Crime victim services newsletter [Earlier title: Victims of crime act newsletter]

              Arizona Department of Public Safety Victims of Crime Act Newsletter
Issue Number 22 September 30, 2003

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
(October 1-31, 2003)

A calendar of events can be found at www.azacadv.com.

Crime Victim Services
www.azvictims.org Staff Members: Jane Conder Jessie Ryan Sheila Markwell Linda Fogle Kate Henderson JoAnne Wermes Iris Verdoza Fax

(602) 223-2480 (602) 223-2491 (602) 223-2762 (602) 223-2122 (602) 223-2661 (602) 223-2685 (602) 223-2414 (602) 223-2943

Children's Mobile Advocacy Center in AZ Childhelp USA, in partnership with the Safe Child Center at Flagstaff Medical Center, has announced the launching of the Children's Mobile Advocacy Center of Northern Arizona, the first of its kind in the state. This collaborative project will begin service in October and will provide a variety of services to abused children in rural Northern Arizona, including tribal reservations. Initially the mobile center will serve Coconino, Apache, and Navajo counties. Currently, there is only one child abuse investigational facility (the Safe Child Center) in all of Northern Arizona. In some cases, it can take as long as three hours for a child abuse victim to be transported to the investigation site. This, coupled with an increased demand for services from the Safe Child Center, led to the development of the mobile center as a way to better serve the residents of this large geographical area. Childhelp USA has operated a similar mobile advocacy center since January 2002 in rural East Tennessee with successful results.

The program is funded through a combination of gifts and grants from individuals, corporations and foundations, including:
AZ Foundation for Women AZ DPS Safe Child Center Children's Justice Task Force Celebrity Fight Night 2004

(Pictured above is the newly delivered mobile advocacy center. It will be decorated in a culturally sensitive theme promoting healing in Native American Children. Standing from left to right are Bob Gillette,Childhelp USA Manager/Driver; Roger Illingworth, AZ DPS; and Russ Huber, Director of the Childhelp Children's Center)

2102 West Encanto Blvd. PO Box 6638, Mail Drop 1320 Phoenix, AZ 85005-6638

The mission of the Arizona Department of Public Safety's Crime Victim Services Unit is to effectively administer VOCA Assistance funds by ensuring appropriate and accessible services are available to crime victims, enhancing the delivery of those services through technical assistance, training opportunities, and promoting a continuum of care for every victim in every community.

The mobile center will prov i d e on e - s t o p multi disciplinary services, reducing time and trauma for abuse victims and their nonoffending family members. The advocacy center is a specially outfitted, 38-foot motor home staffed by a manager/driver, as well as a specially trained nurse practitioner and a forensic interviewer who will provide professional medical examination and forensic interview services for abused children. Victims will be scheduled directly through the Safe Child Center and can be referred by Child Protective Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement agencies, or the bureau of Indian Affairs. Services will include crisis intervention, medical examinations, forensic interviews, victims' compensation assistance, provision of educational literature, and local resource referrals for followup services.

Funded in 1959, Childhelp USA is one of the largest and oldest national nonprofit organizations dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. For additional information, visit the website at www.childhelpusa.org. The Safe Child Center was established in 1994 and is a child advocacy center serving all of Northern Arizona. Investigative and child protective team members come together at Safe Child to conduct case reviews, forensic interviews and exams in a coordinated and timely fashion in order to make recommendations for criminal prosecution, determine safety issues and discuss treatment needs for the child victim and their family. The mission of Safe Child has always been to ensure abuse victims a sense of wholeness and well-being.

