Back to ILLINOIS
VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT VICTIM ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM 2002 ILLINOIS STATE WIDE ASSISTANCE REPORT Prepared By: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority 120 South Riverside Plaza Suite 1016 Chicago, IL 60606-3908 tel: (312)793-8550
STATE FUNDING INFORMATION
A. THE ANNUAL AMOUNT ALLOCATED TO THE VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROJECTS: 1. Appropriations $ 38,000,000 2. Criminal Fines and Penalities $ 6,800,000 3. Assessments $ 0 4. Other $ 0 TOTAL:$ 44,800,000
B. TOTAL NUMBER OF AGENCIES FUNDED FROM THE FEDERAL GRANT: 84
C. NUMBER OF SUBGRANTS FUNDED FROM THIS FEDERAL GRANT: 395
VICTIM STATISTICS
A. THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS SERVED BY TYPE OF VICTIMIZATION:
NO. OF NO. OF VICTIMS SERVED VICTIMS SERVED 619 1. Child Physical Abuse 1,562 7. Adults Molested as Children 7,699 2. Child Sexual Abuse 1,296 8. Survivors of Homicide Victims 1,064 3. DUI/DWI Crashes 1,733 9. Robbery 62,574 4. Domestic Violence 604 10. Assualt 6,066 5. Adult Sexual Assault 19,673 11. Other 402 6. Elder Abuse TOTAL: 103,292
B. THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS WHO RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:
NO. OF VICTIMS SERVED 56,892 1. Crisis Counseling 40,522 2. Followup 2,973 3. Therapy 16,486 4. Group Treatment/Support 1,830 5. Shelter/Safehouse 22,092 6. Information/Referral (in-person) 106,277 7. Criminal Justice Support/Advocacy 4,074 8. Emergency Financial Assistance 35,830 9. Emergency Legal Advocacy 17,330 10. Assistance in filing Compensation Claims 34,931 11. Personal Advocacy 40,393 12. Telephone contact Informational/Referral 83,922 13. Other TOTAL: 463,552
A. EFFORTS TO PROMOTE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AID TO CRIME VICTIMS: A number of public and private linkages have been established which partner victim service agencies with representatives from the criminal justice, medical, business, educational, and religious communities, as well as the general public. For example: * In 1999, the Authority launched an effort to develop a new, integrated criminal justice plan for the State of Illinois. This comprehensive planning effort was initiated to help direct the allocation of funds administered by the Authority and to serve as a guide for the entire state in identifying priority issues for our criminal justice system. The planning process was guided by a tremendous amount of research, data collection, professional input and consultation, and was highlighted by a two-day Criminal Justice Planning Assembly held in June 2000, in which nearly 150 policymakers, service providers, researchers, private citizens, and government officials participated. Following the Assembly, advisory committees were convened to refine issues and develop strategic plans in six broad topic areas: 1) drug and violent crime; 2) juvenile crime; 3) victims of crime; 4) offender services; 5) community capacity building; and 6) information systems and technology. Each advisory committee comprised representatives from the criminal and juvenile justice systems, public health and social service agencies, academia, victim service providers, and community groups. These advisory committees identified 21 priority issues for the state, set meaningful goals and objectives for each, and recommended over 200 specific action steps to address them. The input from each of these committees and feedback received throughout the planning process resulted in the development of the statewide plan. In June 200 1, the Authority formally adopted the "Criminal Justice Plan for the State of Illinois" that directs the use of funds for criminal justice and victim service programs in Illinois. * In order to bridge the gaps in services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault within the criminal justice system, the Authority used Illinois' S.T.O.P. (Services* Training* Officers* Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funds to implement the model domestic violence protocol and model guidelines for responding to sexual assault. These programs seek to establish a multidisciplinary response to domestic violence and sexual assault. Through VAWA funding, 11 domestic violence protocol and two sexual assault guideline implementation sites have been initiated to bring criminal justice agencies and victim service providers together and to restructure the criminal justice system's response to crimes of violence against women. * In October 2001, the Authority's Ad Hoc Committee on Violence Against Women met to assist in the development of the State of Illinois S.T.O.P. VAWA multi-year implementation plan. The four objectives listed in this plan are: 1. To support services to women who are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence by establishing satellite service sites in one or more counties and/or by extending services to victim groups who are underserved and/or unserved; 2. To develop, implement and evaluate a plan for training police, prosecutors, judges, clerks, probation officers, and victim service and health care providers which reflects the unique information and skills necessary to promote an interdisciplinary approach to sexual assault and domestic violence. The plan shall identify training to be provided to all line staff as well as those who require more advanced training on responding to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence; 3. To identify and implement measures that document and assess the response of criminal justice agencies in Illinois to sexual assault and domestic violence, including ways which promote the communication of information among criminal justice practitioners and service providers; and 4. Provide support for efforts which enable the implementation of coordinated multi-disciplinary responses to adult female victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, including the adoption and institutionalization of protocols based on state or national models. * While not supported with VOCA funding, all VOCA grantees have networking agreements with other area agencies and organizations that work with or