The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), an agency within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), was formally established by Congress in 1988 through an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA). VOCA was largely an outcome of the 1982 President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime and established not only the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) and OVC but also separate program initiatives to address the rights and needs of all crime victims. VOCA authorizes OVC to fund states to operate crime victim assistance and compensation programs and develop demonstration initiatives and national-scope training and technical assistance. An amendment to VOCA also allows OVC to fund improved investigation and prosecution of child abuse in Indian Country under the Children’s Justice Act (CJA). Crime victims receive support from OVC through formula and discretionary grants for programs and projects designed to enhance victims’ rights and services. OVC also has an advocacy and leadership role in developing policy for and raising awareness of crime victims’ rights and provides an array of training and other targeted resources for the many professionals who work with victims.

The mission of OVC is to enhance the Nation’s capability to assist crime victims and to provide leadership in changing attitudes and developing policies and practices that promote justice and healing for all victims of crimes. OVC accomplishes its mission by

• Administering CVF.
  
  
• Funding direct services to crime victims.
  
  
• Providing training programs that reach diverse professionals nationally and internationally.
  
  
• Sponsoring demonstration programs and projects that have national impact.
  
  
• Publishing and disseminating materials that highlight promising practices for the effective treatment of crime victims that can be replicated.
  
  
• Developing policy and establishing public awareness initiatives that improve the response to needs of crime victims.
  
  
• Offering technical assistance to governments, private-sector programs, and other allied professionals.

About the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center

OVC established the Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) in 1998 to support activities related to OVC's mission and goals. TTAC provides victim service professionals a central access point for a range of crime victim resources, including speakers for presentations that heighten awareness of issues related to victims of crime; technical assistance for new and expanding programs, provided by experts in the crime victim field; a mentoring program to further the skills, knowledge, and abilities of VOCA administrators and their staff through peer consultation; and training based on curricula developed through the OVC discretionary grant program.

To increase availability and accessibility of training to VOCA staff, victim service providers, and other allied professionals, OVC’s national training program brings professional trainings to locations across the country on a regular basis. This catalogue provides descriptions and schedules of such training sessions.

About This Guide

Each currently available training curriculum that has been developed by OVC is described in this catalogue, as well as additional resources. Through its Training and Technical Assistance Center, OVC will conduct training sessions in 2001 and early 2002. For your convenience, trainings are listed alphabetically by topic and include a "status" designation that indicates training availability. Please refer to the following key for "status" terminology:

Additional OVC training sessions will be scheduled in the future based on interest and new training topics will be added to the catalogue as they are developed.

Making an Application to OVC TTAC

Applying for assistance to schedule an onsite training differs from registering for a scheduled training. If an available training listed in this catalogue is not currently scheduled, eligible applicants can submit a request to OVC TTAC for assistance.

Eligible Applicants

• Public agencies and private nonprofit organizations.
• Victim advocates, criminal justice personnel, and allied professionals (e.g., mental health professionals, medical professionals, clergy).

Available Assistance/Match Requirement

Applicants can request financial support—assistance or match—from OVC TTAC to schedule an onsite training.

• Assistance—Available assistance includes the provision of an onsite trainer (may include travel, lodging, meals, and consultant fee); assistance is in-kind.
• Match—Purchase or reproduction of materials, if applicable.

Selection Criteria

Requests for training and technical assistance are evaluated using the following criteria:

• Clarity of the request, including description of the problem.
• Potential impact of the assistance (systemic change, policy/procedure development, etc.).
• Commitment of resources from other sources to support the technical assistance request.
• Need for federal support to provide the assistance.

Special consideration will be given to requests for which the assistance will have statewide or regional impact or build interagency or multidisciplinary capacity to deliver services.

You also can access this training resource guide and obtain registration information on the OVC Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/welcome.html.

All questions regarding training information should be addressed to OVC TTAC.

Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center
2277 Research Boulevard, MS 7–F
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 1–800–627–6872
Fax: 301–519–5533
E-mail: TTAC@ovcttac.gov
World Wide Web: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc

To register for one of the scheduled OVC training sessions, simply complete the registration form provided at the end of the Registration Information section and mail or fax it to TTAC. You can also register online at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/welcome.html. Fees charged for the training sessions are to offset the cost of consultants, materials, and meeting space.

If you are interested in participating in a training for which a date has not been set, you may contact TTAC and ask to be placed on the mailing list to receive training announcements as they become available or request further assistance in accessing the training.

About the OVC Resource Center

Established by OVC, the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center (OVCRC) is your primary source for crime victim information to further assist you in program development. Highly trained information specialists answer your questions by using OVC and other U.S. Department of Justice publications, national and regional victimization statistics, a comprehensive criminal and juvenile justice library, and OVCRC’s well-established network of victim advocates and organizations.

OVCRC distributes victim-related publications produced by OVC, other OJP agencies, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Most publications are free.

OVC publishes a catalogue of available OVC publications and related resources, updated annually. Access the OVC Publications Resource Guide online or order a print copy online at www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/AlphaList.aspx. Request inventory number NCJ 184914.