SCCVC Training Publications

FREE Webinar Training:
Using DNA to Solve Missing Persons,
Homicide, and Trafficking Cases

DATE: August 11, 2010
TIME: 3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. (ET)
LOCATION: Participate from your computer.
MORE: Speaker bio and webinar details.

National Calendar of Crime Victim-Related Events
This resource helps victims, victim service providers, allied professionals, and other interested individuals plan, promote, and locate events of interest to the victim service community in their area.

OVC Web Forum for Victim Service Providers
This message board provides leadership and funding on behalf of crime victims and was developed as a tool for victim service providers and allied professionals to share ideas, suggestions, and recommendations concerning promising practices, best practices, and victim issues.

State Victim Assistance Academies
State Victim Assistance Academies (SVAAs) provide state-specific training in victim assistance issues. SVAAs are modeled after the National Victim Assistance Academy (NVAA), but tailor content to reflect the needs and laws of individual states.

OVC TTAC offers specialized training and technical assistance (TTA) to meet your organization’s needs. Year-round, OVC TTAC receives and processes applications from a variety of agencies and institutions requesting help in building their capacity in a number of victim-focused areas, including many of those included in your self assessment test. Please visit the OVC TTAC Web site to learn more about OVC’s specialized TTA.

The Survey was developed to assess the needs of the victim services community by identifying and assessing your training/technical assistance needs as a victim service provider by guiding you through seven major areas of interest. Your input is very important in developing and designing new training opportunities for those who work to benefit victims of crime, either directly or indirectly. Use this tool now to receive a printable summary of your responses and a list of available resources.

If you have any questions or experience technical difficulties, please contact OVC TTAC at TTAC@ovcttac.org or 1-866-682-8822.

Using Science in Criminal Justice Practice to Achieve Better Results A Series for Policy Makers, Criminal Justice Professionals and Stakeholders

Hosted by the Crime & Justice Institute
at Community Resources for Justice
The Second Wednesday of Each Month
March through September 2010
1:00pm - 2:30pm EASTERN STANDARD TIME
Free of charge, but space is limited

NAVRA members,

Below is a link to an online video that may be of interest to you and your colleagues. The video discusses how the use of facility dogs assists victims in the courtroom. A videographer for the Seattle Police Department created the video about Jeeter and Ellie, the two Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) Assistance Dogs who work in the King County Courthouse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPVdie1-Jdc

Representatives from King County’s Courthouse Dogs program will also be teaching a workshop at NCVLI’s 8th Annual Crime Victim Law & Litigation Conference, June 30th – July 1st in Portland, Oregon. This is an excellent opportunity to meet real CCI Assistance Dogs and learn more about the Courthouse Dogs Program. You can register for the conference at http://www.ncvli.org/conference.html.

July 21, 2010—Join an Online Discussion
Serving Older Victims of Financial Abuse

On July 21, 2010, at 2 p.m. (eastern time), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will present a Web Forum discussion with Angela DeLeon and Betty Malks on best practices for serving older victims of financial abuse. Ms. DeLeon is the creator and coordinator of the People’s United Bank Masters Program, nationally recognized for its leadership in initiating crime prevention and awareness programs for senior citizens. Prior to joining People’s United Bank, Ms. DeLeon was employed by the Bridgeport Police Department in Connecticut, where she established the first formal crime prevention program tailored to the needs of senior citizens. In fact, she is the only person in Connecticut certified to teach senior sensitivity, senior crime prevention, and techniques for interviewing older persons to Connecticut law enforcement. Ms. Malks has served as Director of the Santa Clara County Social Services Agency’s Department of Aging and Adult Services in California since spearheading its creation in 1997, and has more than 30 years of experience in the field of aging. Ms. Malks also created the Santa Clara County Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST), which has recovered or prevented the loss of more than $200 million in client assets. She is a member of the Education Committee of the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and was recently appointed as the North American Regional Representative for the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.
Visit the OVC Web Forum now to submit questions for Ms. DeLeon and Ms. Malks and return on July 21 at 2 p.m. (eastern time) for the live discussion. Learn how to participate beforehand so you are ready for the discussion.

Link to the complete article

The Richland County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council cordially invites you to its 4th Annual Youth Violence Alert Workshop to be held on Thursday, August 5, 2010 from 8:30 am – 1:30 pm at the Eastminister Presbyterian Church (Thompson Hall & Christian Life Center) located at 3200 Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC (next to the Carolina Children’s Home). The purpose of this workshop to provide educational and inspirational messages for youth and their families. Topics will include cyber-bullying, sexting, etc.

