Who We Are
Vision
Each year, millions of people in the United States become victims of crime. Yet, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey, only 1 in 10 victims of violent crime report receiving victim services. OVC’s Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services Final Report asserts that all crime victims should have immediate access to a seamless continuum of evidence-based services and support that will assist them in recovering from their victimization. However, services are not always readily accessible to or designed for victims from all communities. The vision of the National Resource Center for Reaching Victims is that victim services will be accessible, culturally relevant, and trauma-informed—and that the overwhelming majority of victims will access and benefit from these services.
Mission
The Resource Center is a one-stop shop where victim service providers, culturally specific organizations, criminal justice professionals, and policymakers may get information and expert guidance to enhance their capacity to identify, reach, and serve all victims, especially those from communities that too often have less access to healing services and avenues to justice. The Resource Center is working to increase the number of victims who receive the support they need to help them heal.
To do this, the Resource Center is working to—
• Understand who is underrepresented and why some people access services while others do not
• Design and implement best practices to guide organizations and service providers in how they connect people
to the services they need
• Empower and equip organizations with the services that are the most useful and effective in helping victims to recover
from crime.
Activities
The Resource Center will deliver a comprehensive array of training and technical assistance to expand the capacity of victim service programs to identify and reach victims.
These activities will include—
• a public awareness and communications campaign;
• training via webinars, regional and other in-person training opportunities, and national conferences;
• expert guidance and peer-to-peer learning via phone, video, and in-person visits;
• links to resources that address unmet needs and information on promising practices; and
• mini-grants to spur innovation.