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VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT VICTIM ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM 2002 MISSOURI STATE WIDE ASSISTANCE REPORT Prepared By: Missouri Department of Public Safety PO Box 749 Truman State Ofc Bldg Jefferson City, MO 65102-0749 tel: (573)751-4905
STATE FUNDING INFORMATION
A. THE ANNUAL AMOUNT ALLOCATED TO THE VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROJECTS: 1. Appropriations $ 6,872,653 2. Criminal Fines and Penalities $ 3,300,000 3. Assessments $ 961,000 4. Other $ 0 TOTAL:$ 11,133,653
B. TOTAL NUMBER OF AGENCIES FUNDED FROM THE FEDERAL GRANT: 112
C. NUMBER OF SUBGRANTS FUNDED FROM THIS FEDERAL GRANT: 115
VICTIM STATISTICS
A. THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS SERVED BY TYPE OF VICTIMIZATION:
NO. OF NO. OF VICTIMS SERVED VICTIMS SERVED 2,597 1. Child Physical Abuse 825 7. Adults Molested as Children 2,617 2. Child Sexual Abuse 934 8. Survivors of Homicide Victims 1,064 3. DUI/DWI Crashes 1,009 9. Robbery 32,378 4. Domestic Violence 2,680 10. Assualt 1,743 5. Adult Sexual Assault 6,825 11. Other 337 6. Elder Abuse TOTAL: 53,009
B. THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS WHO RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:
NO. OF VICTIMS SERVED 15,667 1. Crisis Counseling 17,434 2. Followup 5,074 3. Therapy 7,497 4. Group Treatment/Support 8,104 5. Shelter/Safehouse 14,702 6. Information/Referral (in-person) 17,083 7. Criminal Justice Support/Advocacy 2,831 8. Emergency Financial Assistance 3,949 9. Emergency Legal Advocacy 10,188 10. Assistance in filing Compensation Claims 15,955 11. Personal Advocacy 28,538 12. Telephone contact Informational/Referral 7,348 13. Other TOTAL: 154,370
A. EFFORTS TO PROMOTE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AID TO CRIME VICTIMS: Hope House, Inc. of Independence, Missouri participates in 'walk-abouts" in Weed and Seed targeted neighborhoods in Independence. Partners in this cooperation arc the Independence Police Department, the Division of Family Services, code enforcement, the Independence Fire Department, Safe Haven Community Center, local utilities, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, and Block Captains. During these walk- through's, the neighborhood agency representatives go door-to-door eliciting information on the needs and concerns of residents and offering information and referral for services, Advocates are ready and available to provide answers to questions regarding domestic violence, as well as referrals to other needed resources. A trend that is occurring is for more courts to grant supervised visitation in cases of abuse to children by the non-custodial parent. Safe drop-off points to protect a parent who has been subjected to abuse by the other parent are limited, Legal Aid of Western Missouri collaborated with other organizations through the Buchanan County Visitation Super Site Subcommittee to design, develop, fund, and start a safe visitation site in Buchanan County, so that children can safely have visitation with a parent who has been abusive towards them or their custodial parent in the past.
B. EFFORTS TAKEN TO SERVE FEDERAL CRIME VICTIMS: The Victim Service Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Corrections works closely with the two U.S. Attorney's Victim/Witness Coordinators. Information to identify crime victims who may be moving from one system to another is shared regularly. If the victim needs services or referrals, that information is shared as well. The goal of the relationship between state and federal staff is to transition the victim from one system to another without any gap in services and to keep the victim completely informed during the transition. The Victim Advocate for the local U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri, is a member 6f the St. Louis Metro Crime Victims' Crisis Response Team, and through her involvement on the team, local victim services have worked together to reach out to and serve the needs of federal crime victims. The Victim Advocate for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Kansas City regularly attends VictimNet meetings and works with agencies such as the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault, Child Abuse Prevention Association, Kansas City Police Department, area shelters, and the Jackson County PA. The Johnson County Victim Services Unit assists the Whiteman Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations as needed, The OSI has contacted the Johnson County Victim Services Unit to assist them in cases ranging from ex partes to rape cases. Although our subgrantees have not assisted many victims of federal crimes, their services are always available and these victims would be treated the same as victims of non-federal crimes.
C. ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF VICTIM SERVICES: The Missouri Department of Public Safety, Office of the Director, administers the VOCA grant program. The Department conducted one pre-bid workshop and one compliance workshop during the year to explain the application process and guidelines. For the pre-bid workshop, a mailing was sent to every county and municipal law enforcement agency, court, prosecutor, and service provider in the state to offer the opportunity to apply for funding. After the awards process, we have all recipients attend the compliance workshop to again explain the guidelines and answer any questions, To date, 100 of the 115 subgrants held during the 2001-2002 reporting period were monitored by our agency. We make every effort to monitor every agency at least I x during the contract period. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations requires hospitals to have criteria to identify Victims of violence and to provide an appropriate response to victims. In preparation for the JCAHO visit, the AWARE program at Barnes- Jewish Hospital has been conducting numerous in-service training with all nursing divisions. The hospital's goal is to have every clinical area in compliance with JCAHO guidelines. According to Barnes-Jewish Hospital nursing policy, all female patients over age 18 are to be screened for domestic violence and all women who disclose abuse are to be referred to AWARE. The Missouri Victim Assistance Network (MoVA) is very active in promoting victim services throughout the state. Currently funded through a State Services to Victims Fund (SSVF) grant, a state coordinator and two regional specialists assist with the development of programs in third and fourth class counties and serve as a resource for existing programs. For the past several years, the Department of Public Safety has teamed up with other state agencies and statewide non-profit organizations to coordinate the state's Victims Rights Week Ceremony. In 2002, the following agencies were involved in the event: Missouri Attorney General's Office, Missouri Victim Assistance Network, MADD State Office, Missouri Department of Corrections, Missouri Department of Health, Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Missouri Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and the Missouri Department of Public Safety. This past year's event included a tribute to crime victims, keynote speakers comprised of the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General, as well as crime victims, a band and choral group from local schools, and a balloon release at the state capitol building. Approximately 250 people were on hand for the event, which was followed by a reception hosted by the MADD State Office. The Victims' Rights Week Ceremony is an important event in promoting victims' rights in Missouri. The ceremony provides an excellent opportunity for the state agencies, non-profit victim service providers, victims of crimes, and others to come together to remind our state's leadership that we still have many more steps to take in providing for the fair and equitable treatment of crime victims in Missouri.