Admission is FREE! Refreshments and school supplies will be provided!

For more information, please contact any one of the individuals listed on the attached flyer! We look forward to seeing you there!!!

Kenya L. Mingo, MBA, MHR
Development Director
Palmetto Place Children's Emergency Shelter
P.O. Box 3395
Columbia, SC 29230
(803) 786-6819 (phone)
(803) 727-3841(cell)
(803) 691-9788 (fax)
www.palmettoplaceshelter.org

End Violence Against Women (EVAW) International

New Resource!

Virginia Guidelines and Tools for Forensic Compliance

An outstanding document was recently developed to provide detailed guidelines and tools to guide the integrated response to sexual assault by health care providers, law enforcement professionals, victim advocates, and others. The document is titled: "Virginia's Healthcare Response to Sexual Assault: Guidelines for the Acute Care of Adult and Post-Pubertal Adolescent Sexual Assault Patients." It was developed by the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance and the Virginia Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses, in collaboration with a wide range of multidisciplinary partners. The project was supported with a grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), with funds authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). It is available for free online at: www.sexualanddomesticviolencevirginia.org.

Study: the Impact of a Coordinated Response to Intimate Partner Violence *SCVAN Listserv Message*

For all advocates who work with victims of interfamilial violence, this is a MUST READ! The Judicial Oversight Demonstration Project was designed to test the feasibility and impact of a coordinated response to intimate partner violence, and the Report's findings assess victim satisfaction and safety and offender accountability. You can download the JOD report from the National Institute of Justice at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/224201.htm.

A Guide to the Role of Crime Victims in Mental Health Courts offers practical recommendations to mental health court practitioners about how to engage crime victims in case proceedings. The unprecedented guide asserts that the rights due victims in criminal court proceedings are not always made available to individuals who are victimized by people accepted into mental health courts—largely due to confusion about how to involve victims at various points in the mental health court process without compromising medical privacy compliance. Mental health courts lack preliminary hearings, witness testimony, and motion hearings that are found in criminal court proceedings. The guide outlines how standard rights adhered to in these proceedings can be adapted for mental health court operations. In addition to recommending collaborative strategies for notifying victims about changes in case status and involving them in appropriate proceedings, the guide provides examples of how some mental health and other specialty courts have addressed crime victims’ needs in Alaska, Arizona, California, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, and Wisconsin.

See the full press releases about both publications—with links to free downloads of the guides—at http://www.justicecenter.csg.org/media/press_releases

Human Rights Watch has issued the following report:
Testing Justice: The Rape Kit Backlog in Los Angeles City and County
The 68-page report reveals that the backlog of untested rape kits in Los Angeles County is larger and more widespread than previously reported. Through dozens of interviews with police officers, public officials, criminalists, rape treatment providers, and rape victims, the report documents the devastating effects of the backlog on victims of sexual abuse.

To download a copy of the report, or the summary and recommendations, go to http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/03/31/testing-justice-0

POSTED 06-16-2008

How do I become a Victim Assistance professional?

Link: http://vaonlinefusion.blogspot.com/search/label/Professionalization

by Randy McCall VAOnline.org

POSTED 11-07-2007

Substance Abuse Treatment Counselors

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has produced an in-service training manual that introduces substance abuse treatment counselors and other practitioners to state-of-the-art treatment for people with both substance use and mental disorders. Participants will become familiar with the evidence-based knowledge presented in TIP 42 and learn how to apply that knowledge in their treatment practices. The training manual can be downloaded at:
http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17705

Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses
Strategies for Effective Law Enforcement Training

The Council of State Governments Justice Center has released the most recent BJA--supported resource on law enforcement/mental health encounters, Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: Strategies for Effective Law Enforcement Training.

This guide reviews common challenges to successfully developing training for officers' interactions involving people with mental illnesses, and synthesizes the key lessons learned by jurisdictions that have implemented recruit or in-service programs. Written in partnership with the Police Executive Research Forum, it discusses which individuals can best serve as trainers, how they can be identified, what preparation and support they require, what teaching techniques are most effective, and how planners can design training to improve outcomes from these encounters. This is a great resource for law enforcement officers, and can be downloaded at http://consensusproject.org/downloads/le-trgstrategies.pdf

The National Child Protection Training Center (NCPTC) provides training to child protection professionals across the United States. Each year, NCPTC trainers travel to every region of the country and train approximately 10,000 prosecutors, law enforcement officers, social workers, and other child protection professionals and organizations. NCPTC trainers are available to present the keynote address, and breakout sessions to your team or conference and they are also available to create a full one or two-day conference customized to your needs. Our trainers offer a wide variety of topics and a wealth of experience.

