Project CHANGE - MS: Creating a holistic model of service for male survivors of violence

The Office for Victims of Crime’s (OVC) Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services Final Report (Vision 21) envisions that “all crime victims in the 21st century can readily access a seamless continuum of evidence-based services and support that will allow them to begin physical, emotional, and financial recovery.” However, Vision 21 recognizes there are serious challenges to achieving this goal. Improving the field’s understanding of violence and trauma and their effects on survivors are among these challenges. To this end, OVC collaborated with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to release the FY 15 Supporting Male Survivors of Violence solicitation. The solicitation sought to enhance the services available to male survivors of violence, particularly boys and men of color, and their families, by funding demonstration sites that put in place evidence-based models and practices to provide trauma-informed, comprehensive services and supporting policies for these survivors and their families. OVC and OJJDP used this solicitation to competitively select 12 demonstration sites from across the country to meet this need.

The District of Columbia Office of Victim Services (OVS) will use its award to expand the efforts of Project CHANGE, a program that offers enhanced services to polyvictims, to provide comprehensive and holistic services for male survivors of crime in the District. During the three-year project period, OVS will create an Advisory Board of male, youth, and victim-serving organizations in the District to conduct a gap analysis of the services currently provided. The Advisory Board will use the results of the analysis to expand and enhance services available to this survivor group. The Board will engage the community, particularly these survivors and their families, in this process to ensure their voices are heard and needs are met. The Board's efforts will be bolstered by case and fatality reviews conducted through multi-disciplinary teams.

OVS will partner with the Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA) to evaluate their efforts. JRSA will assist by creating the needs assessment tool and aiding the gap analysis process. Additional program partners include the Network for Victim Recovery, the Wendt Center for Healing and Loss, Men Can Stop Rape, the Latin American Youth Center, D.C. Forensic Nurse Examiners, the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

ca/ncf

The Office for Victims of Crimes (OVC) Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services Final Report (Vision 21) envisions that all crime victims in the 21st century can readily access a seamless continuum of evidence-based services and support that will allow them to begin physical, emotional, and financial recovery. However, Vision 21 recognizes there are serious challenges to achieving this goal. Improving the fields understanding of violence and trauma and their effects on survivors are among these challenges. To this end, OVC collaborated with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to release the FY 15 Supporting Male Survivors of Violence solicitation. The solicitation sought to enhance the services available to male survivors of violence, particularly boys and men of color, and their families, by funding demonstration sites that put in place evidence-based models and practices to provide trauma-informed, comprehensive services and supporting policies for these survivors and their families. OVC and OJJDP used this solicitation to competitively select 12 demonstration sites from across the country to meet this need. The District of Columbia Office of Victim Services (OVS) will use its award to expand the efforts of Project CHANGE, a program that offers enhanced services to polyvictims, to provide comprehensive and holistic services for male survivors of crime in the District. During the three-year project period, OVS will create an Advisory Board of male, youth, and victim-serving organizations in the District to conduct a gap analysis of the services currently provided. The Advisory Board will use the results of the analysis to expand and enhance services available to this survivor group. The Board will engage the community, particularly these survivors and their families, in this process to ensure their voices are heard and needs are met. The Board's efforts will be bolstered by case and fatality reviews conducted through multi-disciplinary teams. OVS will partner with the Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA) to evaluate their efforts. JRSA will assist by creating the needs assessment tool and aiding the gap analysis process. Additional program partners include the Network for Victim Recovery, the Wendt Center for Healing and Loss, Men Can Stop Rape, the Latin American Youth Center, D.C. Forensic Nurse Examiners, the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. ca/ncf