Back to PENNSYLVANIA
VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT VICTIM ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM 2002 PENNSYLVANIA STATE WIDE ASSISTANCE REPORT Prepared By: Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency PO Box 1167 Harrisburg, PA 17108-1167 tel: (717)787-2040
STATE FUNDING INFORMATION
A. THE ANNUAL AMOUNT ALLOCATED TO THE VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROJECTS: 1. Appropriations $ 32,768,000 2. Criminal Fines and Penalities $ 5,858,605 3. Assessments $ 733,000 4. Other $ 31,561,465 TOTAL:$ 70,921,070
B. TOTAL NUMBER OF AGENCIES FUNDED FROM THE FEDERAL GRANT: 122
C. NUMBER OF SUBGRANTS FUNDED FROM THIS FEDERAL GRANT: 123
VICTIM STATISTICS
A. THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS SERVED BY TYPE OF VICTIMIZATION:
NO. OF NO. OF VICTIMS SERVED VICTIMS SERVED 3,115 1. Child Physical Abuse 2,921 7. Adults Molested as Children 8,744 2. Child Sexual Abuse 7,594 8. Survivors of Homicide Victims 2,375 3. DUI/DWI Crashes 4,723 9. Robbery 70,714 4. Domestic Violence 15,590 10. Assualt 10,049 5. Adult Sexual Assault 11,171 11. Other 565 6. Elder Abuse TOTAL: 137,561
B. THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS WHO RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:
NO. OF VICTIMS SERVED 66,685 1. Crisis Counseling 49,018 2. Followup 3,201 3. Therapy 11,639 4. Group Treatment/Support 5,774 5. Shelter/Safehouse 46,187 6. Information/Referral (in-person) 49,621 7. Criminal Justice Support/Advocacy 3,708 8. Emergency Financial Assistance 21,648 9. Emergency Legal Advocacy 11,293 10. Assistance in filing Compensation Claims 2,180 11. Personal Advocacy 7,917 12. Telephone contact Informational/Referral 26,888 13. Other TOTAL: 305,759
A. EFFORTS TO PROMOTE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AID TO CRIME VICTIMS: In 1984, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) mandated the establishment of the local victim assistance policy boards to set policy for the provision of victim services. These Local Policy Boards were created to promote collective decision-making on a countywide basis to enhance the local services provided to crime victims. Representatives from both the public and private sector are members of the policy board. These representatives include: county administration, the court, prosecution, victim assistance agency(s), the child protective services agency, area agency on aging, and the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer in each county. Beginning in 2002, policy boards were also required to include a representative from the Victims of Juvenile Offenders (VOJO) program in each county. This addition was in response to the large number of VOJO programs that had been created since their inception in 2000 with the passage of Act 86 that added rights for crime victims in the juvenile justice system. By requiring policy boards as a means for accessing state and federal victims services funding, community-wide services are increasingly accessible to previously underserved victims. The policy board is required to meet semi-annually to collaborate on a plan of action that ensures for coordination of victim services, minimizes duplication and promotes the optimal use of victim services dollars at the local level.
B. EFFORTS TAKEN TO SERVE FEDERAL CRIME VICTIMS: Each agency is required to affirm, through the application and monitoring processes, that services are provided to victims of federal crimes upon request. County-based victim/witness programs also coordinate with the victim/witness coordinators in the federal prosecutors' offices and serve victims in cases where federal crimes are tried by the state. Additionally, since September 11, 200 1, victim assistance programs have become increasingly aware of the FBI's victim/witness services and have been encouraged to contact local field offices to establish contact.
C. ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF VICTIM SERVICES: VOCA MONITORING PCCD has continued to contract with the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Institute in order to monitor the contractual obligations and state and federal guidelines set for the provision of services to victims of crime through VOCA funding. At the project's inception in June 2000, PCCD's goal was to monitor each subrecipient agency at least once every three years. Through September of 2002, only 12 subrecipient agencies have not been monitored at least one time. In addition, a separate monitoring tool has been developed and piloted during 2002 that assesses compliance with the PCCD Comprehensive Victim Service Center Program Standards. DIRECT VICTIM SERVICES UNIT The Compensation Program created a new Direct Victim Services Unit (DVSU) that will provide direct services to victims of crime. The Unit provides a range of confidential services in person, over the telephone, or via Internet and/or mail in order to assist victims of crime, their families, significant others and other claimants with their emotional and financial recovery in the aftermath of victimization. The services will be provided in association with local victim service programs, law enforcement and court personnel, and other professionals with whom the DVSU will maintain a positive working relationships and on-going communication. The Unit staff will also work with victim service programs and providers by providing technical assistance and training on compensation related issues. The DVSU staff and activities were fully operational by June 2002. Highlights of the DVSU's efforts included serving over 90 elderly scam victims on- site in conjunction with the local victim witness program, providing assistance to over 340 claimants who had filed for compensation without the assistance of a victim advocate, and conducting a training clinic for 18 victim service program managers and directors on Creating and Managing a Compensation Program. STATEWIDE VICTIM SERVICE CONFERENCE The Pennsylvania Pathways for Victim Services Conference was held in November 2001. Over 400 individuals attended the conference held for victim service providers and allied professionals. The conference offered 50 educational workshops, in addition to providing networking and celebratory opportunities, such as at the Pathfinders Awards banquet. PENNSYLVANIA VICTIM ASSISTANCE ACADEMY PROJECT The 2002 session of the Pennsylvania Victim Assistance Academy was conducted at The University of Scranton during June 23-28. In an effort to share the valuable information which Academy sessions provided to victim service professionals, several sessions were shown via the use of video conferencing to staff of PCCD's Office of Victims' Services and interested agency employees. Overall evaluations of the sessions were positive and this technology will be considered for future use at the Academy as warranted. Additionally, the Academy participated as one of nearly 40 downlink sites nationwide for the live satellite broadcast of Victims of Terrorism and Mass Violence: A Continuum of Care. The satellite conference was held in conjunction with the National Victim Assistance Academy and spotlighted resources available to assist victims of terrorism and other forms of mass violence. Presenters recounted their experiences helping victims of terrorist attacks, including the September 11 attacks and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and included Carol Ann Ellis, Dean G. Kilpatrick, Robin Finegan, Mindi Russell and Carol Lavery. In addition to viewing the broadcast, Academy students were able to direct questions to the panelists for response. Thirty-two individuals representing state and local victim service organizations graduated from this year's program. LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING The inaugural offering of the Leadership and Professional Development Training Program concluded on Friday, November 15. Twenty victim services professionals received certificates of completion jointly issued by the PCCD and Duquesne University during graduation ceremonies. During the program attendees participated in sessions covering topics such as Introduction to Leadership; The Ingenious Workplace: Organizational Narrative Drives Success; Effective Interactions and Interpersonal Communication; Building Effective Teams; Conflict Management; Managing Change; Emotional Intelligence in Leadership and Organizations; Valuing Diversity; Stress Management; Planning and Organizing; Project Presentations and Graduation. DAVE (DEPENDABLE ACCESS FOR VICTIMIZATION EXPENSES) PROJECT TRAINING Over the past two years the Compensation Program has been working to improve and expand the current computer system application used to process claims received by or on behalf of victims of crimes to ensure that these claims are processed as efficiently and effectively as possible, and to meet the mandates of the Commonwealth's Crime Victims Compensation Program. This effort has been given the acronym of DAVE (Dependable Access for Victimization Expenses). During the current grant period, 10 training sessions were provided to 72 victim service advocates in 36 local programs. A second round of training classes will begin in March of 2003. Preliminary plans call for one training class to be provided each month. VICTIMS COMPENSATION TRAINING PROJECT With the passage of the most recent amendments to the Crime Victims Act, the Education and Outreach Program has worked closely with Compensation Program staff in identifying the new statute's effect on compensation forms and information materials. This has resulted in new forms and instruction sheets being developed in the areas of relocation expenses, crime-scene cleanup and counseling. Concurrently, PCCD planned a training initiative for the state's victim service community on the impact of the new legislative changes. The intent was to include information on the changes affecting both victim rights and services as well as victims' compensation. Efforts included two specially tailored briefings for local advocates who have previously attended a PCCD basic compensation course. These sessions explained the changes to the crime victim law and what advocates will need to do to implement new policies and/or procedures. Basic compensation sessions incorporating the new legislative changes were also included in the Fall VOJO and RASA orientation courses. Beginning in October, a series of five regional seminars outlining the changes resulting from new legislation will begin. The regional sites will be selected in an effort to offer the training within a reasonable commuting distance of all local programs. Throughout 2002, 54 training sessions and clinics were conducted on Crime Victims Compensation.
