Pennsylvania's Pathways for Victim Services Conference provides an opportunity for victim services providers and allied professionals to join for national keynote speakers, informative workshops, networking opportunities and the presentation of the Governor's Victim Service Pathfinder Awards.

To register for the conference: Pathways for Victim Services Conference Registration

You will receive notice when the conference app is launched so you can select your workshops!

Hotel Rooms are available at Kalahari Resort:

Standard rooms are at the discounted rate of $107/night and the includes the Resort Fee. (This is normally an additional $44.99 per night)

For additional questions, please contact the Pathways Conference Team at:

RA-CD-Pathfinder@pa.gov

2025 Pathways Agenda and Workshops

Check out our scheduled Keynote Speakers Waylon Pahona and Johanna Corpeno

Attention VOJO Programs - VOJO Funds Can Be Used Until December 31, 2025

Recipients of Fiscal Year 2024 VOJO (VJ) funds, denoted on your Award Letter as:

2024 VJ Award Amount $ XX

2024 VJ Project Period 1/1/2025-6/30/2025

Grantees are able to spend the VOJO funds throughout the January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025, project period. Grantees do not need to submit Projection Modification Requests (PMR’s) to avoid a lapse in unspent VOJO funds. Additionally, grantees are not required to submit an interim fiscal report for Outstanding Subgrantee Obligations.

We apologize for any previous confusion this may have caused.

If you have any questions, please contact your fiscal or program contact listed on your grant. 

RASA/VOJO 2026 (Year 2 Project) Applications Are Due August 22!

One-year, continuation applications for the Rights and Services Act (RASA) and Victims of Juvenile Offenders (VOJO) 2025-2026 Non-Competitive Funding Announcement are now being accepted. The deadline to submit a continuation application in E-grants is Friday, August 22, 2025, at 11:59pm.  

Continuation applications are open only to subrecipients who currently have a 2025 Award via the RASA/VOJO 2025-2026 Non-Competitive Funding Announcement. OVS will contact each District Attorney for completion of the required 2026 funding recommendation forms. District Attorneys are asked to send a copy of the completed funding recommendation forms to the local victim services program(s) for completion of the application. Any changes to RASA and/or VOJO funding distribution for 2026 will be recommended by the District Attorney and considered for adoption by the Victims Services Advisory Committee (VSAC).

Please utilize the following resources for assistance with your application:  

• The E-grants 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 the completion of the continuation application outside of E-grants technical issues may be directed to the PCCD Program and/or Fiscal Contact assigned to the 2025 RASA/VOJO Grant.

• Additional grant application and administrative guides may be accessed on PCCD's website here.

Please Note: 2025 RASA and VOJO funds with the Year 1 project must be expended by December 31,2025.

2025 Voices For Justice

The National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI) recently held its 2025 Voices for Justice fundraiser. NCVLI's signature fundraiser brings the victims' rights community together to celebrate survivors of crime and honor the attorneys and advocates who tirelessly fight for their rights. Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect was awarded the Legacy Advocacy Award for its Sexual Violence Legal Assistance Project.

Please click here to access video highlights.

Debunking Misconceptions About Working With Criminalized Survivors

This memo highlights some of the misconceptions that programs have about working with criminalized survivors and how those misunderstandings prevent programs from working with those survivors.

Please click here to read.

What We Get Wrong About Violent Crime

A criminologist challenges assumptions about why most shootings happen - and what really makes a city safe.

Please click here to read.

National Elder Fraud Hotline

Victim service professionals can refer older fraud victims to the National Elder Fraud Hotline, supported by the US Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). The Hotline is a no-cost national resource staffed only by professional who have experience working with older adults.

Please click here to access.

Gun Violence Victims Live On Through Art

The Souls Shot Portrait Project, was started in 2016 and raises awareness for victims of gun violence through art.

Please click here to access.

Consolidated Standards Training Videos

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. Each recording counts toward OVS annual training requirements. Staff may listen to any number of recordings as they are released. 

All videos can be found on PCCD's Consolidated Victim Service Program Standards webpage, with the latest video, Crisis Intervention, now available.