General Public

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ 2016 report, people with disabilities were more than three times more likely to experience violent crime than people without disabilities from 2010 to 2014. At the same time, only 13 percent of violent crime victims with disabilities received assistance from non-police victim services agencies. The recent increases in state Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) victim assistance grants create a unique opportunity to increase the number of crime victims with disabilities who access victim services.

Multidisciplinary Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART) are highly regarded as achieving success in communities, improving responses for victims, and increasing prosecution rates. The newly updated SART Toolkit is an online manual that supports SARTs in all aspects of their work, from building a team to responding to victims. The SART Toolkit connects teams with information on topics, resources, and access to experts.

This September, the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center will launch an important two-part webinar series that will highlight significant actions needed to help communities prepare and respond appropriately to assist victims in the first few days after a mass violence tragedy occurs. 

Communities across the country are employing innovative approaches to counter the rising number of overdose deaths. This webinar will introduce nontraditional responses to overdoses with a focus on the use of peer support specialists – individuals with lived experience who are themselves in recovery. Peer support specialists engage with survivors soon after their overdoses and remain an important resource to the individuals in navigating life in their communities, including facilitating access to treatment and other services.