Rosebud Sioux Tribe Elder Justice Initiative

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 award programs supported by the federal Crime Victims Fund (CVF) to develop innovative training and technical assistance, and to provide direct services to improve the overall quality of victim assistance.

The overall goal of the Fiscal Year 2019 Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program is to provide support to tribal communities to improve services for victims of crime. Under the solicitation, OVC solicited applications for funding to support a comprehensive range of activities including needs assessment, strategic planning, program development and implementation, program expansion, and other activities needed to address the needs of a wide variety of crime victims in tribal communities.

With an award under Purpose Area 2: Coordination and Expansion of Existing Victim Service Program, the program will expand its victim services to elder abuse victims through using a multilevel approach including several tribal programs and services; conduct a needs assessment to identify gaps and strengths within the tribal community; develop a long term strategic plan to dramatically increase the response to elder abuse in the Tribe’s 22 communities; contract with local civil attorneys to assist elders in their keeping their autonomy and providing protection for their lives and assets; hire a code reviser to update the old elder abuse code within the first year; employee two new positions, Elder Protection Workers, social workers to respond to the reports of elder abuse, provide response to crisis calls, provide referral services, transportation, support for elders who are facing or enduring physical, emotional, financial abuse or neglect; provide emergency food, clothing, hygiene items for abused elders; develop protocols and program policies to ensure quality services to the Tribe’s elder population; and create community education products for elder victims, family members, along with an elder resource guide to assist in responding and identifying elder abuse.
(CA/NCF)