September 9, 2008
Two New Resources on Crime Victims’ Rights in Cases Involving People with Mental Illnesses
We wanted to let you know of the CSG Justice Center’s latest releases on the rights of individuals who have been victimized by people with mental illnesses. We hope you will share this information with those in the field and others interested in this issue. Please contact us if we can help you make use of this material.

Martha Plotkin: (240) 482-8579, mplotkin@csg.org
Kathy Lynch: (240) 482-8583, klynch@csg.org

The Council of State Governments Justice Center today released two first-of-their kind guides on the rights of crime victims whose cases involve a person with a mental illness. Both were supported by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Responding to People Who Have Been Victimized by Individuals with Mental Illnesses is the first national publication on this topic. According to the guide, when individuals accused of a crime are found "not guilty by reason of insanity" or are court-ordered to receive treatment in a mental health facility, their victims may not receive the same rights to notification and participation as other victims in the criminal justice system. After these individuals are transferred to mental health facilities, criminal justice professionals may not be able to assist victims because they no longer have direct access to relevant case information. Mental health system workers, on the other hand, often lack clear legal authority and direction on who is responsible for serving these victims. They also must comply with strict confidentiality regulations related to the accused receiving treatment in a mental health facility. The guide details steps policymakers, advocates, mental health professionals, and others can take to understand and protect the rights and safety of these crime victims.
http://consensusproject.org/downloads/responding.pdf

A Guide to the Role of Crime Victims in Mental Health Courts offers practical recommendations to mental health court practitioners about how to engage crime victims in case proceedings. The unprecedented guide asserts that the rights due victims in criminal court proceedings are not always made available to individuals who are victimized by people accepted into mental health courts—largely due to confusion about how to involve victims at various points in the mental health court process without compromising medical privacy compliance. Mental health courts lack preliminary hearings, witness testimony, and motion hearings that are found in criminal court proceedings. The guide outlines how standard rights adhered to in these proceedings can be adapted for mental health court operations. In addition to recommending collaborative strategies for notifying victims about changes in case status and involving them in appropriate proceedings, the guide provides examples of how some mental health and other specialty courts have addressed crime victims’ needs in Alaska, Arizona, California, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, and Wisconsin.
http://consensusproject.org/downloads/guidetocvinmhc.pdf

2007 NCVRW Resource Guide
This guide was developed to help communities and victim assistance providers promote awareness of crime victim issues and help commemorate National Crime Victims' Rights Week held each year in April. Link to 2007 NCVRW Resource Guide

Posted 11-07-2007
"Black Victims of Violent Crime"
The Bureau of Justice Assistance has just released "Black Victims of Violent Crime" (NCJ 214258, 12 pp.). It presents findings about violent crime experienced by non-Hispanic blacks. Comparisons are made with the victimization experience of other racial/ethnic groups. Findings include violent victimization rates by victim characteristics. Also examined are crime characteristics, including weapon use, offender race, police reporting, and police response to violent crime incidents. You can download this publication at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/bvvc.htm

Posted 11-07-2007
"Violent Crime in America: 24 Months of Alarming Trends,
The Police Executive Research Forum has published "Violent Crime in America: 24 Months of Alarming Trends," which analyses crime data from the past two years and the increase in violent crime across America. It's an excellent report with lots of jurisdiction-specific data. You can access the report at: http://www.policeforum.org/.

Posted 11-07-2007
Protecting The Privacy Of Juvenile Victims
The University of New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Research Center has a great two-page article about protecting the privacy of juvenile victims of crime. It includes policy recommendations for both the media and law enforcement. You can download this at: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CV98.pdf

Posted 11-07-2007
Bullying and Other Forms of Victimization
The Crimes Against Children Research Center has just published an excellent new study that examines relations between bullying and other forms of victimization. The children studied who are greatest risk are both bullies and victims of bullying. Of those, 84 percent had been victims of crime. A "must read" for MMMers, this study can be downloaded from: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/bullying_publications.html.

Posted 11-07-2007
Strengthening Policies to Support Children, Youth and Families in Trauma
The National Center for Children in Poverty has just published "Strengthening Policies to Support Children, Youth and Families in Trauma." This is a great Report that offers suggestions for trauma-informed policy, and includes some excellent recommendations that could be implemented in jurisdictions nationwide. You can download the Report at: http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_737.html.