Vision 21 Initiative Strategic Engagement Fellowship

The Victim Assistance Professional Development Fellowship Program supports individuals to work in fellowship positions at the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) for a period of 1 year. Fellowship grantees each work in a particular topic area enhancing and extending OVC efforts to develop and replicate innovative programs that serve crime victims. OVC fellows support OVC staff through the provision of direct operational assistance to crime victim organizations and agencies and by contributing to the design and development of innovative initiatives, training programs, technical assistance, and capacity-building efforts.

Ms. Rebecca Murdock will undertake the FY13 Vision 21 Strategic Engagement Fellowship to support OVC's work to develop and implement an outreach plan that is strategic and is uniquely tailored to address the recommendations found in the Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services document. Ms. Murdock will support OVC's work in developing and assisting in the implementation of communication strategies to reach victims victims, victim service providers, and allied professionals across a variety of communication channels; and proposing innovative solutions for better leveraging OVC's communication support capabilities. Activities will include: (1) developing targeted stake holder groups where transformative change is likely to occur; (2) identifying thought leaders who are already placing content on Web sites and developing journal articles, listservs, Tweets, and other outreach avenues to ensure wide readership and understanding of the issues; (3) assisting OVC's Communication Specialist in further engaging the victim services field via social media in regular dialogue that promotes the use of current recommendations in Vision 21; (4) showcasing efforts of OVC grantees or subgrantees working on developing and/or expanding services based upon the Vision 21 framework; (5) contributing to the development of a quarterly newsletter for OVC discretionary grantees; (6) developing reports, speeches, and articles to promote Vision 21 initiatives and expand the crime victims field's understanding of the issues; (7) participating in internal and external stakeholder meetings, forums, and conferences for the purpose of providing information on OJP/OVC efforts to promote Vision 21; and (8) participating in professional development and training activities.

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