Final RASA/VOJO Program Reports Are Due January 20,2025!

The final, quarterly program report for the 2023-2024 RASA/VOJO funding cycle will cover the October 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 timeframe and must be submitted in Egrants no later than January 20, 2025. Please note that January 20^th falls on the Martin Luther King, Jr. observance so please consider filing before this deadline.

Below are instructions for the report sections that will need to be completed for the quarterly program report in addition to the report sections completed each quarter. 

Other Standard Questions Section - Please complete the questions in this section reflecting on Year 2 of the project. Please be sure to enter a response to each question.

Annual Training Certification Section - Please complete this section to certify that all RASA and/or VOJO funded staff have completed annual training hours for calendar year 2024.

All RASA/VOJO funded staff are required to complete at least ten (10) hours of annual training each calendar year. Per the OVS Consolidated Standards, staff must complete one (1) hour of Cultural Responsiveness training annually and must additionally compete sexual harassment training every two (2) years. Up to 2.5 hours of annual training may be dedicated to administrative training. Up to 3.5 hours of training beyond the required ten (10) hours annually may be carried over into 2025.

If staff did not complete at least ten (10) hours of annual training in 2024, please list the following: 1) employee name, 2) how many training hours were completed in 2024, and 3) explain how the employee (s) will make up the training hours still needed for 2024 in calendar year 2025. This is in addition to the ten (10) training hours that will be required for 2025.

Final Report Section - Please complete all questions in this section summarizing the two (2) year project cycle and the anticipated project continuation with the 2025-2026 RASA/VOJO funding cycle.

REMINDERS:

No narrative is required in the "Briefly List Activities Conducted During This Period" Section on the main page of the report. Simply enter " Not Applicable" in this section on the main page of the report and save it.

It is very important to submit program reports in Egrants by the due date of January 20,2025. PCCD applies a risk level to each sub-grantee. One of the factors that impacts an agency's risk level is delinquent quarterly reports. RASA and VOJO Reports submitted later than January 20,2025, may adversely impact the agency's risk level. If unable to enter report data and submit the report by the due date, please contact the Office of Victims' Services.

For questions or assistance in completing the quarterly reports, please reach out to the Program Staff Contact assigned to your grant.

Quarterly fiscal reports for RASA and VOJO grants will also be due in Egrants by January 20,2025. Please contact the fiscal staff person listed on the grant for assistance with the quarterly, fiscal report.

For technical assistance with Egrants, please contact the Egrants Support Line at

RA-eGrantsSupport@pa.gov or (717) 787-5887.

ICF Survey

Survey Invitation for Individuals who have Experienced Gun Violence: Spanish Version of Survey is Now Available!

Help PCCD improve services and support for individuals who have experienced gun violence!

In partnership with PCCD, ICF (a research firm) has been gathering insights from service providers and individuals who have experienced gun violence to better understand:

1. Services/support available for individuals who have experienced gun violence;
2. Gaps in services/support; and
3. The needs of individuals who have experienced gun violence and the people who support them.

The survey has now been translated to Spanish! 

Please share this survey with anyone who has been impacted by gun violence in anyway. A person who has been:

• Injured by gun violence;
• Threatened with an act of gun violence;
• Witnessed an act of gun violence; or
• Someone who is a relative, classmate, coworker or other associate of a person who has experienced any of the these.

The online survey takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Survivors will get $20 for taking the survey. The survey closes on February 15, 2025.  

Human Trafficking Awareness

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and this month's infographic highlights key court data related to human trafficking.

Please click here to read.

Crime Victims Legal Standing Video

Through a grant awarded by PCCD, the Pennsylvania Office of Victim Advocate (OVA) created a short video on what legal standing means for victims of crime and highlights the responsibilities that law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys have in supporting this right.  

The intent of the video is to educate and inform those in the field about the requirements for the provision of victim rights and legal standing in accordance with the Crime Victims Act in a criminal/juvenile proceeding. Narrated by a crime survivor, this Pennsylvania specific video includes information specific for law enforcement, prothonotary offices/clerk of courts, District Attorneys, Public Defenders and Judges. 

