Hospitals Against Violence (#HAVhope) National Day of Awareness: June 2
Raise awareness about the important role that hospital-based services play in combating violence and providing services to crime victims as we commemorate the June 2, 2023, observance of #HAVhope.
The American Hospital Association website features awareness materials, as well as tools to help hospitals prevent and mitigate violence, including risk assessments, emergency response best practices, and more.
OVC awarded nearly $2.5 million in FY 2021 and nearly $1.5 million in FY 2022 under our Advancing Hospital-Based Victim Services program. This program ensures that trained victim service providers are on hand in hospital emergency rooms to connect victims of violence in underserved communities with the services and support needed to aid in their healing. With OVC funding, the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention provides training and technical assistance to support the violence intervention programs connected to this initiative and promote equity for victims of violence.
June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
Join OVC as we commemorate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Wednesday, June 15, 2023. This annual commemoration is a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities around the world to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.
The University of Southern California’s Center on Elder Mistreatment website offers a list of events from June 12 through June 16 to help advocates and professionals raise awareness of elder abuse and advance elder justice. The Center’s Tools and Tips page also offers an outreach guide, social media guide, sample letters to the editor, downloadable fliers, and other outreach materials to help your organization conduct its outreach efforts.
OVC is committed to ensuring that older victims of crime have access to trauma-informed services and resources that protect the safety and confidentiality of victims. Examples of some of the programs and resources we support are listed below.
Enhanced Multidisciplinary Teams for Older Victims of Abuse and Financial Exploitation
OVC supports the development or enhancement of multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) to better identify and respond to cases of abuse of older adults and to more comprehensively serve and support older victims of financial exploitation and other forms of elder abuse.
Later this year, OVC anticipates making up to 10 awards totaling up to $3.75 million to MDTs at the rural, Tribal, local, or state levels. We also anticipate awarding up to $1 million to an organization to establish the National Elder Abuse Training and Technical Assistance Center. The Center will focus on identifying and promoting best practices and innovative strategies, and fostering effective collaborative responses through the use of enhanced MDTs for cases of elder abuse and financial exploitation.
Transforming America’s Response to Older Victims
Elder Justice Coalitions (EJCs) allow elder justice advocates, legal aid professionals, and victim service providers to collectively identify and address gaps in services to older victims of abuse and financial exploitation. EJCs enable professionals to partner improve collaboration, align efforts, and identify barriers to advance needed changes in systems and system responses.
OVC recently awarded funding to launch the National Center for State and Tribal Elder Justice Coalitions. This national training and technical assistance effort will support the development of new coalitions and provide support to existing EJCs.
National Elder Fraud Hotline
OVC manages the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Elder Fraud Hotline (1-833-FRAUD-11). Experienced case managers are standing by to provide victims of financial fraud aged 60 or older with personalized support by assessing their needs and identifying relevant next steps. Help raise awareness about the hotline by using digital artwork in your campaigns and on your websites.
Victim-Centered Solutions to Elder Exploitation Training
With OVC funding, the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) offers free training to support older victims of elder financial exploitation and fraud. NW3C’s Victim-Centered Solutions to Elder Exploitation is an on-demand, 10-module training course that guides professionals through promising practices to detect, respond to, and assist victims of elder financial exploitation.
Additional Resources
View publications and other OVC resources on Elder Fraud and Abuse.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month
In his Presidential proclamation, President Biden states that, Pride Month is a "reminder that we still have generational work to do to ensure that everyone enjoys the full promise of equity, dignity, protection, and freedom."
OVC offers resources to increase access to crime victim services for all victims of crime, including individuals who identify as LGBTQI+.
The OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center’s Serving LGBTQ Survivors of Violence training, offered by request, provides the knowledge and skills needed to effectively support and work with LGBTQI+ identified people, communities, and survivors. The training helps participants strengthen their knowledge of the obstacles LGBTQI+ people experience in seeking victim services and explore how best to overcome or alleviate these obstacles.
OVC’s Responding to Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault e-publication offers practical tools to promote understanding and support of transgender victims.
Last year, OVC awarded nearly $750,000 to FORGE, Inc. to update and expand upon the OVC Responding to Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault e-publication. FORGE is creating a new web-based toolkit that will provide guidance, resources, and referrals for those who serve transgender victims, especially women and girls of color.