'S JUSTICE CENTERS - Federal investigators interview child victims of internet crimes at their centers. The CJC staff are able to provide more support services and resources to families when these cases are brought to their centers.





LAW ENFORCEMENT VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - Victim assistance programs have worked with crime victims who were victims of federal crimes.  Many of these same violations also involve misdemeanor and felony level crimes.  In some of these situations, victims were referred to federal victim advocates for further assistance or questions.  Other situations; however, require Victim Advocates to contact Federal attorneys for information, or to help victims complete assistance forms such as the "U Visa".  

Many VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees ask each crime victim served by their program to complete a post-service evaluation of the services received.  Using the evaluation tool, programs are better able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their agencies VOCA funded program and staff can then make adjustments to strengthen those areas of weakness. Many programs hold weekly staff meetings in which victims' needs are discussed and assessed and appropriate adjustments of services are made as needed.  The Salt Lake Rape Recovery Center administers the Beck Depression Inventory and the Burns Anxiety Inventory to obtain pre-and post-testing.  Agency policies affecting victim services are reviewed and updated annually. The Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic educates advocates of victims rights under the Victims Rights Constitutional Amendment and enabling legislation. VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees educate victims of their rights, securing better implementation of these rights, and encouraging victims to access available services to enhance safety and healing.  VOCA Administrative funds are used to support the Utah Victim Assistance Academy and statewide SWAVO training conferences.  

The VOCA Victim Assistance programs are largely reliant on VOCA funding to be able to provide services to individuals who have been victimized by a crime. VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantees have some support from their local programs which contribute some monetary support; however,these victim service programs wouldn't be possible without the continued support of VOCA funding.  The lives of many people have been influenced in a positive way through the intervention and supportive services available through these programs. 





CITY PROSECUTORS VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM -  Some victims don't see themselves as victims, they don't want charges filed and they don't want to receive any advocacy services.  However, even in these cases there is a lot of good than can be accomplished and will be beneficial to the victim at a later point in time.  In one case, Jane was sent a Victim Impact Statement with her notification letter that charges had been filed.  She returned the statement with an angry narrative stating she wasn't the victim, the police hadn't listened to her and she wants the charges to be dropped.  The advocate discussed the statement with the prosecutor and asked him to meet with the victim to hear her side before proceeding with the case. The evidence did support the charges and knowing the cycle of domestic violence it was more likely than not that she was the victim and cycling in the abusive relationship, but she needed to be involved regardless of what the outcome would be.  Jane was contacted and a time was set up for her to talk with the prosecutor and the advocate. She arrived and was defensive as to her victim status but open about what had happened on the day the crime occurred.  She was also willing to talk about her relationship and what she thought, hypothetically, would be helpful to her husband by way of counseling if the charges proceeded.  Without hesitation she said he had anger issues and needed counseling for that.  We explained that the value of the pending charges included providing us and the court the ability to require him to complete cousneling and without that jurisdiction, no one could make him do anything.  We talked about any influence or intimidation he was subjecting her to as a result of the case but she wouldn't admit to any behavior in that respect. The prosecutor then reviewed the evidence and confronted her with clear pictures showing the injuries and explained that he could not in good conscience, dismiss the case.  She understood.  By the end of the meeting she was not happy but she understood the process and that she had to cooperate with testifying if he wouldn't take a plea negotiation.  She left iwth the demeanor that we weren't the enemy and we watch her leaving knowing that a seed had been planted and resources offered that she most likely would need in the future.  





NONPROFIT COUNSELING AGENCY - VOCA funds allow the Family Support Center to treat Adults Molested As Children (AMAC) who do not have other financial resources to assist in their efforts to receive therapy.  Clients are able to receive validation of their fellings in individual counseling and especially in group where they hear the feelings and problems of others and notice the similarities in their experiences.  Clients gain knowledge about the dynamics contributing to abuse and domestic violence.  Most importantly they begin to learn that they are not to blame for the abuse.  We are able to assist clients to learn about healthy vs. unhealthy relationships and boundaries.  Clients learn coping skills for managing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.  Clients learn to identify cognitive distortions contributing to their issues and healthy reframes.  Partners of victims or parents of victims can learn appropriate ways of providing emotinal support, helping to establish appropriate boundaries, positive communication skills, and safety and protection skills.  Clients in our AMAC group report feeling supported and validated, get feedback from multiple sources which makes it more believeable, and get the chance to be supportive of others and share coping skills that have been used successfully.  This is often the springboard for their developing personal support networks in their lives.  Group offers the opportunity to practice skills that support their efforts to reclaim a sense of personal worth and value. 





