The Connecticut Office of Victims Services (OVS) administers the state?s Crime Victim Compensation Program.  All victim assistance programs who receive Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding through OVS are provided with the necessary applications, instructions, brochures, etc., to assist crime victim in filing for victim compensation.  Victim Compensation (Comp 101) training is provided each quarter during OVS?s quarterly technical assistance training to the many recipients of VOCA funding to support the needs of crime victims. 

In October of 2006, OVS made a substantial change to the filing procedures for the compensation application by eliminating the acknowledgement requirement in the applicant signature section.  The purpose of this change was to remove a restrictive barrier that had been cited by numerous victims and victim service agencies as a requirement that hindered the completion of the compensation application.  Listed below are several other issues that were reported by the VOCA funded contactors/subcontractors: 



?	Many victims are looking for compensation for assistance with needs that are not covered under current compensation program guidelines such as:  Childcare, change of locks, security deposits, financial assistance for moving/relocation expenses, replacement of doors, windows, locks, installation of alarm systems, etc.  



?	Students frequently do not identify a physical injury for their assault or the potential need for care in the future and therefore, do not necessarily follow-up with compensation benefits.  



?	The necessity for the student who is a victim of sexual assault to first file a report with their personal insurance company can be a barrier for them to apply.  Many times the student is on the parent?s insurance and is afraid that this information will be disclosed to the parents.  



?	Time limitations on applying, especially for adult survivors of sexual abuse and the inability to then get a police report dated years or decades earlier. 



?	Unavailability of the application in languages other that English.  OVS has instructions for completing the compensation application in Spanish, but the application itself is still in English.  Additionally, there is a large Polish community in Connecticut with a similar concern.



?	Complex eligibility requirements and issues, including, but not limited to, reporting of crime to police, submittal of supporting documentation, eligibility timeframe, contributory conduct, waiver process and child custody. 

As the needs of crime victims are continually changing, OVS prioritizes a close working relationship with its community partners to identify what those needs are and how best to meet them. Listed below are a few examples of the coordinated efforts that OVS and its contractors/subcontractors engage in to enhance services to crime victims in Connecticut:  

?	OVS provided staff services to the Advisory Council for Victims of Crime, which represents victims of various crimes, including, but not limited to: homicide, family violence, sexual assault, drunk driving, assault and robbery.  The Council also included representatives of Connecticut?s Judicial Branch and Executive Branch Agencies.  The council recommends initiatives that would improve services to crime victims and develops and coordinates needs assessments for both court-based and community-based victim services.

?	The Director of OVS sits on the Trafficking in Persons Council. The council is tasked with determining what services are available to victims and how to best coordinate a response. The council includes law enforcement officials, leaders of state agencies, and community-based advocates and providers of services to victims. 

VOCA Funded Contractors/Subcontractors

?	Aetna Foundation/St. Francis Hospital:  The Children?s Center started collaborating with the CT Coalition of Mutual Assistance Associations (CCMAA). The coalition specializes in working with refugee populations such as African, Cambodian, Ethiopian, Hmong, Laotian, Albanian, Kosovo, Vietnamese and Bosnian. The agencies collaborated on cases of domestic violence coupled with child sexual abuse in families with foreign-born parents and/or children.  

?	Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH):  Charlotte?s Place Program clinical staff participates in a group called Northwest Caring Connection (NWCC).  The group?s mission is to work collaboratively amongst providers and caregivers to improve existing services as well as identify gaps in services. 

?	The Child Guidance Center of Southern CT (CGC):  As a member of the New Canaan Domestic Violence Partnership, CGC collaborates with Domestic Violence Crisis Center, as well as other local agencies, to promote awareness and access to services around the issue of domestic violence.  

?	 CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV):  Women Support Services (a subcontractor of CCADV) near the town of Sharon utilizes a community coordinated response because of rural catchments; Family Violence Victim Advocates maintain regular contact with social services, community based organizations and the police to meet the particular needs of victims in this rural area.  

?	Human Resources Agency of New Britain Inc.: The Polish Victim Advocate (PVA) has developed an effective working relationship with the Prudence Crandall Center for Women and Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD).  MADD has been very helpful in providing Polish victims information on their legal rights, and has offered court assistance in at least one case.  The PVA has referred several Polish clients to the Prudence Crandall Center for individual and group counseling and other related services.

The Office of Victims Services (OVS) is committed to working with its federal victim assistance partners to make sure that federal crime victims, that meet Connecticut?s eligibility requirements, receive victim services.  OVS provides the U.S. Attorney?s Victim/Witness Coordinator with compensation forms, informational material about OVS?s victim services and referrals to participating agencies for victim assistance services (i.e. counseling, support groups, shelter services, etc.).  OVS has also made contact with the new Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Victim Specialist in the New Haven field office.  OVS?s Helpline has already assisted the FBI Victim Specialist by providing one victim service referral to a supporting community agency.  In addition to OVS?s collaboration with CT?s Federal Crime Victims Assistance Personnel, OVS and its contractors/subcontractors have taken the following initiatives: 

OVS

?	OVS has contracted with the CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) to provide emergency shelter to victims of human trafficking through it coalition of eighteen domestic violence service providers.  These services are available to both federal and state law enforcement officials.  

