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Vol./Year 8, No. 7
Vulnerability Trail Newsletter
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Late Summer Greetings!
Here at The Arc of Aurora we have been busy preparing to launch a social
enterprise that will be of particular interest, we think, to each of you VTrailers... Stay tuned for details in the October issue!
In the meantime, continue to let us know about resources and opportunities that you think will be of interest to fellow Vtrailers, as well as how we might be of assistance to you in your work.
Carry on!
Jean Solis
Editor and Director of Marketing and Development
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(Tools to help us in our work to address crime victimization of people with I/DD in our communities)
The Crime and Victimization Fact Sheets, available from the Office for Victims of Crime in both English and Spanish, are a resource for victim service providers and allied professionals to raise awareness of victims' issues. One Fact Sheet addresses
Crimes Against Persons with Disabilities.
In early August, The Department of Justice published a final rule expanding the ability of victim serving agencies and organizations across the nation to reach and serve more crime victims at a time of substantial increases in victim assistance funding. Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding directed to the states for victim assistance has more than quadrupled in the last two fiscal years.
Click here to read more.
We often include resources from the Office for Victims of Crime in VTrail.
We at The Arc of Aurora find them to be a great resource in our victimization work and now you can learn more about how they may help you in your work. OVC has developed a few short videos that provide information about OVC, the Crime Victims Fund, and help for victims of crime. Watch or download these videos by
clicking here and share them as educational tools with your collaborating partners.
In mid-July, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published this 74-page report on the challenges facing the government agencies collecting and sharing data on sexual violence. You may access the full report and highlight page by
clicking here.
All victims of crime, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, should really have access to quality, state-of-the-art victim services. As part of the Office for Victims of Crime's (OVC)
Achieving Excellence: Model Standards for Serving Victims and Survivors of Crime, the Competency Standards describe core competencies that are necessary for delivering quality services to all victims. The Competency Standards describe what should be accomplished by the individual, yet allow for discretion regarding how the accomplishments should be achieved. The Competency Standards consist of knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Educators and trainers can develop curricula, training packages, and competencies while administrative staff can use the standards to identify in-service training and professional development needs within their programs. To promote staff development, programs should provide opportunities for staff to obtain training, education, and other professional skills in competencies for which staff are evaluated.
Learn more here about the Competency Standards for serving victims and survivors of crime.
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Celebrating a Champion for Justice
(Recognizing and sharing information about a champion for justice for people with I/DD. There are many of us out there - we hope sharing this information will help us network and further improve services to victims with I/DD.)
Le
igh Ann Davis, Program Manager, The Arc of the United States' Justice Initiatives
"I love working at The Arc because I get to make a difference in the lives of others every day."
Leigh Ann Davis, M.S.S.W., M.P.A., is Program Manager; Justice Initiatives for The Arc's Program Innovations Group and in that role oversees The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability®. She has worked in the area of disability and justice issues since1994 when hired by The Arc of the United States to direct a Department of Justice project of national significance educating criminal justice professionals about ADA accommodations. Since that time, she has authored
numerous publications (curricula, guidebooks, fact sheets, scholarly articles) during her almost 20 years with The Arc covering topics related to criminal
justice/victimization issues, FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder), and the ethics of genetic research. She has presented both nationally and internationally regarding criminal justice and disability issues and provided congressional testimony on the delivery of law enforcement services to people with developmental disabilities under Title II of the ADA. In fact, Leigh Ann teamed with The Arc of Aurora on one of its Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime grants to help educate Arc Chapter members throughout the country on the incidence, prevalence and impact of victimization of persons with I/DD. Leigh Ann served on SAMHSA's (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) FASD Center for Excellence Expert Panel and currently serves as consultant for the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC), Vera Institute of Justice, and The Disability and Abuse Project. As a sexual abuse survivor who was shocked to discover the high rate of violence people with I/DD experience, she is passionate about ensuring victims with disabilities obtain justice and healing, and that criminal justice professionals are provided effective, on-going training to adequately serve people with disabilities -whether victim, suspect or offender.
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Opportunities
(Activities for engagement to help improve our work to address crime victimization of people with I/DD in our communities)
Ending Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) is hosting a two-part webinar, Neurobiology of Sexual Assault, for which there is no cost to attend.
The presenter is Dr. James Hopper, clinical psychologist and independent consultant and Teaching Associate in Psychology at Harvard Medical School, and nationally-recognized expert on psychological trauma. The series will be offered in September.
Click here for more information, including a link to register.
On September 22, The Arc of the United States' National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD) is offering a webinar that will explore the complex issues regarding competency and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in the criminal justice system. More information on the webinar, including presenters and how to register, may be accessed by
clicking here.
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Articles
(Abuse of people with I/DD occurs throughout the country, including in our own communities...)
A judge set a $250,000 bond for Sedgwick County Sheriff Tom Hanna after he was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a developmentally delayed woman in his home while he was supposed to be transporting her to jail... August 24, 2016 - COLORADO - The Denver Post
The mother whose disabled daughter was found in a locked bedroom on a soiled mattress pleaded not guilty in Putnam County Superior Court and will go to trial. July 26, 2016 - GEORGIA - Eatonton Messenger
A man faces 48 charges in connection with allegedly raping a handicapped woman over three years, according to warrants... July 19, 2016 - NORTH CAROLINA - Jacksonville Daily News
A King County teen living in squalor inside her guardians' home lost a third of her body weight in just three months. And it happened while a state-paid nurse was making monthly visits to ensure the teen's well-being. July 21, 2016 - WASHINGTON - KOMO News
In Hixson, a doctor alerted deputies to the potential abuse of two disabled adults after an adult protective services worker realized the adults weren't receiving their medications. July 26, 2016 - TENNESSEE - Chattanooga Times Free Press
A Clinton mother faces 64 years in prison after a Vermillion County judge Thursday gave her the maximum sentence allowable on four level-3 felony counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury. July 21, 2016 - INDIANA - Terre Haute Tribune Star
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Vulnerability Trail Newsletter
is assembled and published by
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