D. WAYS VOCA FUNDS HAVE BEEN USED TO ASSIST CRIME VICTIMS: Attached were 11 selected testimonials, news articles, and case histories from victim service programs throughout Pennsylvania. These materials were received by PCCD from VOCA subrecipients who were asked to provide information that illustrated the importance of VOCA funding to their program.
E. ISSUES OR TRENDS IMPACTING CRIME VICTIM SERVICES: CERTIFICATION At its initial strategic planning retreat in 1996, the Victims' Services Advisory Committee (VSAC) of PCCD created the Accreditation, Certification, and Training Subcommittee (ACT) to develop processes for recognizing the profession of victim services. Since that time, ACT has worked to create professional standards and a Code of Ethics for Pennsylvania's victim service providers and, during 2001, ACT completed the development of a process for the certification of victim advocates. This certification will be a voluntary process that recognizes the training and direct service experience of experienced advocates. The ACT Subcommittee has handed this project to the Coalition of Pennsylvania Crime Victim Organizations (COPCVO) in order to independently administer the certification. Advocates can become certified as soon as July 2003. CRISIS RESPONSE After the attacks of September 11, 200 1, victim service providers and their allied professionals began the inevitable task of planning for preparedness. Through Pennsylvania's Keystone Crisis Intervention Team (KCIT), over 100 victim advocates statewide had already been trained to respond to incidents of mass violence and trauma using the national NOVA model. During 2002, additional NOVA training opportunities were made available through a collaborative training offered to victim services, drug and alcohol counselors, mental health providers, educators, and faith-based counselors. Two training sessions were held, with 10 victim advocates attending each session. Numerous other advocates were turned away from the training due to space restrictions. Victim advocates were made aware that the intended outcome of providing this training to them is that they will participate in a local team of crisis responders. Additionally, all participants were informed of their ability to become members of the KCIT. Pennsylvania has since collaborated with the Department of Education, in addition to seeking other venues, in order to increase the pool of individuals trained as NOVA trainers in order to meet the demand for training.
F. USE OF VOCA ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDS: EXPANSION OF COMPREHENSIVE VICTIM SERVICES The Victims' Services Advisory Committee (VSAC) of PCCD has worked since its inception in 1996 to ensure that basic services are available to all crime victims throughout Pennsylvania. In an effort to promote quality services to "other serious crime" victims, those victims of non-domestic or sexual offenses such as survivors of homicide and arson, standards were created and implemented in 1999 for programs serving these crime victims. A subsequent training and technical assistance project was conducted by consultants in 2000 and 2001 to assist programs with achieving compliance with these standards and to formulate recommendations on how to better serve other serious crime victims. In 2002, the consultants presented their recommendations to PCCD's Funding Subcommittee and assisted the statewide Coalition of Pennsylvania Crime Victims Organizations (COPCVO) with developing their capacity in order to continue networking and training opportunities to providers. The project consultant begun to offer training opportunities for victim service providers that are held in conjunction with COPCVO meetings in order to reduce travel and time restrictions, and has developed a plan to assess networking needs of comprehensive center staff in order to identify mechanisms to best meet those needs. STATEWIDE VICTIM SERVICE NEWSLETTER PCCD continues to support the publication of a quarterly newsletter entitled Pathways and Partnerships: Moving Forward in the Field of Victim Services. This newsletter highlights victim service programs and activities, announces upcoming meetings and trainings, and provides updates in compensation. This newsletter is sent to victim service programs, allied professionals, and the VSAC committee and subcommittee members.