encounter crime victims. These relationships are continually developed and maintained to maximize resources, avoid duplication of services, augment referrals, facilitate victims' experiences with the criminal justice system, and improve a community's response to crime victims. In addition, the Authority requires that all VOCA grantees demonstrate that they will promote coordinated public and private efforts within the community served to aid crime victims. Grantees are required to report all community-based organizations-public and private-that they work with in serving crime victims. Grantees also report informal working agreements, which have resulted in victims accessing services they would not otherwise have had knowledge of or access to. * The Illinois General Assembly has appropriated funding to the Authority to establish sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) pilot programs in four counties geographically distributed around the state. The goals of these projects are to 1) provide compassionate health assessment and effective forensic evidence collection for victims of sexual assault, and 2) facilitate testimony that will increase the success rate of criminal prosecutions for sex crimes in Illinois. Specially trained sexual assault nurse or physician examiners provide health assessments and collect forensic evidence from victims in the emergency room at each site. These nurse and physician examiners testify to victims' injuries during criminal prosecutions. Each pilot project is to be funded for a minimum of three years. Authority staff is developing a report to the Illinois General Assembly on the efficacy of the SANE programs. Staff is examining data reports submitted to the Authority by implementation sites, attending and observing SANE task force or Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) meetings, and conducting phone interviews with SANEs, sexual assault victim advocates, and prosecutors who have experience working with victims who have received treatment from a SANE. Preliminary findings suggest that when a sexual assault victim is treated by a SANE, has evidence collection completed by a SANE, and subsequently offered the services of a sexual assault victim advocate, victims do seem more likely to be responsive to victim services and slightly more willing to cooperate with the criminal justice system. However, too many sexual assault victims are still never seen by SANEs. Anecdotal data suggest that implementation challenges include providing incentives for registered nurses to become certified SANEs, providing incentives for hospitals to invest in SANE programs, raising awareness among hospital staff about existence of SANEs in their own hospitals, and raising awareness among law enforcement and prosecution agencies. A final report detailing evaluation results will be presented to Illinois' new General Assembly in January of 2003. As interest continued to grow in the SANE program it became apparent that the state was in need of a standardized curriculum for SANEs. To that end a committee consisting of staff from the Illinois Departments of Public Health and Human Services, the Illinois State Police (ISP), the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA), the Authority and representatives of the affected medical associations has been working on a standardized SANE curriculum for use in Illinois. These standards will then be incorporated into the state's administrative rules applicable to hospitals that want to start a SANE program so they will have a clear understanding of the state's standards. The committee has also recommended changes to the sexual assault evidence collection kit, which is distributed to hospitals by the ISP. * Two VOCA grantees, both from private, nonprofit agencies, have established referral agreements with the police departments in the communities they serve. Both programs have found this private-public agreement to work effectively in serving domestic violence victims. When police encounter a domestic violence victim, the officer will give the victim a referral card with the name of the program and contact information. Then, police provide the victim's name and contact information to the domestic violence program. If the victim does not call the program within a few days, an advocate will contact the victim and inform her or him of available services. These advocates are trained so that the victim's immediate safety is prioritized when they attempt follow-up contact. They are trained how to identify the abuser's presence and recognize when the victim may be in danger. The phone number is also Caller ID resistant. Both programs have reported that this arrangement has allowed them to help many additional victims that may not have been helped otherwise. * The City of Chicago's Mayor's Office on Domestic Violence (MODV) is charged with overseeing an intensive effort to build Chicago's capacity to more effectively respond and intervene in instances of domestic violence. The MODV oversees the work of a coordinating counsel that includes representatives from every section impacted by domestic violence. With VOCA funding, the MODV employed three domestic violence specialists to work with the Mayor's Office on Work Force Development (MOWD) welfare to work job training and job placement agencies. The focus of the specialists' work is on providing direct service to victims. The domestic violence specialists are assigned to a combination of six MOWD contracting agencies at ten sites to provide supportive service to clients who are also victims of domestic violence. The specialists provide safety planning, resource information, individual and support group counseling services, advocacy with third parties on behalf of the victim, and linkage for ancillary and follow up services. The specialists have also joined the job training case managers in identifying battered women in the welfare to work programs, and assisted with implementing specific screening and assessment tools. Since this program was initiated the specialists have provided specialized services to over 1,080 victims of domestic violence and have assisted with raising awareness of how domestic