LAW ENFORCEMENT VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - Without the financial assistance offered to this program by way of the VOCA grant, victim service providers may not be available to those experiencing trauma.  As a result, countless individuals could suffer ongoing and irreparable damages from not receiving information and referral and not being allowed to participate in the criminal justice system.  For example Jane was violently raped (vaginal, anal, digital rape) and forced to perform sodomy and threatened with her very life. Because she was a fighter, Jane was able to escape; however, without the assistance of the victim assistance program, Jane may have been lost forever.  Jane was provided with assistance throughout the forensic nuring exam, referral to her local health department for administration of follow-up shots to ensure her health, provide daily contact with case progression and information on the perpetrator's jail status, referred to counseling services and finally referred to the special victim advocate's unit at the District Attorney's Office to enable her to participate in criminal justice proceedings.  Without the victim assistance program Jane may not be alive.  Her internal injuries due to the rape were significant and advocates scheduled the exams. Without the support, information, and referral provided to Jane, she may never have known what happened to the man who so terribly hurt her.





NONPROFIT SHELTER/RAPE RECOVERY CENTER - Staff members always strive to provide improved and increased support services to victims of domestic violence.  Currently a Native American woman and her two young children came into the shelter. Child Protective Services was involved in the case.  When the woman came into the shelter, after leaving her perpetrator, she had no idea how to proceed.  She minimized her partner's brutal abuse and she believed that the aubse was in no way affecting her children.  She had rarely, if ever, held a job and had very little in the way of resources.  When she came in-shelter, our Center's case manager (VOCA funded) worked extensively with her.  She now holds a full-time job, has adequate child care, and has been saving money and actively working toward finding a place to live.





NONPROFIT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER - Through our VOCA funded volunteer program, our crime victims are provided a wide-rane of services to better assist them.  Many of these services would not be available without the volunteer program funded by VOCA.  The volunteers provide information to victims calling on the Hotline, provide advocacy, support group leadership, children's art therapy classes, parenting skills, self sufficiency skills, computer training, job and interview counseling, pet therapy - every step from the first call to the Shelter through their move to safe, independent hoursing.  As an example, one victim, a mother of four children, called the Hotline and asked for help.  A volunteer that was recruited and trained by our VOCA funded volunteer coordinator answered that call.  The woman and her family lived at our shelter for 3 1/3 months.  During that stay, volunteers lead the support groups she attended.  Her children were cared for by a volunteer during these support groups or had a session of art therapy.  She had a volunteer help her find a job that she loved and a volunteer helped her find donations of clothing and furniture before leaving the shelter.  This woman and her family worked with a volunteer to find other resources in our community.  All of these volunteers helped in bring normalcy and a feeling of support to this family. 





URBAN LAW ENFORCEMENT VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - After talking with the crime victim the victim advocates learned that she was living in a basement apartment with her husband and baby.  The main residence was occupied by the abuser's father and his current wife.  The victim is an undocumented resident and was going through the process of applying for citizenship status through the husband's citizenship.  The initial officer contacted our program and requested an advocte respond and talk with the victim, who was hesitant in giving information to officers.  After a lengthy conversation, the victim said she was tired of abuse and wanted to leave.  She was given information and after speking with the advocate she knew she had other options (she was constantly reminded by the abuser of the increased possibility of her being deported if she did not live with him). The victim advocates transported her and her baby to shelter late that same day after helping her pack her belongings.  She was referred to the Multicultural Legal Center for assistancee with a VAWA petition and Legal Aid for a protective order.  She also received a lot of assistance through the Family Justic Center. 

