Enhancing and expanding community resources to young crime victims of the opioid crisis.

OVC’s mission is to enhance the Nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. OVC achieves this mission, in part, by administering discretionary award programs supported by the federal Crime Victims Fund to develop innovative training and technical assistance, and to provide direct services to improve the overall quality of victim assistance. The purpose of the FY 2018 Enhancing Community Responses to the Opioid Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victims is to address an urgent gap in crime victim services related to the opioid epidemic and to expand upon existing or establish new programs to provide services to children and youth who are victimized as a result of the opioid crisis. The overarching goal of this program is to support children and youth who are crime victims as a result of the opioid crisis by providing direct services and support to these young victims at a community or jurisdictional level.

With this award, the State of Alaska Department of Administration will develop and execute plans and services to support infants, children, and youth directly affected by the opioid crisis in Alaska using the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program currently operating in five Alaskan cities by enhancing and expanding direct services throughout the State of Alaska. Alaska CASA will execute plans to support children and youth directly at the community levels. Specifically, Alaska CASA will: a) deliver information, services, and support to children and youth who are crime victims as a result of the opioid crisis by training CASA volunteers; b) develop and disseminate awareness materials about services available and share information with organizations that encounter children and youth who are crime victims as a result of the opioid crisis. The Project Coordinator will hold a townhall meeting for stakeholders and community partners throughout the state to initially gather information and quarterly to provide feedback and information to stakeholders and partners. The project will develop and deliver targeted trainings to child advocacy centers, first responders, victim service providers, and child welfare workers, including social service and medical programs in tribal communities, to ensure children and youth who are crime victims as a result of the opioid crisis are provided seamless and comprehensive services.

CA/NCF