We hope this video is used as a tool in educating all those involved in a criminal/juvenile proceeding about the significance of their roles and responsibilities under the Crime Victims Act. 

Please utilize this video in any training opportunities for stakeholders involved in criminal court proceedings. This video can be found on PCCD’s YouTube Channel: Pennsylvania Crime Victim's Legal Standing (2024) - YouTube

NOW OPEN: Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Non-Competitive Funding Announcement

The Office of Victims' Services is pleased to announce that the VOCA 2025-2025 Non-Competitive Funding Announcement is now open. This solicitation is for approximately $53.9M for the first year with year two amounts being determined at the November 2025 VSAC Meeting. Applicants will be required to submit a continuation application for year 2. The project period will be from October 1, 2025 thru September 30,2026.

The VOCA 2025-2025 Non-Competitive VOCA Funding Announcement is open to existing VOCA grantees that are currently receiving Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) 2023-2025 Non-Competitive Funding to support project activities. Applicants will have 8 weeks to complete and submit their applications.

Grant application and administrative guides can be accessed on PCCD’s Website under the Funding section. The Egrants Help Desk is available to assist with technical or system questions Monday through Friday until 4:00 PM and may be reached by calling (717) 787-5887 or (800) 692-7292, or by emailing RA-eGrantsSupport@pa.gov.  

 Questions concerning this funding announcement may be directed to PCCD staff as follows:

•  Program-related questions: Contact Mercedes Vega of the Office of Victims’ Services. Mercedes may be reached at (717) 265-8723 or mervega@pa.gov.    
•  Fiscal or budgetary questions: Contact Crystal Lauver of the Office of Financial Management and Administration at (717) 265-8525 or crlauver@pa.gov. 

When Pregnancy Makes You A Target

Pregnant people are more likely to die by homicide than any obstetric-related cause - particularly if they are young or Black.

Please click here to read.

2025 Pathways Conference Workshop Proposal Deadline Extended To January 31,2025

The call for workshop proposals for the 2025 Pathways for Victim Services Conference has been extended until January 31, 2025. The form can be found by following this link, Speaker Form.  You will need to make a Whova account to submit the workshop proposal.

The 2025 Pathways for Victims Services Conference will take place September 10-12, 2025, at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in the Poconos. There will be complimentary tickets provided for up to two speakers per workshop, a $250 value.

Important Workshop Information:

• All Workshops will be 75 minutes in length.
• All Workshops will be set up in a classroom style.
• A laptop computer and LCD projector will be provided for the presenters' use.

Required Information for Workshop Proposal Submission:

• Title of the Workshop
• Presenters Name(s) and Title
• Presenters Contact Information
• Agency and or Organization Affiliation for the presenter(s)
• Brief description of the presenter’s experience with the subject matter
• Detailed workshop proposal (including learning objectives, presentation style (i.e. PowerPoint, Roundtable discussion, multimedia)
• Target Audience

All workshop proposals will be submitted through the Whova link provided. If you have any questions, please email us at RA-CD-PATHFINDER@pa.gov

FAQ On Immigration Enforcement And Victim Services Programs

In light of heightened fear being expressed by advocates within immigrant communities, the following FAQs are intended to address confidentiality and due process protections afforded to victim advocacy organizations and victims themselves. A 2019 report, Immigrant Survivors Fear Reporting Violence, conducted in collaboration with several national survivor focused organizations, revealed a high need for responses to immigration-related questions from survivors to their victim advocates and attorneys, and uncertainty about pursuing assistance from the legal system. Federal law and certain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policies provide programs with several avenues for protecting the confidentiality of survivors. Advocates can reference these confidentiality protections when describing the confidentiality protections that their programs will adhere to if confronted with immigration enforcement.

Please click here to access.

Board Basics For Members And Board Basics For Leadership

Two new training modules are available on the Pennsylvania Victim Services Training website! These modules introduce the Board Development Series, which is designed to provide an overview of creating, operating, and managing a Board of Directors for a non-profit organization.

