National LGBTQ Crime Victim Access Demonstration Project: Regional Response Model

The National Field-Generated Training, Technical Assistance, and Demonstration Projects Program addresses demonstrated gaps in training or technical assistance or in the knowledge base of victim service practitioners nationwide. The aim of the program is to enhance the provision of services and support to crime victims to further ensure that all victims are afforded the rights to which they are due. All initiatives are national in scope and focus on improving the capacity of victim service providers and allied practitioners in advancing rights and services for crime victims in the areas of child pornography; drunk and impaired driving; mortgage fraud; sexual assault within correctional settings; coordinated state-tribal crime victim services; long-term mental health and other consequences of mass violence; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning (LGBTQ) crime victims access to mainstream victim services; services for young male victims of color; or using technology to improve and enhance victim services.
King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, through a partnership with the North West Network of Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse (NW Network) will create a nationally replicable model to improve lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, gay and queer crime victims access to mainstream services. The project will build upon KCCADV's and NW Network's proven expertise mobilizing regional collaborations to improve service access, providing national training and technical assistance on LGBTQ issues and crime victimization, increasing LGBTQ cultural competency in service provision, and working with LGBTQ youth and adult victims of crime. Rather than working with solely with individual agencies, the proposal includes a "Regional Response Model" which will mobilize mainstream victim service programs throughout King County to work together to ensure broad and meaningful access to LGBTQ victims. The project will utilize: regional advisory board, annual training summits, in-depth technical assistance for pace-setter agencies, support 15-30 improvement sites to adopt specific access recommendations, regional response workgroups to develop practice and policy recommendations, policy advocacy through established crime-victim coalitions, and a compilation of a Regional Response National Replication Toolkit. ca/ncf