Funding Available For Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs)
On November 1, 2024, the OVS released a competitive solicitation announcing the availability of up to $870,000 in federal STOP Violence Against Women Grant funding projects to improve coordinated responses to sexual assault.
Under the “STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant SART Development” solicitation, funds can be used to 1) start a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) in communities without one or 2) enhance an existing SART.
County governments and non-profit victim service agencies are eligible to apply for up to three years of funding, with projects not to exceed a total of $145,000 per year for a total of $435,000.
Specific details for the funding and the full funding announcement can be accessed here.
Applications are due in PCCD’s Egrants System no later than Monday, December 2, 2024.
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Statewide Human Trafficking Coordination Project
The Statewide Human Trafficking Coordination Project aims to establish a trusted, publicly available nexus of information, training, and resources on Human Trafficking – both labor and sex trafficking - for Pennsylvania first responders, direct service providers, and the public.
Key goals of the project include:
- Increasing public awareness by creating public awareness materials that can be universally used by all professions statewide, housed in a single website;
- Training first responders and other allied stakeholders; and
- Developing technical assistance materials for victim advocates and legal and immigration services.
To achieve the project’s goals, the CSE Institute needs the input of people with your experience and insight. Please share this email with your networks within Pennsylvania. The more responses we receive the more robust the information we will be able to include. We ask that you participate by responding to the survey which can be found at this link here. It will take approximately 20-30 minutes of your time. Please respond by Monday, December 2, 2024 at 5 pm EST.
Please reach out to shea.rhodes@law.villanova.edu if you have any questions regarding the survey or would like to add additional information.
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Pennsylvania Department Of Human Services Survey On Maternal Health
Pennsylvania is taking action against the state’s high maternal mortality rate through the development of a statewide Maternal Health Strategic Plan. The vision for Pennsylvania’s Maternal Health Strategic Plan is a Pennsylvania where every pregnant and birthing person has easy access to high-quality perinatal, birth and postpartum care that is person-centered, comprehensive, equitable, and affordable and that results in healthy outcomes and long-term good health and wellbeing.
The overall mission is to implement a living Maternal Health Strategic Plan that contains a list of priorities, goals, and actionable strategies that will help to address the state’s disparate maternal mortality and morbidity rates, especially among Black women and birthing people, and lead to increased life-long, good health and wellness.
Victim advocates are encouraged to complete the survey, bringing the unique perspective they have through working with birthing people at their programs. This survey will be open from September 30, 2024 to November 29, 2024.
The Commonwealth has determined five priorities to address the maternal health crisis in Pennsylvania:
- Access to High-Quality Care
- Supporting Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Needs
- Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
- Improving Rural Health and Maternity Care Deserts
- Expanding and Diversifying the Maternal Health Workforce
Please click here to complete the survey
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Pennsylvania Courts Challenge Myths Vs Fact In New Domestic Violence Campaign
The Pennsylvania Courts are using a new social media campaign to educate about the courts' role in helping victims and survivors of domestic violence.
Please click here to read.
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Federal- State-Local Coordinated Justice System Responses To Domestic Violence And Firearms
Effective enforcement of the federal domestic violence firearms prohibitions hinge on the actions and records of local systems. implementation of these laws is multifaceted and can only be accomplished with a local coordinated community response which brings together multidisciplinary government entities, victim services agencies, and other community stakeholders that reflect the community.
This resource details multijurisdictional coordinated criminal justice response models in DeKalb County, GA, Oklahoma City, OK, and Birmingham, AL, each of which focuses on collaboration to enforce federal domestic violence firearms prohibitions in order to promote survivor and community safety and offender accountability. The guide includes tips from the partners in these communities to assist other communities aiming to form similar coordinated responses.
Please click here to access.
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The Crime And Safety Blind Spot: Are Random Acts Of Violene At An All-Time High?
Incidents of random violence - whether a public shooting or a person suddenly and senselessly attacked by a stranger - frequently make headlines. For some, these events fuel claims that society is unraveling and crime is out of control. Others view them as a rare, but stark reminder of the urgent need to prioritize mental health responses or provide stronger safeguards to mitigate risk.
Please click here to read.
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Share Your Experience
Help us better understand how to meet the needs of communities impacted by gun violence.