violence can serve as a barrier for people moving from welfare to work. * The City of Chicago Domestic Violence Help Line offers toll-free, confidential and multilingual assistance to victims of domestic violence 24 hours a day, all year. It is staffed and operated by the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network and functions as a clearinghouse for domestic violence services in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Calls to the Help Line are answered by Victim Information and Referral Advocates (VIRAs) who are trained and certified domestic violence counselors. Spanish speaking VIRAs are always available and operators can access up to 140 additional languages through the AT&T language bank. Following a preliminary screening process, callers are provided with information about community based services including shelter, legal advocacy, counseling and civil legal services. Their database consists of over 170 local domestic violence resources and is able to navigate these various public and private services to target and link the caller with the most appropriate and accessible program. During the most recent 12-month reporting period the Help Line received 18,198 calls, a 35 percent increase over the previous year. * The City of Chicago also used VOCA funding for a massive, three-month citywide public awareness campaign to advertise the Domestic Violence Help Line's services. The campaign targeted the traditionally underserved African American, Latino, Chinese, Arabic, Pakistani, Jewish, Indian, Polish, Korean and Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender communities. The program sponsored a citywide Chicago Transit Authority campaign on 2,500 buses and trains to advertise the Help Line number and services in every community in Chicago and advertisements in citywide and local ethnic newspapers. During the month of August 2002, 118 (10.9 percent) of the Help Line callers indicated they had been referred to the Help Line by media advertisements. This was a significant increase from the previous month in which only 59 callers identified media advertisements as the source of their referral to the Help Line. * The Cook County State's Attorney's Office utilized S.T.O.P. VAWA funds to establish the Domestic Violence Resource Center to provide services and information to victims. The Center is a resource for victims when they come to court for the first time to file an Emergency Order of Protection, after their court case has been closed, or if they are a member of the community seeking to end an abusive relationship. The Center has developed partnerships with more than 24 local agencies, and provides a variety of referrals and information to victims. Victims are provided information on job training, given access to software programs for resume and cover letter writing, and provided with assistance in employment placement, educational opportunities, individual counseling and legal assistance.
B. EFFORTS TAKEN TO SERVE FEDERAL CRIME VICTIMS: Local victim service programs work hard to educate their communities about the services they offer. This effort includes assuring that federal crime victims are eligible to receive services and that they are referred for services. All VOCA funded programs provide services to federal crime victims and continue to take steps to ensure that this population is not unserved.
C. ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF VICTIM SERVICES: * As previously mentioned, the Authority initiated a new planning process during FFY00 that convened multidisciplinary groups of experts to discuss issues relating to victims of crime. The input from each of these groups and feedback received throughout the planning process resulted in the development of the statewide plan. In June 200 1, the Authority formally adopted the "Criminal Justice Plan for the State of Illinois" that directs the use of funds for criminal justice and victim service programs in Illinois. This plan resulted in nearly 70 recommended action steps with regard to crime victims, most of which would improve the delivery of victim services in Illinois. The Authority has committed to completing a number of these steps as part of a strategic plan that it has developed. * The Authority has used a combination of VOCA and funds and S.T.O.P. VAWA funds to expand services to victims of domestic violence to add transitional housing and related support that will allow victims to pursue financial independence and receive services that will promote long-term safety for them and their children. Ten transitional housing sites have been established. VAWA funds are used for Personnel Services, equipment and other costs associated with providing direct services to domestic violence victims at these sites. Those who work with domestic violence victims have long recognized that financial independence-the ability to support oneself and one's children-can facilitate or impede a victim's ability to leave an abusive partner. Few of the victims who seek shelter services have the means to buy a home or pay the necessary deposits on rental property, let alone a sufficient income to cover monthly expenses associated with establishing a household. Many are only able to find minimum wage positions and, as a result, must work long hours to make ends meet-and often then only with assistance of friends and family members. Clearly, affordable housing-such as low-cost or subsidized apartments-in conjunction with the supportive services that promote healing and independence for victims and their children are needed. * The Authority has utilized S.T.O.P. VAWA Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Grant Program funding to establish three transitional housing programs for victims of intimate partner violence and their children. These programs provide domestic violence victims with safe housing and create the opportunity for clients to develop the skills and resources necessary to become financially independent. Project activities are being carried out by three community-based agencies. As part of their transitional housing programs, these agencies also provide victims of intimate partner violence and their