Mindy Fox: Findings on Underserved Victim Populations in California
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This session discussed findings from recent research conducted through a grant from the federal Office for Victims of Crime on who the underserved victims are in California, their unmet needs, the gaps in services that currently exist and strategies to more effectively reach these underserved populations.
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Mindy Fox: Findings on Underserved Victim Populations in California
- 1. Findings on Underserved Crime Victim Populations in California
- 2. Grant Goals Identify Underserved Victims of Crime Determine Unmet Needs Identify Barriers Identify and Implement Solutions
- 3. Baseline Data ReportBaseline Data Report
- 4. Claimant Rate Violent Crime Type Percentage Homicide 85% Forcible Rape 35% Aggravated Assault 23% Robbery 4% Statewide 17.5%
- 5. Baseline Data Report Application Outcomes Denied 18% Received Payment 46% Submitted Bills, Denied 5% Never Submitted Bill 49% Allowed 82% All Applications Allowed Applications
- 7. Unmet Needs Financial 94% Mental Health 88% Stable Housing 86% Medical 81% Transportation 79%
- 8. Barriers to Access Fear Number of Advocates Collaboration & Training Online Application Linguistic and Culturally Appropriate Materials and Services
- 9. Underserved Crime Victims Tribal Communities Immigrants People with Disabilities Elderly (65 and over) Homeless Deaf and Hard of Hearing Human Trafficking Victims Limited English proficiency Communities affected by Gang Violence Persons of Asian Pacific Islander descent Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Residents of Rural or Frontier Communities Immigrants from Indigenous Communities in Mexico
- 11. Collaboration Plan Develop New Partnerships Strengthen Relationships Increase Awareness and Access
- 12. Language and Culture •Application •Letters •Publications •Website Translation Project •Workplace Sensitivity Trauma Informed Services
- 13. Training & Education Regional Conferences E-Learning Law Enforcement Video Publications and Toolkits
- 14. Enhanced Benefits Relocation, Crime Scene Cleanup, Residential Security Funeral and Burial Transportation Costs Associated with Appointments Case Management
- 15. Technology •Apply Online •View status of application and bills Applicants and Advocates •Submit crime reports electronically Law Enforcement •View status of submitted bills Medical/Dental/MH Providers
- 16. Crime Hurts Everyone WE CAN HELP
Editor's Notes
- Thank you everyone for joining us today. We really appreciate your participation and engagement. I’m very happy to be here today to share our current efforts about underserved victims of crime and how we can all work together to make a difference.
- As Julie indicated, Cal VCP has been serving victims for over 50 years. We are proud of our assistance, yet always striving to stay current and truly meet the needs of victims. My presentation is exactly about that – our efforts to better serve victims of crime. Again, as Julie mentioned, California was fortunate to be awarded the OVC’s Crime Victim Program Initiative grant. This is a three year project to: Identify the underserved victims of crime populations in California Determine the unmet needs of crime victims Identify barriers to access And ultimately, to implement strategies and solutions to improve access and better meet needs. The third year of grant implementation will be devoted to evaluating the effectiveness of implementing those strategies to remove barriers, increase access, and best meet the unmet needs of victims.
- Baseline Data Report: Our first step was to prepare a Baseline Data Report. To do so, we examined all the applications we received for crimes that occurred in 2010. Since we have a three year filing period, that meant we looked at applications submitted over a 3 year period for those 2010 crimes. The data we examined included claimant demographics such as age, gender, ethnicity, insurance status; crime county; crime type; and program utilization. We also compared CalVCP’s data to other 2010 data sources such as the United States Census Bureau, California Department of Justice, and National Crime Victim Survey. By comparing compensation data, crime statistics and CA demographics, we now have quantitative results that allow us to make evidence based decisions moving forward. Backpocket Info: CalVCP received nearly 53k applications and nearly 41K were for the direct victim. We paid 69.2M to 20k victims.
