So You Want to Learn Saturday [6/20/2020]
When I miss We Educate Wednesday, I like to still be able to post something educational during the week. The topic today is "victim services".
What are victim services?
Victim services is a class of programs and resources made available to victims of crimes, which may include sexual assault, domestic violence, theft, physical assault, threats, or even homicide. These resources are often provided by a non-profit agency or through the police, district attorney's office, or some other third-party agency.
What kinds of services are provided?
The number, breadth, and availability of services varies from agency to agency, depending on what its focus is on. Some agencies are a domestic violence agency, and therefore provide specialized services and resources for victims/survivors of domestic violence. That may include counseling, advocacy, shelter, and other referrals. Other agencies may be a sexual assault resource center. These programs assist survivors of sexual assault, rape, and other similar crimes. Again, they may provide counseling, advocacy, medical, and educational resources. There are also comprehensive victim service agencies. These provide a wide-range of services with specific focus as far as the crime involved in the person's life. They may provide counseling (trauma-informed), victim advocacy (court accompaniment, assistance with compensation claims, assistance and support when filing a police report, or being kept updated on criminal case status), 24-hour support hotline, prevention and education programming for schools, colleges, and professional trainings. Sometimes, the victim assistance agency, as you will see below, works closely with the Child Advocacy Center, which is a specialized, unique program that has highly trained, trauma-sensitive, forensic interviewers that will attempt to gather information from children in a safe environment details about the reports of abuse so that further actions may be taken (prosecution of the perpetrator, Children and Youth actions, etc.). A family advocate may be present that will assist the child and non-offending caregiver(s) with the process. Victim services agencies may also work closely with local Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) that provide medical services to include a sexual assault evidence collection kit, general medical well-being, preventative medications for STI's, and referrals.
What are the costs of these services?
FREE. Programs like the ones mentioned above are provided to survivors, their family, and other community members at no cost. They are typically funded by grants through agencies like the Pennsylvania Commision on Crime and Delinquency, the Department of Justice, and other state/federal sources.
What kinds of jobs are available in this field?
Again, it depends on the agency. You could expect to see postings for counselors, victim advocates, forensic interviewers, prevention educators, outreach coordinators, grant/fundraising positions, family service advocates, and possibly even sexual assault nurse examiner. This field and these positions are great for people with a background/education in human services, social work, psychology, sociology, criminal justice, education, nursing, non-profit management, case management, drug/alcohol programs, etc.
What other opportunities are available?
Volunteering! Many of these agencies seek out volunteers to perform outreach, education, coordination, event assistance, hotline calls, and paperwork-related tasks. Some agencies will provide you (and may require) with a 40-hour domestic violence or sexual assault training. Volunteers are the life-blood of a non-profit and are crucial to its ongoing commitment to others and its own success. Consider reaching out to your local victim services agency to find opportunities. For those in school, you may even be able to turn it into an internship!
Did you know? PA has a Victim Advocate who was appointed by the governor. The current Victim Advocate is Ms. Jennifer Storm!
Questions?
Feel free to contact me! (Direct msg or email neurolawgical@gmail.com) I used to work for a non-profit victim agency. You can also go to the Office of the Victim Advocate's website for more information by going to www.ova.pa.gov.
Photo credit: (Screenshot of Office of Victim Advocate website)
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