Metropolitan Family Services Legal Aid Society proposes to build and coordinate a Wraparound Victim Legal Assistance Network for Cook County, Illinois.

The Wraparound Victim Legal Assistance Network Demonstration Project supports the development of models for networks that collaboratively provide free, comprehensive, holistic legal assistance to victims to address the range of legal needs that may arise in the wake of victimization. At a minimum, the sites will provide legal services that include civil legal assistance (including, but not limited to, family, custody and dependency, employment, and administrative issues related to the victimization); enforcement of victims' rights in criminal proceedings; assistance for victims of identity theft and financial fraud; and immigration assistance for human trafficking victims and battered immigrant women.

In the needs assessment phase, the grantees undertook extensive planning including formation of a steering committee or governing body made up of network partners, conducting a comprehensive needs assessment, and development of a detailed implementation plan that includes policies, procedures, and protocols for providing victims with necessary legal services and referrals within the network. Implementation of the plans developed for providing direct legal services to victims of crime through the legal assistance network began in the latter part of the last project year. Under the continuation award, each grantee will continue to partner with a local, external researcher to work with the network partners to support the implementation, management, and administration of the network. With funding transferred from OVC, the National Institute of Justice will continue to support an evaluation of the demonstration project occurring concurrently with the project.

With funding under this demonstration project, Metropolitan Family Services will continue implementation of its plan to provide legal services to victims through a legal assistance network in Cook County, Illinois, covering Chicago and some southern and western suburbs.

nca/ncf

The Wraparound Victim Legal Assistance Network Demonstration Project supports the development of models for networks that collaboratively provide free, comprehensive, holistic legal assistance to victims to address the range of legal needs that may arise in the wake of victimization. At a minimum, the sites will provide legal services that include civil legal assistance (including, but not limited to, family, custody and dependency, employment, and administrative issues related to the victimization); enforcement of victims' rights in criminal proceedings; assistance for victims of identity theft and financial fraud; and immigration assistance for human trafficking victims and battered immigrant women. In the needs assessment phase, the grantees undertook extensive planning including formation of a steering committee or governing body made up of network partners, conducting a comprehensive needs assessment, and development of a detailed implementation plan that includes policies, procedures, and protocols for providing victims with necessary legal services and referrals within the network. Implementation of the plans developed for providing direct legal services to victims of crime through the legal assistance network began in the latter part of the last project year. With funding under this demonstration project, Metropolitan Family Services will continue implementation of its plan to provide legal services to victims through a legal assistance network in Cook County, Illinois, covering Chicago and some southern and western suburbs. The grantee will continue to partner with a local, external researcher to work with the network partners to support the implementation, management, and administration of the network, and participate in the national evaluation of this demonstration initiative.
NCA/NCF