D. WAYS VOCA FUNDS HAVE BEEN USED TO ASSIST CRIME VICTIMS: Self reported domestic violence victim case history. Thank you letter/e-mail from domestic violence victim (8). Case History of a domestic violence victim. (2 - one had the disability of being deaf) Case History of a child victim of domestic violence. Case History of child victim of sexual abuse. An Autobiography of a domestic violence victim presented as an overhead presentation.
E. ISSUES OR TRENDS IMPACTING CRIME VICTIM SERVICES: In 2001, major legislation affecting the victims of crime movement in Missouri, was signed into law. This law accomplished the following (actual bill text): 1. The office of victims of crime is hereby established within the department of public safety, for the purpose of promoting the fair and just treatment of victims of crime. The office shall coordinate and promote the state's program for victims of crime and shall provide channels of communication among public and private agencies and in exercising the rights afforded to victims of crime pursuant to chapter 595, RSM6, and the Missouri Constitution. In the event of a catastrophic crime the office shall, or upon the receipt of a specific request the office may, work closely with other state and local agencies to coordinate a response to meet the needs of any resulting victims of crime. 2. The office for victims of crime shall coordinate efforts with statewide coalitions or organizations that are involved in efforts to provide assistance to victims of crime and to reduce the incidence of domestic violence, sexual assault or other crime victimization. The office shall consult with such coalitions or organizations as to more efficient and effective coordination and delivery of services to victims of crime. 3. The office for victims of crime shall assess and report to the governor the costs and benefits of establishing a statewide automated crime victim notification system within the criminal justice system and shall serve as the coordinating agency for the development, implementation and maintenance of any such system. If such system is established pursuant to this section, no other state agency shall provide such services. 4. The department of public safety may promulgate administrative rules to implement this section, and any such rule that is wholly procedural and without fiscal impact shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of section 536.016,RSMo. The Missouri Office for Victims of Crime (MOVC) was established in July 2002. This office has been busy with the implementation of MOVANS (Missouri Victim Automated Notification System). This system will be implemented statewide in Sheriffs Departments and Courts throughout the state. This system will provide an invaluable resource for victims of crime in Missouri. Also created in 2001, by Executive Order, was the Missouri Domestic Violence Task Force-'Me purpose of the Task Force was to "develop a strategic plan for developing a coordinated and integrated approach to domestic violence that will advance pragmatic, qualified and quantifiable funding and policy recommendations based on needs and priorities" (Executive Order 01-13). The task force produced a preliminary and final report making recommendations to the Governor in addressing domestic violence at the state level. Specifically, the report recommended that state government in Missouri prioritize efforts to incorporate domestic violence prevention, education, screening and services as an integral aspect of its public services. The Governor has reauthorized the Task Force to continue indefinitely. The state of the economy, at both the federal and state level is greatly impacting crime victims and the services available to them. The increase in non-English speaking victims in the state seeking services has placed an increased demand on interpreters who are already at a premium. These are problems faced by victims of crime in Missouri. The Department of Public Safety will continue to work with private agencies such as the Missouri Victim Assistance Network (MoVA), the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Missouri Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and others to meet the needs of crime victims in the state.
F. USE OF VOCA ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDS: VOCA administrative funds are used to pay partial salaries of one Program Manager, one Program Specialist, two Program Representatives (one position currently vacant) and one Senior Office Support Assistant. The Program Manager is responsible for management, administration and oversight of the VOCA grant at the state level, The Program Specialist and Program Representatives are responsible for monitoring the programs, processing budget revisions, reviewing grant applications and providing technical assistance as requested by the subgrantee. The Senior Office Support Assistant provides clerical support for the administration of the VOCA grant. VOCA administrative funds are also used to send staff to training conferences such as those sponsored by the National Organization for Victim Assistance, the Missouri Victim Assistance Network, the Missouri Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence. VOCA administrative funds have also been utilized to provide pre-bid seminars for potential subgrant applicants. The Department of Public Safety provides training and technical assistance through the pre-bid seminars by explaining the subgrant application process, going over state and federal guidelines, providing examples of types of programs that are allowable, and by answering questions regarding VOCA. Administrative funds are also utilized to provide a compliance seminar after the subgrant awards have been made. Recipients of VOCA funding are invited to attend to learn more about the grant guidelines, reporting procedures, record-keeping requirements and other financial requirements, and to meet Department of Public Safety staff. This seminar is held in order to provide a solid start for new programs and to review the VOCA grant requirements for ongoing programs. In addition to providing training and technical assistance regarding VOCA and its requirements, VOCA administrative funds may also be utilized to provide training in the area of direct victim services to service providers and others interested in assisting victims of crime. Finally, VOCA administrative funds are used for travel costs, postage, and other operational costs associated with the management and oversight of the VOCA Grant Program. VOCA administrative funds have provided Missouri with the opportunity to work more closely with the victim services community to ensure that quality services are offered, to stabilize victim service programs, and to expand victim services.