Method

The DVD was part of an ongoing service delivery program by the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center (CVC) at the Medical University of South Carolina, a large tertiary care teaching hospital. Individuals who receive serious injuries are admitted to the Trauma Center. Those who survive their injuries are subsequently admitted to the surgical trauma service. The CVC project staff, working with the surgical staff, see patients within 24–48 hours of their admission or as soon as their medical condition allows and provide a variety of victim services to those individuals whose injuries are a result of a crime. Services include providing information about community agencies and social services that the victim patients may need, contact information for victim advocates in the police department, referral information for mental health providers, and assistance in completing the crime victim compensation application. Furthermore, the project staff, with the permission of the victim patients, assist with obtaining copies of inpatient and outpatient medical and counseling bills, police reports, and any other paperwork the patients need to complete their application for crime victim compensation. Even after the patient’s discharge from the hospital, project staff continue to serve as a liaison between the patient and law enforcement, the courts, the victim compensation fund, and other victim service agencies.

The DVD and brochure used in the project were added to the comprehensive victim service delivery project described above. They were presented to the victim patients at the initial project staff visit using a portable videocassette player. Project staff then asked the victims to complete a survey.

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A Multimedia Program To Improve Criminal Justice System Participation and Reduce Distress Among Physically Injured Crime Victims
April 2006