PCCD and ICF are gathering insights to enhance the support provided for individuals who have experienced gun violence in communities across Pennsylvania. Opportunities to share insights include surveys and discussion groups with individuals who have experienced gun violence. We also want to hear from organizations or community members who provide support to individuals impacted by gun violence.
If you are interested in sharing your experience, please fill out the Interest Survey. Opportunities to share insights will take place from October through December 2024.
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Pathways 2025 Workshop Proposals
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency is happy to announce that the call for workshop presenters for the 2025 Pathways for Victim Services Conference is now open! The 2025 Pathways 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.
The call for workshop presenters will be open until December 31, 2024. The form can be found by following this link, Speaker Form. You will need to make a Whova account to submit the workshop proposal.
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 presenters
- 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
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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 is pleased to announce a series of recordings that will 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 OVS Newsletter will announce new recordings as they are available.
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 recording is now available on PCCD’s You Tube Channel:
Program Administration - Section A - Accessibility
Program Administration - Section C - Governance of Non-Profit Organizations
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Upcoming Trainings & Events | |
4th Annual Virtual Human Trafficking Summit
Friday November 22, 2024
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
This free, virtual summit is intended for law enforcement, prosecutors, child protective services, juvenile probation and victim advocates, financial services and institutions, educators, hospital administrations and staff, and those in public health and healthcare.
Please click here to register.
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AOPC Offers Virtual Book Discussion And Training Opportunities
The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) is offering the following STOP Violence Against Women training and education activities in the coming quarter. These trainings are open to all justice system partners regardless of whether or not your county receives STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Funding from PCCD.
Friday, December 6, 2024 - Session 2: Working with LGBTQ+ Interpersonal Violence Cases: Dynamics and Case Studies, Part 1
Please click here to register.
Tuesday, December 17, 2024 - Session 3: Working with LGBTQ+ Interpersonal Violence Cases: Dynamics and Case Studies, Part 2
Please click here to register.
Cat Shugrue dos Santos, MSW serves as a subject matter expert in violence intervention and prevention, anti-oppression, and trauma-informed programs and organizations. Cat is a Senior Lecturer at Columbia University School of Social Work, speaks locally and nationally at conferences, has contributed articles to the Smith College Studies in Social Work Journal, the Domestic Violence Report, and Huffington Post, and is a leading voice in many local, statewide, and national coalitions working to end violence and promote equity. Cat serves on the Priority and Strategy Council for the Human Services Council and the Policy Committee for the New York State Network for Student Success.
2024 PA Justice Systems Virtual Book Discussion
Join the AOPC STOP Team and your colleagues from across Pennsylvania for a virtual book discussion about No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us by Rachel Louise Snyder.
Interested stakeholders will receive a free copy of the book and participate in virtual discussion December 13, 11:30 am - 1 pm EST.
Books available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please click here to register.
Have you already read “No Visible Bruises” and want to partake in the discussion? No time to read the book, but still want to listen to the discussion? Feel free to sign up for the discussion alone AT THIS LINK.
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Victims Compensation Assistance Program Online Trainings
The following trainings will be held November 20, 2024.
- Stolen Benefit Cash Expenses Clinic - 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
- Loss of Support Clinic - 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The following trainings will be held December 12, 2024.
- Basic Compensation - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The following trainings will be held December 17, 2024.
- Counseling Expenses Clinic - 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
The following trainings will be held January 7, 2025.
- Relocation Expenses Clinic - 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
- Loss of Earnings Clinic - 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The following trainings will be held January 15, 2025.
- Crime Scene Cleanup Expenses Clinic - 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- Myths of Compensation - 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
All trainings count towards 1 hour of the required RASA/VOCA/VOJO training hours, except Basic Compensation which counts towards 2 and DAVE training which counts towards 2.
PLEASE NOTE THE REGISTRATION PROCEDURE HAS CHANGED (AS OF JULY 1ST):
1) Go to pccd.webex.com (click Modern View in the top right-hand corner)
2) Click on the three horizontal lines in the top left corner
3) Select “WebEx Training”
4) Click on the “Upcoming” tab.
Please click here to register.
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Please click here to view current employment opportunities.
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Please click here to view current employment opportunities. | |
The next OVS Newsletter will be published on November 27, 2024. If you would like any training events, fundraisers, or notable news published in this newsletter, please submit them to Lea Dorsey at ledorsey@pa.gov by Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
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