children with support services that enable them to become financially independent and achieve autonomy. * During FFY01, the Authority completed the planning stage of the first-ever crime victimization survey specific to Illinois. The primary purposes of the survey are to (1) yield reliable statewide and regional estimates of crimes committed against Illinois residents; (2) provide insight on the nature of criminal victimization in the state; and (3) provide information concerning the public's knowledge and utilization of crime victim services. This project will substantially improve our ability, as well as that of other state agencies, to allocate resources more effectively-particularly in the area of victim services. * During FFY02, Authority staff developed the sampling strategy, methodology, designed all mailing materials for the survey including the instrument, and obtained approval from the Authority's Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure ethical treatment of human subjects. All survey materials were also created in English and Spanish. The Authority has contracted with an external organization to administer all survey mailings, collect and enter all data, and compile data file in a research-ready format. Authority staff will be responsible for analyzing these data and producing a final report on the extent and nature of crime victimization in the state, as well as other reports and research articles with specialized topics. * During FFY00, Authority staff conducted a needs assessment of crime victim services in Illinois to identify possible gaps in services. This involved combining indicators of need such as official crime data and service provider data with other sources that provide information on the presence of victim resources. This helped create a picture of where services in some local areas may not sufficiently meet the estimated need. This assessment was a valuable tool for helping members of the Victims of Crime Advisory Committee identify funding priorities and action steps to be incorporated in the Criminal Justice Plan for the State of Illinois. These efforts continued in FFY01 by utilizing the results of this needs assessment for subsequent meetings of the Victims of Crime Advisory Committee as well as the Violence Against Women Ad Hoc Committee held during this year. In FFY02, Authority staff continued efforts to better identify populations that may have limited or no access to victim services. Several data sources were examined to help accomplish this, including but not limited to the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Illinois Department of Employment, and the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University. Recent releases of more detailed data from the 2000 Census have allowed staff to better identify these populations at the county level. Some of the populations identified were the elderly, persons with physical disabilities, persons with limited English- speaking and literacy abilities, recent immigrants, minorities, non-high school graduates, the unemployed, and those with limited incomes or living in poverty. These efforts helped determine where unserved or underserved populations may be more prevalent within Illinois. * Authority staff also revised the continuation materials for VOCA grantees in FFY02. This effort was undertaken to provide more guidance for VOCA grantees by helping them better identify the needs in their community, target these needs with direct victim services, and develop goals, objectives, and program strategies that respond to these needs without infringing VOCA guidelines. In earlier years, continuation materials asked VOCA grantees to provide a narrative description for eight (8) sections: description of organization, summary of program, review of progress made, statement of problem, goals and objectives, program strategy, performance indicators, and an implementation schedule. The continuation materials also provided instruction about what information was sought by the Authority for each section. In FFY02, these materials were changed from a narrative response proposal to a much more specific question-answer format. For each of the eight sections, specific questions were developed that more specifically target the information sought by Authority s@aff, Additionally, when appropriate, many of these questions require that grantees choose one or more of several predetermined responses. For example, when grantees are prompted to list their process objectives, several VOCA-fundable services are listed, and the grantee simply enters in the number of clients they will aim to provide that service to. * Efforts began in FFY02 to improve how we measure performance of VOCA grantees. Meetings were held to discuss ways of improving accuracy, consistency, and meaningfulness of performance measurement in light of the revised continuation materials. The data report used by VOCA grantees was revised so objectives can be better tracked. Future efforts by Authority staff to improve performance measurement will include development of common performance indicators for similar programs and objectives, and a short, anonymous survey instrument seeking victim feedback on the extent to which their needs were met. * During FFY02, Authority staff continued to develop project profiles for individual VOCA grantees. These profiles summarize several years of data and information submitted to the Authority by grantees in a reader-friendly report with several graphs illustrating trends. They provide an overview of the program's activities over several years, including its accomplishments, barriers, the nature of the population they serve, and whenever possible, a description of the needs in their community that their program specifically targets. When these profiles are presented to program staff in such a format, it offers them a new vantage point from which to learn how months or years of efforts have affected trends over time, as well as to build new ideas and strategies for future program development. * The Illinois Attorney General's Office, in fulfillment of the 1999 amendment to the Illinois Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act, is