State Office of Victim Assistance (SOVA)

Check back soon for upcoming event dates

OFFICE OF VICTIMS OF CRIME (OVC) TRAINING

1. SELECT THE OVC TRAINING THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS:

NEW! Working with Victims with Disabilities
December 10-11, 2008 Los Angeles, CA
Learn about legal compliance requirements and best practices for serving victims with disabilities.

2. REGISTER ONLINE OR BY MAIL:

Click here for the OVC Training Schedule and pay online or download the OVC Training Schedule Registration Form. For additional information or assistance, call OVC TTAC at 1-866-OVC-TTAC (1-866-682-8822) (TTY 1-866-682-8880).

OVC Professional Development Scholarships Are Available

A limited number of OVC Professional Development Scholarships are available for eligible applicants!

Scholarships provide up to $1,000 for individuals and up to $5,000 for multidisciplinary teams of victim service professionals seeking continuing education opportunities. Determine whether you or your team is eligible for a scholarship by clicking here.

Putting Victims First
OVC shares your mission and has a wide range of resources to help you accomplish it. Visit the National Criminal Justice Reference Service at http://www.ncjrs.gov to register for services or find out more

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• The Office for Victims of Crime has just published a new "Resource Guide for Serving U.S. Citizens Victimized Abroad" (NCJ 221889) to help victim service providers in the United States enhance their services to these individuals. This online publication will help service providers develop strategic plans and ensure that key personnel, resources, and protocols are in place for effective assistance.
  
  
• The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) are kicking off a secure web-based hotline for victims of rape and sexual assault. Using an instant-messaging style format, victims can receive confidential support from trained crisis support volunteers. Please help spread the word about this innovative new service. Click here for more information.
  
  
• No More Victims
  Know More
  Ask OVC
  
  Notice From OVC's VOCA Subgrantees Listserv
  
  OVC announces the release of a publication entitled Helping Sexual Assault Survivors with Multiple Victimizations and Needs: A Guide for Agencies Serving Sexual Assault Survivors
  
  It was developed under a grant to the University of Iowa School of Social Work. While agencies serving sexual assault survivors, most notably rape crisis centers, interact every day with survivors who have experienced multiple victimizations, it may be challenging for these agencies to provide the resource intensive services that many of these survivors require or want. Often, survivors with multiple victimizations need more, and subtly different, advocacy than sexual assault survivors who have single victimizations. The Guide strives to identify issues and considerations unique to these survivors and outline what advocacy might be appropriate for them. Developed for advocates in rape crisis centers and in criminal justice system agencies, the Guide offers practical strategies for assessing and enhancing responses to this specific population.
  
  Download the Guide Here [PDF]
  
  Copies of the Guide may be obtained free of charge by contacting:
  
  Bev Sweet
  School of Social Work
  The University of Iowa
  308 North Hall
  Iowa City, IA 52242
  (319) 335-1251 - telephone
  (319) 335-1711 - fax
  

• Victim Advocate Day [pdf]
• Crime Victims' Rights Week [pdf]
• Sexual Assault Awareness Month [pdf]