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Spring 2023 Updates: VOCA Administrators’ Conference, Allocations, and Suitability Special Condition

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March 23, 2023

Happy Spring, Everyone!

Greetings from Washington, D.C., where the State Victim Resource Division is eagerly awaiting the full bloom of the Cherry Blossom Trees and some warmer weather and sun.

We have some updates we want to share with everyone:
 

  1. VOCA Administrators’ Conference: We are very excited to see you in-person at the 2023 National Joint Training Conference for VOCA Victim Assistance and Victim Compensation Administrators in Chicago, IL, August 14 – 17, 2023. Additional details will be shared as soon as the Office of Justice Programs approves the conference.

    Thank you to those who submitted conference proposals for this year’s conference. The Conference Planning Committee, comprised of Assistance and Compensation administrators, is reviewing all the conference proposals. 
     
  2. Allocations: The 2023 VOCA Victim Assistance and Compensation allocations have been finalized. We understand that all programs are experiencing financial cuts. We hope you will join us at the 2023 Joint VOCA Administrators’ Conference for further discussion about the Crime Victims Fund and program funding. (If you are a VOCA Victim Assistance Administrator, we hope you will join us in Washington, D.C., May 10-11 for the 2023 Spring Bi-Annual VOCA Victim Assistance Administrators’ Summit). An announcement will be made once the VOCA Victim Assistance and Victim Compensation formula solicitations are released.
     
  3. Suitability Special Condition: We recognize that many questions remain about the suitability to interact with minors special condition. In Fall 2022, we provided a sample checklist that SAAs are encouraged (but are not required) to use when monitoring this special condition. The checklist outlines how to monitor compliance of the various components included within the special condition. It sets forth the parameters that SVRD looks for when monitoring SAAs and we use this same checklist when we conduct monitoring site visits.

    We held two webinar trainings on November 8 and November 22, 2022, and will also post this recording on the OVC VOCA Center website (and we will distribute the link at that time). In the upcoming fiscal year, we will be offering additional trainings, including at the May 2023 Spring Bi-Annual VOCA Victim Assistance Administrators’ Summit. In the meantime, if you have additional questions, please contact your grant manager.

We hope to see some of you in May, and everyone at the VOCA Administrators’ Conference in August!

Kathrina S. Peterson
Division Director
State Victim Resource Division

Date Created: April 6, 2023