- We determined the relationship between applications received and reported crimes. We found that statewide, Cal VCP received applications for 17.5% of all reported forcible rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults and homicides. We called this calculation the Claimant Rate and it’s a useful statistic when looking at each county and compensation applications submitted. It allows comparison and analysis of claimant rates for counties that are similar in size and demographics. We looked at the counties that are above and below that statewide average of 17.5. There are 16 counties with claimant rates below the state average of 17.5%. These counties comprise 59% of California’s total population. This finding definitely points us in the direction of where we should place some concerted effort. Focused outreach and collaboration in these 16 counties could result in increased applications and serving more victims. It’s also important to focus on the other end of the spectrum. There are lessons to be shared and best practices to replicate from the counties that exceed the statewide average. Back pocket info: 41% of CA’s population is in counties with above average claimant rate. The16 counties with claimant rates below the state average of 17.5% (comprising a total of 59% of California’s total population are: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, Sacramento, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Stanislaus, Solano, Imperial, (Nevada, Mendocino, Tehama, Lassen, Plumas, and Mono.) (Italicized counties have fewer than 100,000 residents.)
- This slide is also very telling. Of the applications submitted for 2010 crimes, 82% of them were allowed. Of the 82%, 51% of those applications then had associated bills submitted. Of the over 22,000 claimants who submitted bills, nearly all received some type of compensation. This means 49% of the submitted apps never had corresponding bills. The question is why do victims submit applications, but not bills. Is it that the benefits covered do not meet their needs, are they not aware of what is covered and how to access benefits? Background Data: CalVCP received over 52,000 applications (in 3 years for 2010 crimes) from direct and derivative victims We are currently at a 14% deny rate
- We had several goals when undertaking the Needs Assessment. They were to: Identify underserved crime victims in California and their unmet needs. Determine the current accessibility to services and compensation. Identify the barriers victims face when accessing services and compensation. We worked with the Chief Justice Earl Warren School of Law and Public Policy at UCB to conduct research, surveys, and interviews with victims, mental health providers, community-based organizations (CBOs), and government agencies.
- Organizations surveyed identified a variety of unmet needs of victims of crime 94% stated that victims have unmet Financial Needs Examples of the types of financial issues that crime victims are facing include: Basic needs (food and shelter) Utilities Bills from the crime (medical, relocation, repairs, legal costs) They can’t afford Childcare 88% stated that victims do not have adequate Mental Health services, such as: Therapists who specialize in the treatment of trauma Therapists who specialize in treating children who have experienced trauma Linguistic and culturally sensitive services. The majority of mental health providers who answered the survey indicated that they were not able to meet the linguistic needs of victims. 86% stated that victims need Stable Housing In many, many locations across CA, there is a lack of affordable housing Victims lack credit that is often required to get into housing What is available is often in unsafe locations 81% of the respondents indicated Medical Needs are not fully met. Specifically, the kind of needs include: Victims can’t always cover their co-pays and deductibles There is sometimes a shortage of doctors who accept their insurance Long distance to medical care or ER 79% of the respondents indicated the transportation needs of victims are not being met, including: Public transportation doesn’t exist or it is very limited in their community Victims face transportation challenges in rural and isolated areas in our state, as is true in your state I imagine. The costs of purchasing a car and/or insurance is often out of reach
- In addition to researching unmet needs, we identified the barriers victims face when accessing compensation and/or services. Fear: As we all know, fear is one of the key reasons victims do not seek services or apply for compensation. It may be fear of retaliation, law enforcement, deportation or of being blamed. Fear prevents victims from receiving available services, including compensation. Insufficient # of Advocates: 72% of the crime victims with a crime occurring in 2010 were represented by an advocate from a local victim witness center. This speaks to the important role that advocates play in linking victims to compensation. Data shows there has been a decline in the number of system based advocates (those who work in the criminal justice system) over the past decade. With a decline in advocates, the number of victims who can be served has decreased, plus Advocates are often working with victims of felony crimes, not misdemeanors, meaning victims of misdemeanor crimes don’t always get the help they need. Insufficient Collaboration and Training: 62% of survey respondents indicated that training on how to better access CalVCP would be helpful. Respondents also overwhelmingly indicated that ongoing training and tools are critical. Providers and community-based organizations helping underserved communities need ongoing training and tools to help connect victims to compensation. Survey results stated that improved coordination and collaboration between victim service agencies, CBOs, LE, and CalVCP must be a component of any strategy to improve services to underserved victims of crime. Online Application: Survey respondents and interviewees also expressed the need for an online application. It is not possible to submit a compensation application online at this time. An online application for victims and advocates would shorten processing times and provide more efficient and faster customer service to providers regarding bill status. Lack of Linguistic and Culturally Sensitive Materials and Services: Research shows that 43% of Californians speak a language other than English at home. CalVCP has not translated the letters we use to communicate with claimants into the necessary languages used in CA. Nor have we translated some of the outreach materials into enough languages. It is essential that providers are present across the state, and especially in rural and frontier counties, that can speak with victims in their native languages and provide culturally sensitive and appropriate services. The use of interpreters can be a barrier to services due to victims not feeling comfortable divulging personal information to two people. In many situations, children or other family members are used as the interpreter, which can cause additional trauma.
