Title: What VOCA Administrators Need to Know About SVAAs
Series: Flier
Author: Office for Victims of Crime
Published: October 2003
Subject: state victim assistance academy, technical assistance, skills-based
training, funding
2 pages
3,065 bytes

----------------------------

Graphics are not available in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in
its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web
site.

----------------------------

What VOCA Administrators Need to Know About SVAAs

The commitment: OVC encourages the development of State Victim Assistance
Academies (SVAAs) throughout the country and has committed discretionary
funds ($195,000 per state) for this important effort. OVC also has developed a
specialized training and technical assistance capability through the OVC
Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) to assist states in planning,
implementing, delivering, and evaluating SVAAs. To date, OVC has committed
more than $2 million in grant funds toward establishing SVAAs in 14 states.
Note: this does not include additional funds set aside for curriculum
development and review assistance for these grantees via OVC TTAC.

The purpose of an SVAA: To support state efforts to provide comprehensive,
academically based, fundamental education and skills-based training for victim
assistance providers and allied professionals who routinely deal with victims of
crime.

----------------------------

States already funded via OVC to establish SVAAs

West (4)
o Arizona
o Colorado
o Oregon
o Utah

Central (4)
o Illinois
o Michigan
o Missouri
o Texas

East (6)
o Connecticut
o Georgia
o Maryland
o Maine
o New York
o Pennsylvania

----------------------------

The important role VOCA administrators play in SVAAs: Victim compensation
and assistance administrators are key stakeholders in this important OVC
initiative. As such, OVC requires grant applicants to obtain commitments of
support from them for establishing a state academy before OVC considers the
applications eligible for funding.

The use of VOCA training and administrative funds for SVAAs: VOCA victim
assistance training and administrative dollars may be used to help establish and
continue SVAAs. Note: VOCA funds cannot be used as a match (25 percent
in-kind) for this grant program. 

The impact that SVAAs can have on victim services: If properly planned and
executed, SVAAs should improve the skills and knowledge of victim advocates
and allied professionals who come into contact with victims of crime, improve
the practice of victim services, and integrate on a more permanent basis
information about victimology, victim services, and victims' rights into course
offerings at institutions of higher learning.

To learn more about this ongoing OVC initiative or to receive technical
assistance in starting an academy from OVC TTAC, please go to OVC's Web
site and click on www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/svaa.htm or call OVC TTAC at
1-866-OVC-TTAC.