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VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT STATE COMPENSATION PROGRAM 2002 GEORGIA STATEWIDE COMPENSATION PROGRAM Prepared By: Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council 503 Oak Place, Suite 540 Atlanta, GA 30349-0000 tel: (404)559-4949
CLAIMS DATA
1. NUMBER OF NEW CLAIMS RECEIVED DURING REPORTING PERIOD a. Total claims, if only one claim is usually counted per crime: 0 OR b. Total claims, if victims and indirect victims generally count as separate items: 2,445 2. NUMBER OF CLAIMS APPROVED AS ELIGIBLE: 2,404 (a) Number of Victims 17 and Under 265 (b) Number approved for victims 18 - 64 1,396 (c) Number approved for victims 65 and Older 19 3. NUMBER OF FORENSIC SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAMINATION CLAIMS RECEIVED DURING THE REPORT PERIOD. IF SUCH CLAIMS ARE HANDLED THROUGH SEPARATE CLAIMS PROCEDURE. (See Instructions) 0
PAYMENT STATISTICS BY CRIME CATEGORY:
a. b. c. TYPE OF CRIME NUMBER OF CLAIMS NUMBER OF DOMESTIC TOTAL AMOUNT PAID PAID DURING VIOLENCE RELATED BY CATEGORY REPORTING PERIOD CLAIMS PAID DURING Including all supple- Includes Column b REPORTING PERIOD mental payments
1. ASSAULT 880 225 2,865,993 2. HOMICIDE 258 3 747,650 3. SEXUAL ASSAULT 80 4 106,709 4. CHILD ABUSE (Including sexual & physical abuse) 164 166,145 5. DWI/DUI 41 174,960 6. 0THER VEHICULAR CRIMES 22 87,945 7. STALKING 0 0 0 8. ROBBERY 3 0 4,211 9. TERRORISM 0 0 10. KIDNAPPING 0 0 0 11. ARSON 0 0 0 12. OTHER 0 0 0 TOTAL 1,448 232 4,153,613
INDICATE TOTAL EXPENSES PAID BY SERVICE
1. MEDICAL/DENTAL (Except Mental Health) 2,699,849 2. MENTAL HEALTH 124,608 3. ECONOMIC SUPPORT (Lost Wages, Loss of Support) 623,042 4. FUNERAL/BURIAL (Including all Funeral Related Expenses 706,114 5. CRIME SCENE CLEAN-UP 0 6. FORENSIC SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAMS 0 7. OTHER 0 8. TOTAL 4,153,613
Please respond to the following questions additional 8x11 sheets may be attached if necessary 1. DESCRIBE THE IMPACT THAT VOCA FUNDS HAVE HAD ON YOUR PROGRAM'S ABILITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF CRIME VICTIMS. VOCA funds continue to assist in providing a a staff person for the toll free number and an advocate to provide direct services to victims of crime. The toll-free number is very beneficial because it allows direct assess to the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program staff without any cost to victims or claimants. Over 55% of the claims filed came from areas outside the Atlanta metropolitan area, so over half our victims would have incurred long distance charges when calling to get assistance or a status on compensation benefits. Also, the Program Advocave provided direct assistance to more than 500 victims and claimants with gathering the necessary paperwork for their compensation cliaims during the fiscal year. Additional services were provided to callers and walk-ins to find shelter, food, and to provide translation assistance, and to attend providing trainings and participate in immigrant community events to infornt these communities about the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program.2. HOW DO YOU MEASURE YOUR PROGRAM'S EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING THE FINANCIAL IMPACTH OF CRIME ON VICTIMS? WHAT ARE THE RESULTS? Our Claims Management Information System is designed to track all claim activity. We track in our systern the time that it takes from the time a claim turns pending until a decision is rendered. Our policy is to process these claims within sixty days. During the fiscal year more than 60% of these claims were processed within sixty days. Those claims that were delinquent were largely due to staff turnover, slow responses from law enforcement and service providers, and staff having added responsibillty due to staff shortages. We also track the length of time that it takes from the time a Warrant for Payment is issued and the time that the check is mailed to the appropriate person or servce provider, which averages 7 days. What happens with a claim upon Initial receipt in the agency sets the pace for how successful staff will meet processing deadlines. Currently, the poiicy is to complete the Intake Process on new claims within 2 to 3 business days. The Intake Process includes properly setting the claim up in a file, assigning a claim number and a status, and inputing all appilcation and bill information into the database. The CMIS databasee was recently updated to allow managers to track ths timeliness of the Intake Process. Date ranges for various actions involved in claim processing have been strategically placed throughout the CMIS database to track efficiency, and tables and querles have been designed to track progress. The dates, the tables, and the queries provide managers with the necessary road maps to determine program efficiency and effectiveness. These same tools assist management with making the necessary modifications for non-efficient and non-effective processes to beter serve victims and their families.
3. DID YOUR STATE USE VOCA ADMINSTRATIVE FUNDS? YES IF YOUR STATE USED VOCA ADMINSTRATIVE FUNDS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE IMPACT THESE FUNDS HAVE HAD ON YOUR STATE'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION OR IMPROVE VICTIM SERVICES. We utilized our administrative funds for our 1-800 Operator and our Program Advocate this fiscal year.