- Here are the 13 categories that our research identified as the underserved crime victim communities in CA. I will share some facts about each community and then discuss what we are doing to better reach and serve them. Summary Statements: Many of the 13 communities experience crime at a rate higher than that of the national average. For example, tribal communities experience sexual assault and aggravated assault 3 times higher than the national rate. People with disabilities experience violent crime at a rate nearly double that of people without disabilities. California also has higher than average numbers of individuals in these populations compared to the other 49 states. For examples, California has the highest population of tribal communities of any state in the US, and California accounts for 22% of the nation’s homeless population. We have 22 metropolitan areas in CA where at least 25% of the population speak a language other than English. These underserved communities share many barriers to accessing compensation and victim services and also face certain challenges unique to their community. The tribal communities face challenges around jurisdictional boundaries, geographical barriers, victim blaming, biased treatment by LE, and conflict in cultural values. Over 95% of disabled victims know their perpetrator, who may be a caregiver, family member, or friend. This results in low reporting due to fear. Immigrants face challenges to reporting, including: language differences, unfavorable treatment by officials in the past, embarrassment to families, cultural differences, lack of knowledge about the criminal justice system and available resources, fear of arrest, deportation and retribution, and isolation. The elderly often don’t report being victims of crime due to lack of physical and/or cognitive ability and fear of getting the abuser in trouble, since it is often a family member or friend. The Deaf community is close-knit, which makes anonymity in crime reporting difficult, and the language difference can be a barrier to communication with law enforcement and service providers. Residents of rural or frontier communities also face barriers such as stigma and lack of anonymity. Additional challenges to reporting victimization include: not being believed, lack of transportation, fear of being judged. feelings of shame and embarrassment, lack of support, a sense of shame that abuse happened, language and cultural barriers, and in certain cultures, a reliance on one’s self to solve problems. Tribal Communities: California has highest population of tribal communities of any state in the US American Indians are victims of violent crimes 2.5 times the national average rate Sexual assault and aggravated assault are 3 times the national rate Barriers to using crime victim services include: jurisdictional boundaries, geographical barriers, victim blaming, biased treatment by LE, and conflict in cultural values People with Disabilities: Approximately 14% of the US population have some form of disability. The disability may be visible or not. People with disabilities experience violent crime at a rate nearly double than that of people without disabilities The majority report being victimized in multiple ways Over 95% of disabled victims know their perpetrator, who may be a caregiver, family member, or friend This results in low reporting due to fear. Additional challenges to reporting their victimization include: not being believed, health-related issues, personal assistance needs, transportation, speech and cognitive challenges, and fear of being judged. Challenges to reporting include: language differences, unfavorable treatment by officials in the past, embarrassment to families, cultural differences, lack of knowledge about the criminal justice system and available resources, fear of arrest and deportation, isolation, and fear of retribution People who are Homeless: California accounts for 22% of the nation’s homeless population (2013) People who are homeless or lack stable housing may also suffer from mental illness. Over 600,000 people experiences homelessness in the US, nearly 50,000 of them are children and youth. (HUD, 2013) 65% live in emergency shelters and transitional housing, 35% live in unsheltered locations People that are homeless or lack stable house are 2.5 times more likely to be victim of a violent crime then the general population. The are particularly vulnerable due to mental health issues which may be co-occurring with addition, and transient living conditions. Victims of Human Trafficking: Human trafficking is broad in definition and it includes adult and child sex trafficking, forced labor, bonded labor or debt bondage, involuntary domestic servitude, forced child labor, and unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers The California Leg defines HT as: "all acts involved in the recruitment, abduction, transport, harboring, transfer, sale or receipt of persons, within national or across international borders, through force, coercion, fraud or deception, to place persons in situations of slavery or slavery-like conditions, forced labor or services, such as forced prostitution or sexual services, domestic servitude, bonded sweatshop labor, or other debt bondage. The historical criminal treatment of human trafficking victims has created barriers to accessing victim services. victims may not seek assistance from law enforcement due to fear and mistrust, this prevents victims from being recovered Having a criminal record may act as a barrier to future opportunities (i.e. getting jobs, education, loans, victim compensation, and immigration visas) Recent increased awareness of HT has resulted in a cultural shift in the way prostitution is defined. It is noteworthy that domestic gangs have expanded from trafficking guns and drugs to trafficking people, unlike drug and weapon dealings, in which the exchange typically happens once, a human body can be sold multiple time Sometimes rival gangs even work together- I would venture to say that is because this is very profitable for them. Communities affected by Gang Violence: About half of the total homicides are due to gang activity Gangs can be found in urban cities and small rural communities. 