OVC administers grants to enhance services for American Indian and Alaska Native crime victims and their families. View a flier and explore the information below to learn about these programs.
Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside (TVSSA) Formula Program
Working in consultation with Tribal stakeholders, the TVSSA Formula Formula Program seeks to enhance and expand victim services in American Indian and Alaska Native communities and to build the capacity of Tribes to respond to crime victims’ needs. TVSSA grantees are using funds to—
- provide services to domestic violence and sexual assault victims,
- pay the salaries of victim advocates,
- run supervised visitation programs to allow children to stay connected to their families,
- provide civil legal assistance to crime victims dealing with the repercussions of their victimization,
- buy emergencies groceries or pay for emergency housing or shelter for victims,
- amend Tribal codes to include stronger victim protections,
- lease vehicles to take victims back and forth to appointments, and
- hold sings and ceremonies to help victims connect back with their communities.
OVC is currently funding hundreds of Tribes serving thousands of victims each year under the TVSSA program. From Fiscal Years 2018 through 2023, OVC awarded approximately than $540 million under this program.
U.S. Department of Justice’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation
OVC supports victim services in Tribal communities through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation Purpose Area 6: Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities. This program supports communities in developing, establishing, and operating programs that improve the investigation, prosecution, and handling of child abuse, especially child sexual abuse, in a culturally appropriate and trauma-informed manner to lessen trauma for child victims.
Developing Future Victim Specialists To Serve American Indian/Alaska Native Victims of Crime
Through the Developing Future Victim Specialists to Serve American Indian/Alaska Native Victims of Crime program, OVC seeks to cultivate a workforce focused on providing services to AI/AN crime victims in hard-to-staff positions and locations.
Project Beacon: Increasing Access to Services for Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Victims of Human Trafficking Program
The overarching goal of this program is to increase the quantity and quality of victim-centered services available to assist American Indian and Alaska Native victims of human trafficking in urban areas. This is accomplished by developing the capacity of urban Indian centers to meet victims’ needs by providing a comprehensive range of services either in-house or through referrals to a network of collaborative partners.
Tribal Victim Services Training and Technical Assistance
OVC-funded Tribal Victim Services Training and Technical Assistance (T-VSTTA, pronounced t-vista) is a capacity-building program for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. T-VSTTA provides tailored, victim-centered, and trauma-informed training and technical assistance to grantees and potential grantees as they develop sustainable victim services programs.
Tribal Access Program
The Tribal Access Program helps provide Tribes with access to national crime information systems for both criminal and non-criminal purposes.
OVC is one of the U.S. Department of Justice Program Offices that funds the Tribal Access Program. Under this program, OVC funds provide kiosks, software, and training; onboarding and vetting services; and deployment and ongoing support for Tribal nations to help protect crime victims.
Support for Bureau of Indian Affairs Programs
OVC funds Bureau of Indian Affairs programs that provide direct victim assistance and help ensure that all crime victims receive the services and referrals they need.
OVC Tribal Financial Management Center
The OVC Tribal Financial Management Center (OVC TFMC) provides data-informed, culturally humble, victim-centered training and technical assistance and resources to support American Indian and Alaska Native communities as they successfully manage the financial aspects of their federal awards.
OVC TFMC offers targeted virtual and onsite training and technical assistance, a Virtual Support Center, collaborative needs assessments, innovative programming and robust curriculum including Financial Policies and Procedures Guide Sheets to enhance existing financial management and support grantee award implementation. Available assistance spans the life cycle of an OJP award – from application preparation to award acceptance, and ultimately the effective financial implementation, management, and reporting. Financial Specialists are uniquely trained, and qualified to meet the diverse, and varied needs of Tribal grantees.
Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program Construction Project Management Technical Assistance
With funding from OVC, the National Institute of Justice, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Blue Trident, LLC provides construction project management assistance to grantees for Tribal victim services facility projects, including renovation, expansion, permanent modular, and new construction. Contact Megan Rhodus by email at [email protected] or phone at 619-847-0370 for more information and to access these services.
Comprehensive Environmental Compliance Support and Technical Assistance
Funded by OVC, National Institute of Justice, and Bureau of Justice Assistance, The Clark Group, LLC, provides comprehensive environmental compliance support and technical assistance to Tribal grantees. They assist with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance and other environmental laws, regulations, and policies that must be addressed as a condition of the grant award.
Other Funding Opportunities
OVC periodically offers other funding opportunities for which Federally recognized Tribes, Tribal consortia, and Tribal organizations and institutions may apply. Refer to the "Eligibility" section in each funding opportunity.