Please note that these courses are classified as Leadership and Governance Trainings and DO NOT COUNT toward PCCD's Training Standard for Victim Advocates or Foundational Academy Online Requirements, though they may count for other training requirements throughout the state.

LGT051 - Board Basics for Members

This course provides all Board members with an overview of their roles and responsibilities. This can be used as an onboarding activity for new Board members or as a refresher for all Board members within a non-profit organization.

LGT052 - Board Basics for Leadership

This course is designed for individuals in leadership positions at non-profits, such as the Executive Director and Board Chair. This course presents a basic overview of strategies for building and maintaining an effective Board of Directors.

How to Access the Trainings

Log in to https://pavictimservicestraining.org to access these trainings. Once you log in, click on the Course Catalog on the right side and search for the course name or number.

Please share with others at your organization who may be interested in registering for the site.

If you have any questions, navigate to the Help Center or contact a site administrator at PVSTsupport@psu.edu

Recordings Of PCCD's Consolidated Standards Are Available On PCCD's YouTube Channel

Pennsylvania has long been considered a leader when it comes to the OVS Consolidated Standards, in their design to deliver quality services and programming led by skilled advocates and staff. To better inform the field, OVS has launched a series of recordings that walk program staff through each of the standards. These are short recordings, up to thirty (30) minutes in length available on PCCD’s You Tube Channel: PA Commission on Crime & Delinquency (PCCD) - YouTube. Each recording counts toward OVS annual training requirements. Staff may listen to any number of recordings as they are released. 

The Standards are meant to be a guide for victim service professionals to promote excellent service delivery and to ensure the uniformity of services. The Standards provide the minimum expectations for service provision and ensure professionalism in a wide variety of victim service practices. 

The following recordings are now available on PCCD’s You Tube Channel: 

Program Administration - Section F - Record Keeping

Recordings concerning Program Administration- Section A- Accessibility; Section C- Governance of Non-Profit Organizations; Section D- Personnel Management; and Section E- Program Planning and Evaluation were previously posted on PCCD’s You Tube Channel and are available for viewing. With the release of the aforementioned recordings, this concludes the series for the Program Administration Standard.



Victim service programs interested in Program Administration, Section B- Fiscal Management may listen to a recording prepared by PCCD’s Fiscal Staff here.

Know More, Do More: Recognizing And Responding To Stalking Among Victims With Disabilities

January 21, 2025

2:00 - 3:00 pm

In this webinar we will offer foundational information on the basics of guardianship of adults with intellectual disabilities. This will include types of guardianship, who guardians are, and the timing and scope of guardianship for adults. We will then explore together a few scenarios based on real situations and play “what would you do?”

Attendees will learn to identify stalking behaviors and dynamics, recognize the intersection of stalking with other crimes, and apply strategies for working with survivors with disabilities who have experienced stalking. 

Please click here to register.

Effectively Investigating Cases Involving Trafficked Survivors With Disabilities

Wednesday January 29, 2025

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

People with disabilities are targeted at higher rates than their peers for exploitation and/or abuse, including trafficking. Traffickers deliberately target individuals they know they can isolate and control and both individual and systemic conditions increase the risk for people with disabilities. Specifically, people with disabilities often live in relative isolation, may rely on assistance from others to get to work and to access basic services and may be denied information about trafficking. 

Compounding these individual risk factors are barriers within our systems to identifying and supporting survivors with disabilities. This includes barriers to reporting or seeking help, a lack of disability-centered victim responses, and a lack of economic resources due to the devaluation of people with disabilities and their labor.

In an effort to address some of these gaps, Activating Change, in partnership with the National Human Trafficking of People with Disabilities Working Group, has developed an in-depth training for law enforcement on effectively identifying and responding to trafficking cases involving victims with disabilities.  This webinar will introduce the training to the field, explore the barriers it is attempting to address, and preview how you can access the training.

Please click here to register.

