OVC FY 10 Victim Assistance Professional Development Fellowship Program - Financial Fraud and Non-Violent Crimes Fellowship

The Victim Assistance Professional Development Fellowship Program supports individuals to work in fellowship positions at the Office for Victims of Crime for a period of one year. The fellowship grantees each will work in a particular topic area enhancing and extending OVC efforts to develop and replicate innovative programs that serve crime victims. OVC fellows will support OVC staff through the provision of direct operational assistance to crime victim organizations and agencies; and the design and development of innovative initiatives, training programs, technical assistance, and capacity-building efforts. In FY10, OVC will support fellows in the following three areas: Underserved Crime Victims; Evidence-Based Training and Technical Assistance; and Financial Fraud and Non-Violent Crimes.

Ms. Jaimee Napp will undertake the Financial Fraud and Non-Violent Crimes Fellowship. Ms. Napp will work with OVC to assess the needs and rights of vulnerable victims of financial fraud and other forms of serious yet non-violent crime (identity theft, medical/pharmaceutical fraud, mortgage fraud, computer intrusions, international cyber crimes, etc.) to develop a comprehensive victim assistance strategy that addresses gaps in traditional victim services and develops model practice recommendations for this large, yet underserved victim population. Specifically, activities will include: (1) working with OVC, other OJP offices and initiatives, and other federal offices and agencies to include victim program needs in existing and new financial fraud victim programs and services; (2) helping conduct a comprehensive review and assessment of existing VOCA-funded victim assistance programs that address the rights and needs of victims of financial fraud and other non-violent crimes; (3) supporting the review of data analysis from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) on the impact of crime on identity theft victims; (4) drafting an outline for a proposed OVC report on the impact of crime on victims of financial fraud and other non-violent crime, the gaps in victim services to address their critical needs, and model practices to inform the delivery of services to these victim populations; (5) supporting the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data from the OVC Needs Assessment Survey of victim service providers to integrate information related to financial fraud and other forms non-violent crimes into OVC's program and training strategies; (6) working with OVC staff and management in the identification of programs, research, publications, and resource materials related to the needs of unserved victims of financial fraud and other non-violent crimes; (7) working with OVC grantees to identify common characteristics of financial crimes and scams committed overseas and develop effective responses to ensure enforcement of victims' rights for this population; (8) developing reports, speeches, and articles to support efforts to educate the victim services community about the rights and needs of fraud victims; (9) participating in internal and external stakeholder meetings, forums, workshops, and other initiatives related to the rights, needs, and gaps in services to victims of identity theft, cyber crime, and elder exploitation; and (10) participating in professional development and training activities. CA/NCF