Emerging issues and notable trends impacting crime victim services are summarized from VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantee annual reports as follows: increase in assaults, both physical and sexual involving minors; cases involving sexual explotation of minor.  These cases have involved cell pnones at school and off school property;  Increase in domestic violence cases; More requests for Spanish speaking therapist; A striking lack of Bi-Lingual therapists to serve a grouping Spanish speaking community and competition for such therapists is high; the increase of oil production in rural counties which has brought employment seekers, of all nationalities, in large numbers.  As a consequence, there are "tent cities" everywhere and no affordable housing. The type of workers needed for these jobs are often rough individuals who use aids to stay awake during their 10 days on the job, and then to relax on their time off.  As a result there has been significant increase of sex crimes. One program had 3 reported rapes in the last month compared to 4 reported rapes for the entire past year;  crime victims located in a very rural areas of the state whichmakes it difficult to provide services to victims when vast unpopulated geographical distances lie between the victim and available support services; distance is an ongoing issue and barrier; inadequately staffed programs to meet the high volume of crime victims who need to be served; need for advocates that speak different languages, including Slavic and Arabic languages as populations are growing rapidly in some jurisdictions; he population continues to swell with an influx of energy exploration and related workers; Domestic Violence Shelters are finding with the economic difficulties, our families are staying in the shelter longer, are having even more difficulties finding housing and are having a harder time finding jobs that pay what they need to support a family;  Latinas are more hesitant to ask for help because of immigration concerns.

The State of Utah used VOCA administrative funds in the following ways:  Prorated personnel expense for the Financial Grant Monitor position, training expenses to attend VOCA Victim Assistance administrators training meetings and OJP training, VOCA Request for Proposal training and printing costs, prorated costs for VOCA Victim Assistance program staff office space and utilities, funds to support quarterly statewide victim advocate training sessions,  and personnel and facility costs for the Utah Victims Assistance Academy.  





VOCA administrative funds enabled the State of Utah to administer the VOCA grant funds and adhere to the OVC federal quidelines. The Financial Grant Monitor provides financial assistance to the VOCA subgrantees in submitting their VOCA reimbursement requests, financial grant training, oversees the VOCA contract budgets, and conducts financial grant monitoring.  The Financial Grant Monitor position is funded with VOCA Administrative funds on a prorated basis. The Victim Assistance Coordinator administers the VOCA grant program and the Technical Assistance staff member provides the technical support for the program.  All three of the individuals in these positions have attended training programs to increase they knowledge of OVC guidelines and crime victim issues with the use of VOCA administrative dollars. Annually the VOCA program staff conduct two VOCA RFP training sessions (northern and southern Utah).  The expenses to enhance and expand local agency services to serve crime victims through the RFP training and knowledge of the VOCA program eligibility requirements, application process, and award process results in new VOCA subgrantees each year.  Thus crime victims are served throughout the state of Utah. VOCA administrative funds allow VOCA administrative staff to have adequate office space to hold contract training and technical assistance meetings with subgrantees to enhance subgrantees ability to serve crime victims through the use of VOCA funds with knowledge and skill. Statewide Advocates for Victims (SWAVO) is a statewide victim advocate organization which is administered by the CVR VOCA Victim Assistance staff.  The SWAVO Steering Committee develops the training agendas and networking opportunities though quarterly statewide trainings in regional areas of the State.  These one day training sessions are held in southern, northern, eastern, and western areas of the State.  Trainings include such topics as mentally ill clients, domestic violence medical protocols,the roles of law enforcement, prosecution, and the judiciary and how to advocate for victims within the criminal justice system, and new workforce services guidelines.  The SWAVO quarterly training continues to receive excellent evaluations and attendence ranges from 75 through 95 advocates. The trainings enhance the skills and knowledge of victim advocates throughout the State; thus enhancing services to crime victims statewide.  The Utah Victim Assistance Academy held annually and trains an average 60 to 65 VOCA Victim Assistance subgrantee personnel, compensation personnel, and allied professions.  Training is conducted for one week in partnership with Weber State University and is well known throughout the State as being the basic training for victim service and allied profession who provide services to crime victim.  This basic training provides victim advocates with a baseline of skill and knowledge when providing services to crime victims.