Create the Office of Victim Services Education & Certification (OVSEC) within the Office of the Crime Victims’ Ombudsman, to establish certification and continuing education requirements for victim services providers and to authorize and promulgate necessary regulations.
CRIME VICTIMS’ OMBUDSMAN,
OFFICE OF VICTIM SERVICES EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION (OVSEC) was created to:
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provide oversight of training, education, and certification of victim assistance programs;
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with approval of the Victim Services Coordinating Council (VSCC), promulgate training standards and requirements;
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approve training curricula for credit hours toward certification;
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provide victim services provider certification; and
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maintain records of certified victim services providers.
All public victim assistance programs shall ensure that all victim service providers employed in their respective offices are certified through the Office of Victim Services Education and Certification within the Office of the Crime Victims’ Ombudsman.
Victim service providers (VSP), serving in public or private nonprofit programs, employed on the effective date of January 1, 2009 are exempt from the 15 hours basic certification requirements but shall meet the 12 hours of annual continuing education requirements to maintain certification.
Victim service providers, serving in public or private nonprofit programs, employed after the effective date of this chapter are required to complete the basic certification requirements within one year from date of employment and to meet annual continuing education requirements to maintain certification throughout their employment.
Course and training presenters should submit requests to OVSEC thirty days in advance for approval, based on the guidelines set for the basic certification requirements. Approval for continuing education requirements will be based on course objective, content, and presenter’s background.
To request information or to request a VSP Application or Program Accreditation application, please contact OVSEC.
Upon submission of a VSP application, each victim service provider will be assigned a VSP number. This number will serve as an identifier in reporting course attendance. If your VSP ID card is lost or stolen, the Office of Victim Services Education and Certification (OVSEC) will issue a one-time replacement card to victim service providers. If your VSP ID card is lost or stolen a second time, we will be unable to issue another replacement card.
All certification must be completed by the end of the fiscal year (January 1-December 31) or within one year of employment for basic certification requirements.
Notification & information about all approved upcoming trainings will be sent by OVSEC via email or upon request from interested parties.
Section 16-3-1400. For the purpose of this article:
(1) 'victim service provider' means a person:
(a) who is employed by a local government or state agency and whose job duties involve providing victim assistance as mandated by South Carolina law; or
(b) whose job duties involve providing direct services to victims and who is employed by an organization that is incorporated in South Carolina, holds a certificate of authority in South Carolina, or is registered as a charitable organization in South Carolina, and the organization's mission is victim assistance or advocacy and the organization is privately funded or receives funds from federal, state, or local governments to provide services to victims; and
“Section 16-3-1680. The Crime Victims’ Ombudsman of the Office of the Governor may promulgate those regulations necessary to assist it in performing its required duties as provided by this chapter.”