90% of children living in communities with high gang activity may have been a witness or victim of felony level violence; 33% were shown to have war levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and approximately 20% suffer clinical depression Residents face intimidation from and fear of gang members. Many reported feeling hassled, frightened, or made anxious by gang members- even with no overt actions from gang members. LGBTQ: The LGBTQ community is victim to hate crimes based on sexual orientation and the rate of this crime is increasing faster than hate crimes based on other reasons (gender, religion, ethnicity) LGBTQ individuals who experience same sex intimate partner violence were less likely to report this incident to police or seek assistance Challenges to reporting their victimization include: feelings of shame and embarrassment, lack of support, lack of trust in the criminal justice system, and fear of retaliation It is also important that members of the LBGTQ community feel supported and welcomed by victim service providers. Immigrants from Indigenous Communities in Mexico: California has become home to an increasing number of immigrants from indigenous communities of Mexico. the fastest growing indigenous population is from Oaxaca, with an estimated population of 100,000 to 150,000 residing in California. Indigenous communities in Mexico are linguistically and culturally diverse. Indigenous communities may use the Spanish language minimally or not at all. There are over 60 indigenous languages, which include Mixteco, Zapoteco, and Triqui and many of the languages do not have a written form Immigrants Nearly 40 million people who are foreign-born reside in the United States, which is nearly 13% of the U.S. population Immigrant populations are more vulnerable to violence, abuse, and exploitation. Women, the poorest, and the least-skilled immigrants, are at the greatest risk for victimization Domestic violence is one of the most underreported forms of victimization Challenges to reporting include: language differences, unfavorable treatment by officials in the past, embarrassment to families, cultural differences, lack of knowledge about the criminal justice system and available resources, fear of arrest and deportation, isolation, and fear of retribution Elderly (65+) According to the 2010 the U.S. Census people age 65 and older comprise of 13% of the total population. This is expected to increase to 20% of the population by 2050. Research shows that victims of elder abuse aged 60 and over only report their abuse to APS 10% of the time. That means that 90% of victims of elder abuse are suffering in silence Barriers to reporting include lack of physical and/or cognitive ability, fear of getting the abuser in trouble (often a family member or friend) Deaf and Hard of Hearing Many in the Deaf community do not view themselves as disabled, but rather as a subculture whose way of speaking is overlooked by the hearing culture Understanding of Deaf culture’s issues regarding community intimacy, the possible feeling of violation due to using a translator, and appropriate approaches to communication is needed to improve services. Challenges to reporting include: the Deaf community is close-knit, which makes anonymity in crime reporting difficult and language difference can be a barrier to communication with law enforcement and service providers People with limited English proficiency (LEP) In 2011 there were 25.3 million people in the US who have LEP, This is an 81% increase from 1990. California has 22 metropolitan areas with at least 25% of population who speak a language other than English. Language barriers prevent reporting If someone is not able to read brochures about victims rights and services, then the likelihood of accessing them is great diminished The use of interpreter make it uncomfortable for reporting and revealing personal information. Persons of Asian Pacific Islander descent The foreign-born population of Asian descent is approximately 11 million; this is over 25% of the total foreign-born population in the U.S several cultures factors inhibit help-seeking behaviors, including: a sense of shame that abuse happened, language and cultural barriers, lack of awareness of services, and a reliance on one’s self to solve problems Residents of rural or frontier communities A frontier community is when there is less than seven people per square mile. California has seven counties considered frontier. (Alpine, Inyo, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Sierra, Trinity, Siskiyou ) Physical barriers to accessing victim services include: Lack of service providers (medical and mental health) and transportation. Cultural barriers include stigma and lack of anonymity.
- The Gap Analysis Report synthesized the results of the Baseline Data and Needs Assessment Reports to determine gaps in services and compensation. This allowed us to identify the strategies needed to best meet victims’ needs and reduce access barriers. The strategies are categorized along the lines of: Collaboration Language and Culture Training & Education Enhanced Benefits Technology I will elaborate on what we are now doing in each category.