VOCA Funded Contractors/Subcontractors

?	CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV):  Several subcontractor agencies of the CCADV have spent time working with restraining and protection orders with New York state due to their close proximity.  The Family Violence Victim Advocate (FVVA) has had contact with both New York local and state police as well as federal prosecutors when applicable.  If a federal crime victim is identified in the case, they will take the victim to the Federal Prosecutor and the OVS Victim Advocate.  

?	Aetna Foundation/St. Francis Hospital:  The Children?s Center was involved in providing sexual assault services with a CT child who was taken outside of the state to be sexually abused.  This case required cooperation and information sharing with law enforcement in Connecticut, California and the FBI.

OVS

?	OVS implemented Phase One of the OVS Strategic Plan in June 2007.  The plan contains the agency?s vision, mission, and core values that will guide and inspire OVS management as they strive to achieve five strategic goals and associated objectives.  The goals address the internal aspects of the agency including professional development and performance improvement that will assist in building a strong foundation.  

?	OVS sponsored a one-day workshop on Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for clinicians who work clinically with traumatized children and families of sexual/physical abuse.  

?	OVS staff attended the 2007 joint NAVAA/NACVCB national conference in Williamsburg, VA.

?	OVS provided funding for the Melanie Ilene Rieger Memorial Conference which is an annual statewide conference dedicated to educate the public and service providers on the needs of crime victims in Connecticut.  OVS, VOCA contractor/subcontractor staff, and the victim assistance community attended the conference.  

?	OVS and several VOCA contractor/subcontractor staff participated in the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) National Victim Assistance Academy Pilot Training on November 13-17, 2006.  

?	OVS?s Education and Planning Unit continued to build training curricula, provide public presentations, and develop informational material for the public and victim assistance community.  In addition to these activities, the unit provided the following to VOCA victim assistance providers:

o	Training of volunteers at the participating agencies of the CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) and the CT Sexual Assault Crisis Services (CONNSACS).  

o	Provided quarterly technical assistance and compensation training for staff of VOCA funded contractors/subcontractors. 

o	Provided in-service training to OVS Victim Advocates, titles as follows:

?	Human Trafficking,

?	The Process of the CT Psychiatric Security Review Board,

?	Immigration Information Regarding Defendants in Criminal Cases,

?	Working with Deaf Crime Victims,

?	Working with Gang Related Cases,

?	Overview, Board of Pardons and Paroles,

?	Competency Evaluations and Restoration Justice,

?	Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle and How to Cope with Stress. 



VOCA Funded Contractors/Subcontractors

?	Aetna Foundation/St. Francis Hospital:  The Center for Children Services initiated an after-hours emergent interviewing program in January 2007, allowing immediate interview of young children in danger of recanting.  In February, 2007, the center initiated extended hours interviews, making services more accessible to parents of victims who are unavailable or have difficulty coming to interview during the day.  With this addition of extended hours, the center is now accessible for interview, 24 hours per day.  

?	Charlotte Hungerford Hospital:  This year brought the debut of Charlotte?s Place child group entitled ?The Art of Science of Feelings.?  The group provided psycho-education and skill training with the aim of helping children to understand and enhance their ability to identify, express and manage their feelings.  Based on a child-centered, cognitive behavioral approach, art and science was utilized as medium towards understanding the physiological and psychological effects of trauma.

?	Clifford Beers Inc.:  As a designated Enhanced Care Clinic approved by the CT Department of Social Services (DSS), Project CATCH (Collaboration, Advocacy, and Treatment for Children) embarked on an internal systems reorganization to enhance delivering services to children and families in the greater New Haven area.  The agency implemented an Electronic Health Record (EHR) that includes the VOCA funded CATCH Project.  The EHR system will enhance the coordination and collaboration among family advocates and clinicians in teaming to wrap services around children and families.

The following is a brief summary of several case examples provided by our subcontractors illustrating how VOCA funds have been used to assist crime victims.  In addition, three victim letters have also been attached to the performance report. 



?	Community Guidance Clinic of Waterbury:  M.R. is a 7 year old Hispanic male referred to the clinic in August of 2006 by his father and stepmother due to a traumatic incident that occurred when M.R. was 5 years old.  In June 2005, M.R. was kidnapped by his mother?s boyfriend and taken across state lines before police arrested the man.  M.R. was reunified with his father, who now has sole custody.  Additionally, his mother frequently physically abused him up until age 4 or 5 while living with her.  M.R. presented with trauma related symptoms including nightmares, hyper-vigilance, self-harming behaviors of scratching and hitting himself in the face and head and hiding from adults when being redirected or disciplined.  Based on M.R.?s symptoms he meets the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Treatment has focused on teaching relaxation techniques, coping skills, refraining from self-harm behaviors, communicating feelings through appropriate verbalization and family therapy to implement consistent use of effective behavior modification techniques in the home.  

