Training & Information Dissemination Division (formerly TAPIR)

The Technical Assistance, Publications, and Information Resources Unit (TAPIR) is responsible for developing, disseminating, and offering information that supports victim service providers and allied professionals. This important mission is achieved through four teams.

1. OVC Resource Center (OVCRC)

OVCRC is the field's primary source of crime victim information. As a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), OVCRC has access to the most comprehensive criminal justice library in the world. OVCRC produces, collects, maintains, and disseminates information and resources for victim service providers and allied professionals. When you ask OVCRC for help, knowledgeable information specialists will tailor a response based on your needs using regional and national victimization statistics, research findings, and a network of victim advocates and organizations. OVCRC staff attend local, state, and national conferences and display literature at the OVCRC exhibit table. In addition, OVCRC provides publications and resource materials for training workshops, seminars, and conferences upon request.

2. Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC)

TTAC helps build and enhance the skills you need to provide victim-sensitive services. TTAC's staff, mentors, and expert consultants can identify and secure speakers for conferences and workshops, provide state-of-the-art training on victims' issues, find facilitators for focus groups and strategic planning meetings, expand your understanding of victims' issues, and offer technical assistance for new and growing programs.

3. Education and Outreach

The education and outreach team supports various initiatives and dissemination strategies to maximize the field's access to OVC products and resources. This is accomplished by coordinating OVC's marketing strategy in an effort to distribute useful and timely information. The outreach team also organizes OVC's conference support functions worldwide through OVCRC and maintains OVC's calendar on the Web site that announces upcoming conferences and other events. This team also promotes new publications and products and is responsible for OVC's Web-based training initiative and the National and State Victim Assistance Academy initiatives.

4. Publications

The publications team produces documents written primarily by grantees and coordinates the dissemination of these documents through OVC and OVCRC. The team offers editorial and prepublication support and provides OVC's discretionary grantees with guidelines they must follow before submitting publications.