- Survey results stated that improved collaboration between all of us – those with victim service agencies, CBOs, LE, and CalVCP, is critical to improving services to underserved victims of crime. We have created a Collaboration Plan that can be replicated by other compensation programs across the nation. This collaboration plan describes how Cal VCP will more fully connect with the CBOs, providers and advocates that work with the underserved populations identified through these grant efforts. There are 1,000’s of organizations across CA that can link victims to our compensation program. Many of you here today are with just those kinds of organizations. We will provide you with the necessary materials and training to make those connections. The collaboration plan details projects to develop new partnerships, strengthen relationships, and increase awareness and access to compensation. Each of you here today has a role to play in enhancing collaboration and coordination and we’re excited to be part of the effort. Details for another time: Developing New Partnerships: We are engaging in a variety of outreach projects, in partnership with service providers, law enforcement, and medical personnel to reach the unserved victim communities. We are identifying leaders in the communities and reaching out to them We are reaching out to victim service providers who have best practices to share their models with areas that are looking for new and proven approaches. Strengthening Relationships We are leveraging current relationships and building new ones to provide additional voices to increase awareness and utilization of CalVCP. In addition, we are strengthening our relationships with traditional partners, such as the Inter-Tribal Council of California and Board of Behavioral Sciences, with the intention of increasing access to underserved crime victims. Increasing Access and Awareness We are creating tool kits for law enforcement and service providers so they can connect victims of crime to the compensation program. Word of mouth was found to be the most effective outreach method by CBOs and MH providers. By giving service providers the information that will link victims to services will likely prove to be the most effective. Each of the strategies are interwoven and dependent on each other. We will provide more details on how we are going to accomplish this broad goal of collaboration as we go through the next four slides.
- Translation Project: To close the language barrier gap, we have hired a translation firm and the compensation application has been translated into 13 languages. The contractor is now translating the most frequently used letters, such as “the application is allowed or denied” letters. We are making great progress on translating many critical pieces of communication to truly communicate with victims in their preferred languages. These translation efforts will greatly relieve burdens on many providers and CBOs who are helping victims understand our English only letters. Trauma Informed Services We are actively and consciously creating an organization that is trauma informed. We’re holding monthly Trauma-Informed Workshops for CalVCP staff and interested stakeholders. Many of you have been presenters at these workshops, thank you. The goals are for everyone in CalVCP to: Realize the impact of trauma and the varied paths to recovery. Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system. Understand how each person’s cultural context influences his or her perception of and response to traumatic events, help-seeking behavior and the recovery process. Becoming a trauma informed agency means fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices;
- Regional Conferences In the spirit of collaboration, training and education, we are hosting 2 Regional Conferences titled “Strategic Collaborations for Reaching Underserved Victims of Crime” The first is today, and the second will be in Los Angeles on October 8th. We hope these conferences catalyze collaboration, conversation and relationships, all with the intent to reach underserved crime victims in California. E-Learning Courses To meet the training and education needs of the general public and victim service provider, we are creating 5 e-learning courses. Online training will be available 24/7 for system based advocates, CBO advocates, mental health services providers, medical personnel and general public. These courses will be interactive, engaging and very informative. Each course will describe the compensation benefits available, how a victim qualifies and how the various audiences can assist victims access services. The courses are for these 5 audiences: CalVCP Overview (15 min) (general public) Mental Health Provider training (2 hours) Medical Provider training (1 hour) Victim Assistance Advocate training (4 hours) General Public training (2 hours) Law Enforcement Video We intend to create a 5 minute video that can be used at roll call. We are seeking input from law enforcement experts in the field to scope this project and some of you here today may have exactly the input we need. Updated Publications We are updating a variety of publications to be both trauma informed and to better reach the underserved. These will be available on our website for download and we will provide hard copies for distribution by partners. Toolkits We are creating toolkits for specific audiences such as mental health, medical and dental providers; plus law enforcement and groups that work with military sexual assault victims. All toolkits will include updated brochures and training materials; some will include materials for waiting rooms and other public areas.
