All VOCA subgrantees receive applications, brochures and other necessary information to assist crime victims in filing for compensation.  Training is provided to individual organizations and offered at organizational state meetings regarding the compensation program.  Compensation staff provides a workshop at the Annual Crime Victims' Rights Conference which is hosted by the Governor and Attorney General.  In addition, the compensation director provides a training session at the annual Governor?s B.A.S.I.K. (Building Advocacy Skills, Information and Knowledge) training for new crime victim advocates.  This working relationship has greatly enhanced the exchange of information and services provided to local victim assistance programs.



Programs inform victims of the availability of the state crime victims? compensation program.  Obstacles to obtaining counseling and other services and therefore receiving crime victim information include the lack of child care and after school services available to clients when they need it, the perceived stigma of seeking help, clients not knowing where services are available, embarrassment if they have reading or writing difficulties, transportation difficulties related to financial problems or poverty, emergency services in the community not being available at hours that are needed and safety issues of being able to come in for counseling if the client is still living in the abusive environment.  Childcare while clients are in counseling is needed at the office sites.  With the increase in the Latino population, there are language and cultural barriers, and perceived fears of immigration/deportation.

All subgrantees reported working with public and private agencies within their respective communities.  This ranged from coalitions, task forces and other community networking efforts on behalf of organizations working with crime victims.  The subgrantees reported many referrals from community agencies.  This referral process is important because it reveals that the subgrantee agency is needed in the community and respected by other agencies.  Every effort is made to let the public know about services and how to get help should they become a crime victim.  Subgrantees also provide a multitude of community education through lectures, presentations, brochures and one-on-one interactions aimed at promoting coordinated public and private efforts to better serve victims.

All crime victims receive compensation information when they come in contact with a subgrantee program.  In addition, the federal victim/witness staff is invited to participate in our trainings.



Subgrantees also serve crime victims by going to court proceedings with the victims to offer support and answer questions; helping victims retrieve their property that was taken for evidence; helping victims file their applications with the Crime Victims Compensation Board, providing information and referrals to victims regarding other community resources which may be of assistance to them; providing counseling, therapy, treatment and safe shelter for victims; delivering educational presentations on domestic violence to community groups; providing on-scene response for victims and information pamphlets for victims; and furnishing medical/forensic evaluations for patients who have been sexually assaulted.

All VOCA victim assistance subgrantees are trained on working with crime victims.  We have developed and implemented annual classes of the Governor?s B.A.S.I.K. (Building Advocacy Skills, Information and Knowledge) training for VOCA subgrantee staff.  Subgrantees receive the necessary basic training skills on working with crime victims.  Experts from around the state assist in providing the instruction.  The training has been very successful and is a requirement for all VOCA funded staff.  The Governor and Attorney General continue to host the Annual Crime Victims' Rights Conference with more than 500 people attending.  Professionals, crime victims and their families attend the training to discuss and learn about services and working with crime victims.  Without the VOCA administrative funds, the Governor?s B.A.S.I.K. training and the annual conference, would not be possible.

See Attachment.

The Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University collaborated with the Governor?s Office to design a study to assess multiple aspects of domestic violence and domestic violence services.  The study was requested based on the amount of VOCA funds used for domestic violence services and to determine if these dollars are reaching domestic violence victims and if satisfactory services are provided.  The report was based on a random telephone survey and a survey of victims seeking help from Kansas domestic violence programs.  The findings indicate women who seek intervention services are successful in improving their situation and if more women sought services, domestic violence could be reduced dramatically.



The women surveyed ranked domestic violence as the number three health issue for women in Kansas, following cancer and heart disease.  According to the survey, an estimated 106,419 women were victims of domestic violence in Kansas this past year although they may not have reported it to law enforcement.  Of those seeking intervention services, nearly 91 percent reported that their situation improved since receiving services.



Three areas in which women felt domestic violence services helped the most were:

	Helping them to be ready to make changes to improve their situation;

	Feeling safer because of help received; and

	Using skills learned to improve their situation.



The report also offered several policy considerations including promoting the success of victims? services as a way to encourage others to seek help, increasing awareness of services such as the state?s toll-free hotline: 1-888-END-ABUSE, and ensuring health care benefits for victims.

The administrative funds are used to pay for staff, rent, postage, training and travel.  In addition, an extensive study was done regarding the services provided by domestic violence programs.  



Staff positions paid with administrative funds includes the administrator, attorney, manager, three analysts, specialist, administrative assistant and training coordinator.  The analysts provide yearly on site and desk reviews for each VOCA subgrantee and learns in-depth about the VOCA grant projects.  Also, one of the analysts reviews all the subgrantee progress reports and compiles an annual report regarding the services provided with VOCA grant funds.  



Administrative funds assist with training efforts.  The Annual Crime Victims? Rights Conference is held each April and more than 500 people participate.  Also, the Governor provides annual week long training for all new crime victim advocates, B.A.S.I.K. (Building Advocacy Skills, Information and Knowledge).  All VOCA staff are required to attend this training.  



Approximately 50 percent of the funding for VOCA is used to support domestic violence services.  Due to the amount of funding domestic violence services receive, we wanted to determine what kind of impact Kansas domestic violence programs were having for victims seeking service.  We also wanted to determine the number of domestic violence victims in our state and those not seeking services.  An in-depth study was done by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University regarding the services provided by domestic violence programs.  The report also reflects service gaps that need to be addressed and reaching underserved domestic violence victims.  The report highlights important policy considerations that we can use to move forward in addressing domestic violence in Kansas.  In addition, the report reflects the overall usefulness of services that domestic violence victims receive from VOCA funded domestic violence programs.  



The report is based on a random telephone survey and a survey of victims seeking help from Kansas domestic violence programs.  The findings indicate women who seek intervention services are successful in improving their situation and if more women sought services, domestic violence could be reduced dramatically.