in the process of implementing a statewide, automated victim notification system with VOCA funds to enhance current methods of victim notification throughout the state. The system will be implemented on a statewide basis in the Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois Prisoner Review Board, county sheriff departments and county circuit clerk offices. The system has the potential to include community-based victim service providers in the network. The system will integrate-through computers and telephone lines-booking systems in county jails, Department of Corrections/Prisoner Review Board prisoner information, Department of Human Services and circuit clerks system information. This information will then be directed to a vendor-provided call center. Crime victims will use an 800 number or Internet access to register a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in order to call and obtain information on court schedules, sentencing, defendant status, appeals proceedings and other state specific statutory notification and service referral requirements. Information will be provided by accessible "scripts" built into the system. The call center will place automatic telephone calls to victims who are registered to receive the notification at the telephone number of their choice. In addition to being notified by the system, victims will be able to access the system 24 hours a day, seven days a week to obtain information. Although the notification system has not yet been fully implemented throughout the state, intergovernmental agreements from 86 sheriffs, 86 state's attorneys and 51 circuit court clerks have been signed. On May 1, 2002, the Illinois Department of Corrections went "live" on this system with over 80,000 records they now maintain. Their information is updated hourly. The Authority partnered with the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) and ICASA to implement a Web-based data collection system for victim service providers in Illinois. The system consists of a centralized database maintained by the Authority and a private network that allows service providers to submit and request data from the system using a Web-browser. Participating victim service providers are assigned a unique password to the system and are given exclusive access to their data. The system has been designed so that no information which could potentially identify a victim may be transmitted or stored in the database. The implementation of this information network (InfoNet) has facilitated the standardization of victim service data in Illinois. During the design phase, the Authority worked with both coalitions to establish reporting categories and to define all terms used in the database. The Authority also collaborated with other state agencies to develop a comprehensive set of reports for victim service providers. The automation of these standard reports has eased the production and submission of mandatory reports to various funders. There are currently 80 sexual assault and domestic violence victim service providers using InfoNet, and approximately four years of victim service data reside in the centralized database. The data includes non-identifying information describing the clients served by programs and contact information for all services provided by staff. Client information includes basic demographic, referral, education, employment, income, and offender information. Programs are also able to report the various interactions that victims and offenders have with the criminal justice system, such as arrest, charge and order of protection information. In addition, programs document all services provided to clients, as well as anonymous crisis intervention contacts, and training and institutional advocacy services. The analysis of InfoNet data will continue to be a collaborative effort between the Authority, the statewide coalitions, and victim service providers. InfoNet is a rich source of information that will provide a foundation for developing strategies to enhance existing services and establish new services for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. * During FFY02 the Authority funded 22 Child Advocacy Centers (CAC's) that provide case management, crisis intervention and advocacy services to children who are the victims of sexual and/or physical abuse, and their non-offending family members. * Authority staff provided assistance in FFY02 to the ICADV by compiling and analyzing data collected from all ICADV centers on clients they have served. Data showed demographic differences in adult clients who experienced differing levels of conflict based on an established conflict scale, and demographic differences in children who displayed different types of behaviors. These analyses helped ICADV plan for future programming that considers these findings. * The Authority also used S.T.O.P. VAWA funds to provide for scholarships for 85 personnel who worked for or were affiliated with the State's Attorney's Office of Illinois to attend the American Prosecutors Research Institute's (APRI) Prosecutors Training on Sexual Assault. The goal of this program was to provide state's attorneys in Illinois with the skills and experience necessary to successfully prosecute all types of sexual assault cases. * At the subgrant level, both ICADV and ICASA developed and provided a number of VOCA-funded training programs for direct service providers. Although the training sessions were designed for programs receiving VOCA funds through the coalitions, some training sessions were open to participants from other agencies and disciplines. Both ICADV and ICASA are recognized statewide for the quality training they conduct on domestic violence and sexual assault. Member programs are involved in developing the training sessions and, therefore, the topics reflect their needs. The following training sessions were presented during the FFY02 grant period: ICADV a. A one-day legal training session was held on legal advocacy issues with a total of about 200 attendees including domestic violence program staff, police officers, judges, state's attorneys, circuit clerks, and probation and parole personnel. Topics