- As you have seen, it is obvious that CalVCP needs to make some changes to best meet the needs of victims. As a result of this knowledge, we will be recommending to our Board a variety of benefit modifications that will either raise benefit caps or provide new benefits. Each modification will require either legislative, regulatory or policy actions. Short hand version of recommended modifications: The benefit caps for relocation, crime scene clean up and residential security have not been modified since their inception in 2000. We know that these benefit amounts do not cover the current expenses, so we’re recommending to our board to raise those caps. Victims and advocates also reported that funeral and burial benefits are inadequate to cover the actual costs incurred by survivors of homicide victims. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the median cost, in 2012, of a funeral with a casket was $7045, yet our benefit is currently capped at $5000. We are also recommending the allowance of table and chair rentals, since this is a commonplace expense and should be incorporated into the list of allowed costs for funerals and memorial services. CalVCP currently covers transportation costs to medical and mental health treatment appointments, but this benefit is not widely known, so therefore it is not widely used. CalVCP does not currently allow for the coverage of transportation to legal appointments. Without covering taxi, bus, and other modes of transportation, victims cannot always get to the services, such as meetings with advocates and court appearances, they need. Offering reimbursement for child care will reduce barriers that prohibit victims from obtaining needed medical and mental health treatment and attending legal appointments. We will be recommending that we cover the victims’ loss of wages when they attend legal appointments; and for parents and caretakers, their income loss when they miss work to take minor victims to medical, mental health, and legal appointments. Details for another setting: Relocation: Raise the Cap to $4500.00 Victims often relocate for reasons of safety or emotional well being. CalVCP has not increased the benefit limit for relo since it was established in 2000, 15 years ago. Relocation reimbursement has not kept up with increases in costs for moving and rent. If the cap is increased to $4500, then 98% of victims requesting relocation will have their needs met. Funeral and Burial: Use the statute allowing up to $7500 and repeal the regulation limiting it to $5000 Victims and advocates also reported that funeral and burial benefits are inadequate to cover the actual costs incurred by survivors of homicide victims. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the median cost, in 2012, of a funeral with a casket was $7045, yet our benefit is currently capped at $5000. We are also recommending the allowance of table and chair rentals, since this is a commonplace expense and should be incorporated into the list of allowed costs for funerals and memorial services. Transportation: CalVCP currently covers transportation costs to medical and mental health treatment appointments, but this benefit is not widely known, so therefore it is not widely used. CalVCP does not currently allow for the coverage of transportation to legal appointments. Without covering taxi, bus, and other modes of transportation, victims cannot always get to the services, such as meetings with advocates and court appearances, they need. A number of compensation programs across the nation reimburse transportation costs. Appointments: There are other costs associated with appointments that we think we can cover, such as child care and lost wages: Offering reimbursement for child care will reduce barriers that prohibit victims from obtaining needed medical and mental health treatment and attending legal appointments. We will be recommending that we cover the victims’ loss of wages when they attend legal appointments; and for parents and caretakers, their income loss when they miss work to take minor victims to medical, mental health, and legal appointments. We are also exploring increasing the Crime Scene Clean Up and the Residential Security Caps since those benefit levels were set in 2000. In addition, we are exploring adding case management as a benefit and raising the statutory cap of $63,000 .
- The last need identified in the gap analysis is to enhance use of technology and provide online access. CalVCP was fortunate to be awarded an OVC Increasing Technology Capacity grant. This grant is allowing VCGCB to complete the planning process for an online access system. The system is envisioned to allow victims and advocates to submit applications online, providers to check the status of bills online and hopefully for the online transmittal of crime reports. An online application for victims and advocates would shorten processing times and provide more efficient and faster customer service to providers regarding bill status.
- This grant research allowed us to identify the underserved, barriers that must be overcome, and unmet needs that should be fulfilled. We are now making evidence and data based decisions about how to proceed and we are actively implementing strategies as a result of the research findings to solve these issues. We are excited to have made such progress and look forward to fully implementing the remaining commitments. While moving forward, we know that each of you can make a difference. Each of you can connect victims of crime to our compensation program and vice versa. Please think about the strategies we’ve identified today and imagine what role you can play in implementing these strategies. You may be with a CBO that works with immigrant women who are victims of DV or another crime and can take advantage of our application and materials being translated into multiple languages. You may be a mental health therapist who can inform a victim of crime what other benefits are available, in addition to mental health treatment. Maybe you’re with law enforcement and you can be the first to inform a victim that CalVCP is here to help with their expenses. No matter where you work, you can support proposed benefit modifications and make new suggestions. Please join us at our Board meetings and send letters or emails. We want to hear your voices. The examples are many and the bottom line is that each of us has a role to play in getting victims the help they need. We’re in this together and together, we can make a difference.
- Thank you for all that you do and we look forward to working together. Are there any questions?