This "tip sheet" from the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center presents nine tips for community leaders on funding and administering compensation for victims of a mass violence incident (MVI).
The first tip is to make victim services a part of the disaster-response protocol at the state and local levels, followed by a tip to include trained victim assistance professionals (VAPs) in all levels of planning and response. A third recommendation is that community leaders participate in formal and informal networks of agencies and officials organized specifically to respond to mass violence incidents. The tip sheet also recommends assembling a team of community leaders to apply for funding and/or grants that address various costs related to victim services and costs of municipal recovery. Other recommendations are to include crime victim compensation information in public briefings; be aware that victims' compensation programs are "payers of last resort," which means that victims who receive money from other sources may be ineligible for federal or state compensation; and informing MVI victims about their eligibility for and how to access compensation is the responsibility of all individuals who work in victim services and law enforcement, as well as those providing medical and counseling services to victims.