covered included basic information on the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, emancipation, legal issues pertaining to minors, determining who the primary offender is, orders of protection and legal advocacy for immigrant women. b. Two one-day training sessions concerning families where there is child abuse were conducted for 36 attendees. Topics covered included understanding the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), protocols, mandated reporting, and parent's rights regarding DCFS. c. Three one-day advanced order of protection trainings were provided to a total of 104 domestic violence program staff, victim-witness staff and state's attorneys. The training sessions provided attendees who have already completed a 40 hour domestic violence training program with information to help them incorporate orders of protection into a comprehensive safety plan for victims of domestic violence in consideration of each victim's personal circumstances and wishes. d. A one-day training on children's service was held for 92 attendees, most of whom were domestic violence program staff. Topics covered during this training included working with children who witness domestic violence through sand tray therapy, when is it time to refer a child to a therapist and program policies on working with children who witness domestic violence. e. A one-day training on adult counseling was held for 74 attendees, all of whom were domestic violence program staff. Topics covered during the training included five stages of motivation towards change, understanding boundaries when advocating for victims of domestic violence and acceptance of choices made by victims of domestic violence. ICASA a. A two-day statewide advocate training was provided to 65 attendees. Topics addressed were the juvenile justice system, working with child victims in adult court and juvenile court, broadening the basics, guardianship issues for sexual assault survivors and legal-ease. b. A two-day counselor's training was provided to 36 participants. Attendees were provided an overview of healing through the use of expressive therapies. c. Three one-week crisis intervention trainings were conducted for a total of 31 participants. The trainings included crisis intervention principles and applications, suicide intervention and making good referrals. d. A two-day adult counselor training was conducted for 100 participants and a two- day child counselor training was conducted for 93 participants.
D. WAYS VOCA FUNDS HAVE BEEN USED TO ASSIST CRIME VICTIMS: VOCA funds have been utilized in the State of Illinois to provide services to a variety of crime victims. The following illustrates the impact of such services. Services to victims of child abuse VOCA funds were used to support counseling services at a Child Advocacy Center. The Center provided crisis counseling for children who were the victim of sexual or physical abuse and longer term counseling for victims who needed assistance beyond the crisis stage. A Spanish-speaking girl was molested by her father while they were on vacation in Florida. The family returned to Illinois while the father remained in custody in Florida. The family had no support services to help them manage this major crisis. The advocate initially provided emotional support to the family and educated them about the support services available. The advocate made regular inquiries with representatives of the criminal justice system in Florida to keep the family informed in the developments in the case and to insure that these representatives were informed of the family's interest in the matter. The advocate provided emotional support for the victim at a deposition hearing in Illinois and assisted the family in accessing other social service support such as counseling services. In another case handled by this center, two sisters age eight and ten were victims of child pornography as their father took photographs of them while he had them for weekend visitations. The children were originally from the Ukraine and were living with their mother and grandmother at the time the abuse was disclosed. During the initial assessment of the family it was clear that the mother was emotionally overwhelmed with the situation and had some pre-existing mental health problems that impeded her ability to respond to the crisis. The family was not familiar with the criminal justice and child protection systems in the state, both victims had a history of behavioral problems, and the mother did not have steady employment. The advocate assisted the mother with accessing public aid benefits to help ease the financial strain placed on the family by the father's arrest and subsequent loss of employment. The advocate also referred the mother into the support group for non-offending parents held by the Center, and the children were referred into the child survivors of sexual abuse group at the Center. The advocate also worked with the criminal justice system, the child protection system and the children's school to work out a safety plan for the children after the father began showing up unannounced at the school following his arrest. In this case the advocate used a variety of interventions in the context of a multi-disciplinary team approach to help stabilize the family following the initial crisis and to help the family begin the healing process. Services to victims of domestic violence * A victim of domestic violence came to an ICADV office for walk-in services because her husband attacked her the previous evening. The victim received assistance in obtaining an Emergency Order of Protection and later the Plenary Order. The advocate helped the victim go to the local police to report the incident and charges were pressed. The advocate went with the victim to all of the divorce and her husband's criminal hearings so she would not be alone at the hearings. The victim has reported she is doing well and now feels safe where she lives. She has also referred other women to the program for assistance. * A domestic violence victim who was beaten with a metal baseball bat and almost killed by husband requested assistance at a domestic violence court advocacy