Dear Colleagues:

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) asked the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) to share a few ideas on how to navigate a rapidly changing victim assistance landscape.

Programs and Services

Many of you may be grappling with how to serve victims in the weeks and months ahead as traditional methods may not be feasible or recommended. OVC TTAC will continue to provide victim-serving organizations and allied professionals with no-cost support to help you find creative solutions to address your training and technical assistance (TTA) needs. Considering recent travel restrictions and social distancing directives, this includes a focus on remote TTA delivery. If OVC TTAC is not the home of the resource you seek, we can connect you to the information you need. There are links to a great variety of resources at the end of this message.

Work Environment

OVC and OVC TTAC have heard from people at many state offices and local programs who are in the process of adapting work settings. For example, numerous organizations are seeking resources on transitioning to remote teams, supervising telecommuting staff, ensuring appropriate new workloads, and supporting colleagues’ self-care. This may be an opportune time to focus on your professional “to do” items, e.g., building staff skills, drafting trauma-informed policies and protocols, or even training volunteers online.



 
Please do not hesitate to contact the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center by phone at 866 –682 –8822 or by email at ttac@ovcttac.org for more information on how we can help with your TTA and professional development needs. Through this rapidly evolving situation, OVC TTAC is committed to working with you to best serve victims and survivors across the country.

Sincerely,

The OVC TTAC Team
Additional Resources

Supporting Survivors and Staff:

  • National hotline supports remain available, including:

  • The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 24/7, confidential, and free: 1–800–799–7233 and through chat.

  • The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 24/7, confidential, and free: 1–800–656–HOPE (4673) and through chat.

  • The National Human Trafficking Hotline is 24/7, confidential, and free: 1–888–373–7888 and through text SMS: 233733 (Text “Help” or “Info”).

  • The StrongHearts Native Helpline for domestic/sexual violence is available 7:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. central time, confidential, and specifically for native communities: 1−844–762–8483.

  • The Trans LifeLine for peer support for trans folks is available 9:00 a.m.–3:00 a.m. central time: 1–877–565–8860.











  • VAWnet (includes guidance for shelters and homeless programs)






Using Virtual Platforms with Clients:




 
NOTE: Before selecting and purchasing online meeting space for meetings to connect with clients, be sure to review their policies on privacy and HIPAA compliance, if appropriate. For example:



 

Using Virtual Platforms with Staff:


 

Disaster Preparedness and Response:





OVC's Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) provides training to support professional development, enhance services to the community, and expand outreach to underserved victims of crime.
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OVC shares your mission and has a wide range of resources to help you accomplish it. Visit the  National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS)  online to register for services or to find out more.