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September 25, 2010, marks the fourth observance of the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims, which honors the memory of homicide victims and acknowledges the resulting long-term trauma for families, communities, and the Nation. Register to attend a special observance at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

OVC presented a Web Forum on serving survivors of homicide victims during cold case investigations with guest hosts Diane Alexander, Dan Levey, and Tim Woods. If you missed the August 18 session, download the transcript today or visit Web Forum online.

Save the date for the Sixth National Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Training Conference, May
25–27, 2011, in Austin, Texas. New to the conference are workshops designed for practitioners in Indian Country and scholarships available for Indian Country SARTs.

Responding to Elder Abuse DVD Series (September 2010)

OVC features new DVDs on elder abuse:

• What Community Corrections Should Know to recognize and respond to elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation encountered in their work with offenders.  
• What Judges and Court Personnel Should Know about the special needs of older abuse victims and successful court-based elder abuse initiatives.  
• What Law Enforcement Should Know when faced with elder abuse in homes or institutions, locating referral resources, reporting, and working with other organizations.  

Web Forum: School Violence (September 2010)

OVC holds a Web Forum each month with an expert in the field to answer your questions about best practices in victim services.

This month, Scott Newgass, serves as the Guest Host discussing Assisting Communities after Incidents of School Violence, September 15th, 2010.

Please visit the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) clearinghouse to see additional publications and resources on this topic:

• Celebrate Safe Communities Special Feature.
• Campus Safety Awareness Special Feature.
• Juvenile Justice: School Safety.

In Their Own Words: Domestic Abuse in Later Life (September 2010)

A two-DVD package and training guide aimed at a range of victim service providers and other professionals who work with older victims of domestic abuse is now available from OVC.

The new multimedia training package includes:

• Segments with victims, family members, victim service providers, and allied professionals.
• Montage of victim and advocate voices designed for use by policymakers.
• Interactive role play scenario to help recognize justifications for elder mistreatment.
• Trainer’s guide with background information about the victims and discussion questions.

Save the Date! (September 2010)

Training. Be sure to visit the Training Center for news on upcoming workshops. September’s workshops include:

• DNA Collection and Use in Sexual Assault Cases: The Role of the First Responder, September 21-22, 2010, in Beaverton, OR.

Conferences. The National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) is holding its 2010 National Conference, September 15-16, 2010, in New Orleans, LA. OVC TTAC consultants will be on hand to lead 3 OVC-sponsored skill-building workshops:

• Spiritually Sensitive Victim Services.
• Resilience.
• Meeting the Consent Defense in Sexual Assault Cases.