Now Open: 2025 Pathfinder Award Nominations

Nominations for the 2025 Governor's Victim Service Pathfinder Awards are open through February 28th!

We need your help to identify the incredible work happening across Pennsylvania communities. 

~NEW IN 2025~

PCCD will be interviewing each award winner to create a professional video showcasing what makes them a Pathfinder!  

Videos will premiere at a special luncheon during the Pathways for Victim Services Conference where the winners of the 2025 Governor’s Victim Service Pathfinder Awards will be recognized at an awards ceremony!

Click on the link below to watch a video of Governor Josh Shapiro celebrating the work of victim services and encouraging you to submit a nomination!  

PCCD Announced A New $2.5 Million Federal Award

PCCD announced a new $2.5 million federal award from the U.S. Department of Justice for PCCD to improve the Commonwealth's ability to support survivors of sexual violence and increase accountability and transparency through a new statewide sexual assault kit tracking system. 

Please click here to read.

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.  



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

The Forgotten Woman Who Transformed Forensics

The Secret History of the Rape Kit, a revealing new book by the journalist Pagan Kennedy, doubles as an account of the largely unknown history of the collection box’s real inventor—a woman named Martha “Marty” Goddard, whose broader goal of empowering survivors led her to cede credit to a man.

Please click here to read.

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. 

Beyond The Stigma: Understanding Mental Health And Its Complex Relationship With Violence

Contemporary research has debunked the misleading link between mental health issues and violence/terrorism, revealing factors like substance abuse, past violence and social injustices as key contributors. Sensationalized media portrayals perpetuate harmful stereotypes, stigmatizing mental health and hindering access to services. Advancing public education and nuanced understanding can break this stigma, foster safer communities and support recovery.

Please click here to read.

Respect That

The 2025 Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month theme is "Respect That!". Join us in raising awareness this February by downloading our Action Guide, Calendar of Events, and social media resources.

Please click here to access.

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.

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.