NO CRIME VICTIM UNASSISTED

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For more information Governor's Advisor contac Rebecca fort Victims Heller from Childhelp at (480) 9228212 or Napolitano has Governor Shana Costarella from the Flagstaff to serve chosen Dan Levey Medical Center advisor on issues as her at (928) 773-2080. affecting victims of crime. Mr. Levey held a similar position in then Attorney Answer This.. General Napolitano's Office, and his job as the Governor's Advisor Question-My agency for reVictims is one of the most ceives funding for emerunique victim advocate gency victim services. positions in the country, as What can these funds be few governors have such a used for? post within their administration. In this position, Answer  will ensure that Emergency exMr. Levey penses for victims covers victims of crime have a those services which revoice that will be heard. spond to the immediate His experience and desire emotional and physical todo this work will to do this work will be esneeds of crime victims. pecially helpful in AriThese services can inzona's efforts to include clude: emergency food, victims in the criminal jusclothing, transportation, tice process. emergency shelter and other emergency services Dan Levey has been active that are intended to restore on victims' rights issue the victim's sense of secusince his brother, Howard rity. Also included are was murdered in 1996. He services which offer an is involved in numerous immediate measure of victims' rights organizasafety to crime victims tions, including Fight such as boarding up broCrime: Invest in ken windows and replacKids;Arizona Voice for ing or repairing locks. Crime Victims, and is the Emergency legal assisincoming president of Partance such as filing reents of Murdered Chilstraining orders are allowdren's national association. able when such actions are Additionally, Dan was indirectly connected to famstrumental in crafting legily violence cases and are islation allowing victims taken to ensure the health of crime to take unpaid and safety of the victim. leave to attend court hearings and other official proWhen tracking the use of ceedings involving their emergency expense funds, cases without fear of losensure the actual expense ing their jobs. can be tracked back to the victim.

If you have any questions regarding the proper disbursement of emergency victim expense funds, refer to your VOCA guidelines or contact your grant coordinator.

ing these trainings, please contact Officer Sheila Markwell, Crime Victim Services Liaison Officer, at (602) 223-2762.

Training Update
The DPS Crime Victim Services Unit recently held a series of regional trainings. Attending the four classes were 138 attendees representing 82 agencies. We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all subrecipients who attended the training and provided us with meaningful feedback to assist CVS in improving our training process.

Sexual Assault Conference
The third annual statewide Sexual Assault Conference will be held November 1718 at the Black Canyon Conference Center in Phoenix. For a detailed description of the conference workshops and to register, go to www.pcaaz.org.

The awards will be presented at the closing luncheon on Tuesday, November 18. Submit nominations by Email, mail or fax no later than October 31, 2003 to: Prevent Child Abuse PO Box 432 Prescott, AZ 86302 mail@pcaaz.org (928) 778-5300

During the conference Governor Janet Napolitano and the Attorney General's Office will be recognizing and honoring professionals and volunteers for their ARCT Trainings for the Arizona outstanding contribution to Response Crisis Team will victims of sexual assault. be held in Chandler October 22-24 and in Prescott The Governor's Office is November 19-21. The accepting nominations in following curriculum will the following categories: be offered to prepare ARCT members to assist Outstanding... Investigator victims of mass violence Medical Professional and terrorism: VictimolMental Health Professional ogy, Incident Command Advocate System, Start Triage, First Judicial Professional Prosecutor Aid, CPR Crisis IntervenVolunteer tion, Recent Attacks and Lessons Learned, Spiritual Intervention, Grief, Death You may make a nominaand Next of Kin Notifica- tion in each category. tion, Victims' Rights, Nominations should inWeapons of Mass Destruc- clude: tion and an intense tabletop exercise. If you or - Category someone you know has - Nominee's name, address and phone number experience in assisting - A short paragraph on the victims of crime and is nominee's contribution to interested in becoming an the prevention of sexual ARCT member and attend- assault

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, please join Governor Janet Napolitano and Charles M. Davis, AZ District Manager, United States Postal Service, for the unveiling of the Stop Family Violence Postal Stamp and a Proclamation of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The ceremony will take place Wednesday, October 8, 2003 at 3:45 pm in the Executive Tower Lobby.

Policy Update
Governor Janet Napolitano has announced a statewide Action Plan for Reform of Arizona's Child Protection System. The plan can be reviewed in its entirety at www.governor.state.az.us .

We always welcome input for articles in our quarterly newsletter. Forward ideas to your grant coordi-

NO CRIME VICTIM UNASSISTED