Domestic Violence 101: Back To Basics

January 30,2025

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

This introductory webinar will describe the dynamics and common tactics that characterize domestic violence. It will also provide an overview of the scope and impact on individuals and society. Because it is impossible to prevent and respond to domestic violence without addressing larger structures of oppression, this webinar will explain the connections between doing racial equity work and ending domestic violence. This session will help new advocates, allied professionals, students, and the general public achieve a basic understanding of this complex issue and how they can be part of the solution.



Please click here to register.

Trafficking, Trauma, And The Justice System: Panel Presentation

January 30, 2025

2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

In honor of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the AOPC STOP Violence Against Women Grant Program invites Pennsylvania judges, court personnel, and aligned professionals to attend Trafficking, Trauma, and the Justice System: Panel Presentation. 

This 2-hour panel presentation will provide attendees with: 

• An overview of human trafficking in the Commonwealth, including relevant laws and case trends. 
• Information intended to dispel common, pervasive myths and misconceptions about trafficking. 
• Information about "identifying" potential victims and appropriate questions to ask. 
• Insight into how trauma impacts survivors, in terms of victimization and participating in the court process. 
• Trauma-informed best practices for working with human trafficking survivors throughout the court process. 

Please click here to register.

A Deep Dive Into Deepfakes, The A.I. Explosion, "Sextortion", and Problematic Apps Creating A New Wave Of Domestic And Sexual Violence: 2 Part Virtual Series

February 12,2025

2:30 - 4:30 pm

• What deepfakes are, how they came to be, and their direct relationship with Image-Based Sexual Abuse, “sextortion”, and sexual violence;
• Recent, real-world cases that reflect the breadth and quick growth of deepfakes;
• How easily deepfakes are created, the common apps used, and how to identify them;
• How deepfakes and other Image-Based Sexual Abuse trigger your mandatory reporting duty;
• Safety and prevention methods for you, your loved ones, and your organization; and
• New and pending deepfake legislation, and how that can affect your day-to-day. 

March 5, 2025

2:30 - 4:30 pm

• Learn about the new, emerging and problematic social media and gaming apps in which every organization, adult and parent should be aware;
• Experience, in real time, a live look inside popular social media and gaming apps as a minor, including viewing crucial “security” settings;
• Learn prevention strategies against the apps that are leading to increased teen suicide, production of child sexual abuse material and nuclear verdicts;
• Understand how these A.I. and social media apps can quickly cause a mandatory reporting failure; 
• Learn about real world cases reflecting that these issues are occurring worldwide and in every-sized jurisdiction; and 

Gain a working understanding of important case law updates that includes newly-enacted laws for 2025, pending legislation and how these laws have a direct impact on your court, cases and day-to-day

Please click here to register for February 12 session

Please click here to register for March 5 session

Please click here to register.

Winter RASA/VOJO Quarterly Meeting

Friday February 28, 2025

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

The Office of Victims Services (OVS) is pleased to announce the first of our 2025 Quarterly Meeting series for those staff working within the Rights and Service Act (RASA) and Victims of Juvenile Offenders (VOJO) funding streams. This meeting will be held virtually on Friday, February 28, 2025, from 10:00-noon.  

We invite all RASA and VOJO project directors, advocates, and staff to attend.  

These meetings are a great opportunity to identify specific questions or topics you would like to learn more about, meet OVS staff, and hear from other RASA/VOJO advocates. 

Participants may count this meeting toward OVS annual training requirements.

For additional information, please contact Maria Katulis at mkatulis@pa.gov. 

Registration closes February 7, 2025.   

Please click here to register.

5th Annual Regional Human Trafficking Summit

March 4, 2025

8:30 am - 4:30 pm

March 5, 2025

8:30 am - 12:30 pm

Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel

903 Dulaney Valley Rd, Towson, MD 21204

The summit is designed for advocates and professionals in the anti-trafficking or related field. Participants include victim service providers, survivor leaders, government officials, legal professionals, academia, law enforcement, representatives from community groups, faith and tribal communities, and more. 

Please click here to register.

Please click here to view current employment opportunities.