Enhancing Community Responses to the Opioid Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victims

OVC’s mission is to enhance the nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and provide leadership in changing 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 this solicitation 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 the result of the opioid crisis. Projects selected under this solicitation will support service providers in expanding their current scope and expertise to ensure that children and youth—the most vulnerable victims impacted by the opioid crisis—are supported as they heal from the impact of crime and substance abuse.

With this award, the Native American Community Clinic (NACC) will expand and streamline behavioral health, specifically trauma treatment, for young crime victims that are affected by opioid abuse; and establish a collaborative of key stakeholders who service the community and can act to address the gaps in the systems. NACC will develop specialized training and technical assistance with partners to enhance the quality and access to care. NACC will deliver information, services, and support to children and youth who are victims of the opioid crisis. This programming aligns with the NACC’s current programming that aims to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes among the Urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population of Minneapolis and St. Paul. This project will increase capacity to meet the needs of the youngest crime victims in response to the opioid crisis. (CA/NCF)