program. The advocate explained the entire court process to the victim and kept her updated on the status of the case. Additional support was provided at the two- day trial during which the victim and her son were required to testify. The advocate assisted in the application for Crime Victim's Compensation, and provided referrals for counseling service for the victim and her son. The victim has been able to return to her full time job and is able to support her family. The victim's medical bills were covered by the Crime Victim Compensation act and her son has returned to school and is doing well. Services to victims of sexual assault Adult and child victims both benefit from the advocacy and counseling services available from the 29 sexual assault crisis centers throughout Illinois funded through ICASA. These services provide information to victims about their rights and the procedures to follow when reporting sexual assault or participating in the prosecution of the crime. They also support survivors through their recovery from the trauma of sexual violence. * A young woman was contacted by a program providing services to victims of sexual violence while she was at a hospital emergency room. She was assaulted the previous evening after she accepted an invitation to the home of a man in her neighborhood. After the assault she returned home and did not make a report of the incident. She felt that her parents would blame her for the assault and she would be humiliated in front of her children. After discussing the incident with her sisters she went to the emergency room to report the incident. After discussing the incident with the advocate she decided to report the incident to the police. The state's attorney informed the victim that her assailant was a convicted sex offender who was on parole. The rape kit yielded no usable evidence and no charges were brought against her assailant, but his parole was violated and he was returned to prison. The victim was able to return to her normal schedule and has discontinued her use of the services of the program. Services provided by a prosecutor based program * A prosecutor based program in a state's attorney's office has a VOCA funded victim assistance program. Funds are used to provide advocacy services to victims of crime, with priority given to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. The advocate provides victims with general information about the criminal justice system and information on their own case, informs the victim of compensation programs, assists the victim with victim impact statements, assists the victim in obtaining orders of protection and other services. The advocate worked with an 18 year old victim of domestic violence who had one child, was pregnant with another, and was being abused by her husband. Domestic abuse charges had been filed against her husband and the husband subsequently failed to provide financial support to the woman. The husband told the woman that if she would have the charges against him dropped he would provide financial support to her. The woman wanted the charges against her husband dropped so she could receive financial help from him. The advocate was able to obtain rental and utility assistance for the woman and was also able to obtain food for her and her child. The woman has been able to establish a secure and safe environment for herself and her children and recently told the advocate she would be returning to school to obtain her GED. In another instance, the advocate was able to assist a woman who was being abused by her son. The woman was very grateful for the assistance and told the advocate that she would like to help her if she ever needed assistance. The woman that the advocate assisted also worked for the local city's housing authority, and the average applicant had to wait up to a year for a housing unit. The advocate worked with the former victim and the housing authority's administrative office to drastically reduce the waiting time for housing units for victims of domestic violence.
E. ISSUES OR TRENDS IMPACTING CRIME VICTIM SERVICES: * Increased demand for childcare for victims while they are receiving services. Several grantees have reported that a barrier to providing consistent follow-up service to victims is that they often do not have access to childcare while they receive services from providers. Although some service providers can keep a limited number of children occupied while their parents receive services, many claim that they need additional resources to meet demand for this service. Many victims also refrain from obtaining necessary services because they do not have anyone to care for their children while they receive service. * Continued demand for language services. In addition to the continuing demand for Spanish language services, programs are also seeing an increased need for multilingual and multi cultural services. Illinois has experienced growth in the immigrant populations such as Polish, Korean and other Asian, and Middle Eastern populations. 1990 Census data showed that about 6 percent of Illinois' population had limited English-speaking ability,(When respondents were asked to assess their English speaking skills, all who indicated a response other than "very well" were included in this figure (U.S. Census Bureau).) or just over 650,000 residents. In 2000, this population jumped to over one million, and represented more than 9 percent of the state's population. Victim service programs continue to seek bilingual advocates so that they are able to serve these populations * Increase in clients with overlapping needs. Several programs have reported difficulty in gaining access to high quality mental health care for victims of sexual assault. If mental health issues are not addressed it is unlikely the victim can effectively participate in treatment for sexual assault. This is also the case in dealing with clients who have drug or alcohol abuse problems. Another emerging issue is the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness. Victims of domestic violence are often faced with homelessness when they attempt to leave an abusive environment. In Chicago, due to the limited