OCVA serves as the administrator of federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Assistance funds. These funds support direct victim services all across our state. Early in 2015, a congressional change resulted in a significant increase in Washington state’s award, meaning more funding for services in our local communities. In 2015, a statewide planning process was used to guide the development of the 2015-2019 VOCA State Plan (PDF) and formulate recommendations…
The report Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: A snapshot of data from 71 urban cities in the United States highlights “the maze of injustice that impacts Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) cases and demonstrates how they are made to disappear in life, the media and in data.”. Published by the Urban Indian Health Institute, the report identifies Seattle as having the highest number of MMIWG…
Have you hugged a nurse today? Well, you should because this week is Forensic Nurses Week! Nov. 5 – 9 has been designated by the International Association of Forensic Nurses to honor the extraordinary work of nurses who practice in this unique nursing specialty. Let your gratitude show with a certificate of appreciation! Forensic nurses have the knowledge and expertise to decrease the healthcare consequences of violence, improve patient recovery…
October was Domestic Violence Awareness and Action Month, a perfect time to talk with the people in your life about what a healthy relationship looks like. Because Awareness + Action = Social Change. This work doesn’t have to stop in October. Domestic violence impacts people across our state. On Sept. 13, 2017, 41 programs in Washington state participated in the National Census of Domestic Violence Services. In one day, these…
In 2014, Seattle voted to declare the second Monday of October as Indigenous People’s Day. Olympia followed in 2015, and Spokane and Bainbridge Island joined in 2016. In the last week, Port Angeles[1] and Tacoma[2] were added to the list. Over 55 cities and four states across the country celebrate Indigenous People’s Day on the second Monday of October.[3] Indigenous People’s Day is a day to celebrate the heritage and…
Sept. 4, 2018 marked the 15th Anniversary of the signing of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) by President George W. Bush in response to what has clearly become a human rights crisis in our country. In 2013, a Bureau of Justice Statistics study estimated that roughly 200,000 people were sexually abused in a detention facility in the timespan of one year. Today, the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA)…
OCVA would like to update you on opportunities and resources, convey our understanding of the work we do and welcome your perspective as we continue toward an end to violence and oppression.