?	CT Sexual Assault Crisis Services (CONNSACS):  The College Sexual Assault Advocate assisted a student who had reported an assault on campus.  The advocate met the student at the health services office on campus and arranged for transportation to the hospital.  The advocate accompanied the victim to the hospital and supported her during the examination and while she made a statement to police.  In addition, the advocate spoke with the student?s parents and met with the student and the parents the next day.  Finally, the advocate assisted the student with the legal and campus judicial processes and the identification of a support group in her hometown, where she will be spending the summer.  Upon the student?s return to campus in the fall, the advocate will meet with her again to determine if further services are needed. 

?	 Klingberg Family Centers, Inc., Hartford County:  BT is a seven year old Caucasian female who received treatment as a primary victim of sexual abuse. Her sister, CT is a twelve year old Caucasian female who was treated as a primary victim of physical abuse.  Both were residing at Klingberg Family Centers? Safe Home since their removal from their biological family in May 2007.  Follow-up services were utilized to communicate information to DCF, the children?s Guardian Ad Litem, the safe home staff, and in attending provider meetings to assist the clients in obtaining services, and in collaboration with community providers.  Therapy for BT focused on the importance of personal space and sexual awareness of good-touch and bad-touch.  Therapy for CT focused on enhancing her safety and managing her anxieties.  Both girls received group therapy to enhance their self-esteem.  

?	Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD):  The MADD victim advocate (VA) worked with a family whose sister/daughter was killed by a drunk driver on her way home from work.  The victim was a manager at a popular restaurant and was driving home when the drunk driver past two cars illegally, drove through a red light, and crashed into her vehicle. The VA provided victim assistance through crisis counseling and support throughout the trial.   

Emerging issues or notable trends impacting services to crime victims in Connecticut were complied from the quarterly reports provided to OVS by each of the contractors that provide VOCA victim assistance.  Below is a sampling of the major trends/issues shared by both OVS and the recipients of VOCA funding: 

?	Trend - Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV):  The civil court advocate has seen an increase in parents applying for restraining orders for their children against the other parent.  This has been traditionally brought forth by the Department of Children and Families.  It appears more parents are coming directly to the victim advocate for assistance.  

?	Trend - Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV):  Kevin Dunn (State?s Attorney Office) has been visiting courts throughout the state.  He has been having conversations with the Family Violence Victim Advocates and prosecutors and at times has taken on some of the more difficult cases in the courts.  This has resulted in an increase in ?non-traditional? dispositions for a few dedicated docket courts.  Because of this, more judicial oversight is occurring with increased monitoring of cases with conditional pleas.  Victims are notified by the Family Violence Victim Advocate of the conditions and feel as though their case is more effectively monitored than if the offender was placed on probation.

?	Issue - Family Service Woodfield (FSW):  There continues to be concern about identifying the victim as the abuser when the victim has acted in self defense.  The VOCA funds cannot be used to treat perpetrators but this trend limits the availability of the program to some women.  There are a growing number of women in this situation.  For example, an FSW clinician sits in on a treatment team meeting for another program for female offenders (as part of her overall department responsibilities not as the Project Director for this grant).  An estimated eighty percent of those participants have experienced domestic violence, but are not eligible for this service because there has been an arrest or an order against them, even when they are not the ?primary aggressor.?

?	Trend - Klingberg Family Centers, Inc., Middlesex County:  There has been an increase in inter-generational sexual abuse where non-offender parents were survivors of sexual abuse as children and now they are bringing their children in for services.  Unfortunately, these parents are refusing to engage in services themselves which can be a problem because many times the sexual abuse of their child triggers negative feelings related to their own history of abuse.  By not engaging in therapy to understand their own trauma issues, the parent(s) remain limited in their ability to understand their children?s abuse and how it?s affected them as a family unit.  



Shared Emerging Issues/Trends

?	Issue - Challenges in preventing a victim?s mental health records from entering the court room as evidence. 

?	Trend - Increase needs for counseling of homicide victims throughout the state.

?	Issue - Victim hesitance to report crimes or receive services due to political climate towards immigrants. 

?	Issue - Complexity and seriousness of family problems associated with child abuse, including intra-familial sibling abuse.

?	Trend - Increase in the number of dual arrests for domestic violence cases. 

?	Trend - Some Family Violence Victim Advocates have modified their work schedules to be more available in the evening to better serve crime victims.

OVS uses VOCA administrative funds to assist its mission to provide statewide leadership and the highest quality advocacy, services, and education guided by the individual crime victim experience.  Specifically, OVS uses these funds to support its administrative activities, provide staff and contractor/subcontractor trainings, develop education materials, and non-profit agency coordination.  OVS is responsible for ensuring that all VOCA administrative funds distributed are expended in accordance with VOCA guidelines, state guidelines, and Judicial Branch policies and procedures.  Below are some examples of allocated VOCA Administrative funds for FY 06-07:  

?	VOCA administrative funds were used to support OVS staff development through the following activities:

o	VOCA Victim Assistance Conference, Newport.

o	NE Regional Conference Against Child Abuse.

o	National Victims Assistance Academy (NVAA).

o	American Prosecutors Research Institute.

o	Media Relations in Victim Assistance.

?	Training materials for a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) training.

?	Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV), funding to co-support two supervisor positions to enhance coordination between CCADV and its eighteen subcontractor agencies.