number of domestic violence shelter beds, many of these victims are forced to enter the Department of Human Services shelter system. During the past year domestic violence shelter beds were full 47 percent of the time. Also in Chicago this issue is further aggravated by the overall decline in the number of subsidized housing units available through the Chicago Housing Authority. * Increase in the number of domestic offenses reported. According to Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data from the Illinois State Police, reported domestic offenses increased statewide over the past year. Reported domestic offenses totaled 108,792 in 2000 and increased 15 percent to 125,5 10 in 200 1. This number is similar to numbers reported in 1997, 1998, and 1999 (128,407, 131,493, and 126,432 respectively). * Decrease in reported Index criminal sexual assault offenses. UCR data indicate a decreasing trend in the number of reported Index criminal sexual assault, as the number of offenses reported has gradually decreased more than 25 percent statewide since 1993. In 2001, 5,619 offenses were reported to police statewide compared to 5,687 in 2000-a very slight decrease of just over one percent. * Increase in reported elder abuse and neglect cases. The number of elder abuse and neglect cases reported in Illinois was 7,331 during state fiscal year 2001. Although this is a slight decrease from the 7,382 cases reported in state fiscal year 2000, this is the first decrease since state fiscal year 1990, when just 1,082 cases were reported. Thus, the number of reported cases of elder abuse and neglect statewide has multiplied by nearly six since the Illinois Department on Aging began systematically collecting data in state fiscal year 1990. In state fiscal year 200 1, suburban Cook County had the highest number of reported cases, followed by the City of Chicago. This is a change from state fiscal year 2000, when Chicago led the state regions in reported cases of elder abuse and neglect. * Increase in reported cases of financial exploitation of the elderly. In 1991 there were 1,452 reported cases of financial exploitation of the elderly in Illinois. The Illinois Department on Aging now handles more than double that number annually. The Illinois Department on Aging received 3,726 complaints in 2000, and 3,855 complaints in 2001-a slight increase of three percent. Additionally, local victim service agencies continue to provide anecdotal information of such cases. * Decrease in the number of child abuse and neglect cases reported and indicated. (Indicated cases are reported cases that have been determined as definite incidents of abuse and/or neglect by DCFS after investigation.) Between state fiscal years 1998 and 2002, the number of child abuse and neglect cases reported to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) decreased from 114,007 to 98,513-nearly a 14 percent decrease over the five-year period. Similarly, the number of indicated cases has declined. Between state fiscal years 1998 and 2002, indicated cases decreased from 37,042 to 26,941-a 27 percent decrease. Although this trend is encouraging, the 2000 figures still reflect a substantial problem. Furthermore, the percent of reported abuse and neglect cases that are subsequently indicated by DCFS has decreased from 32.5 to 27.4 percent between state fiscal years 1998 and 2002. * More victims being charged with offenses. Several programs reported to the Authority that they are seeing an increase in the number of victims having either criminal charges filed against them or civil orders of protection entered against them. As batterers become more familiar with the legal system, they attempt to turn the tables against the victims. Some battered women have pleaded guilty or have been convicted and never sought help until they are mandated into abuser treatment services.
F. USE OF VOCA ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDS: The Authority used VOCA administrative funds during FFY02 to strengthen and enhance Illinois' VOCA program, and improve victim services across the state. Administrative funds were used for the following initiatives in FFY02: * Program monitoring staff. During FFY02, VOCA administrative funds were used to support the salaries of four full-time grant specialists to work exclusively with VOCA-funded projects. The grant specialists conducted on-site visits with program staff, provided technical assistance to grantees and monitored project performance. VOCA administrative funds were also used to support 1/3 of the salaries of two legal advisors, ½ of the salary of an administrative assistant and ½ the salary of an accountant. * Research and evaluation activities to support VOCA planning and funded projects. During FFY02, a VOCA funded research analyst continued to provide valuable data and information to program monitoring staff, grantees, and members of the Authority's groups and committees. These contributions helped assess VOCA-funded activity at the grantee and state levels; local and statewide needs, as well as needs among different populations; and identified potential gaps in crime victim services throughout the state. Additionally, the research analyst has managed the Illinois Crime Victimization Survey project as well as the project to evaluate SANE programs. Goals for FFY03 include continuation of these activities, developing improved tools for performance measurement, writing final reports for the victimization and the SANE evaluation, and updating a statewide needs assessment using variety of different data sources. * Administrative funds were provided to ICADV and ICASA. The Authority also disbursed a portion of VOCA administrative funds to the two statewide coalitions. ICADV was responsible for monitoring 164 projects in 62 VOCA subgrants for services to adult and child victims of domestic violence, and ICASA was responsible for 82 projects in 29 VOCA subgrants for services to adult and child victims of sexual assault. Each coalition received $70,000 to support staff responsible for program monitoring and providing technical assistance to VOCA grantees, and to purchase/lease equipment necessary for grant administration.