COVA News Highlights

In this issue:

  New Law Regarding Forensic Medical Exams
  The Colorado Community Health Network
  National Center for Victims of Crime is on YouTube!
  Conference Keynote Presentations
   FREE Victim Services Training/Technical Assistance
   How to Access COVA's Victim Emergency Fund
   Men's Support Group for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
   Colorado SIDS Program Training
   SANE Sustainability Technical Assistance Project

  New Law Regarding Forensic Medical Exams
In the 2008 legislative session, the General Assembly passed House Bill 08-1217, which enables victims of sexual assaults to receive a forensic medical exam without having to participate in the criminal justice system or cooperate with law enforcement. In addition, victims do not have to pay the cost of the forensic medical exam. Three documents are available to help spread the word about the changes in the law and ensure that advocates and victims are informed. Please click on the following links:
- Letter briefly describing the new law.
- Handout that goes into detail about the changes and provides guidance on what to do with questions from sexual assault victims.
- Handout that addresses the questions received about the law.
Special thanks to Debbie Kasyon at DCJ for providing this information! Debbie is available at 303-239-4442.

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The Colorado Community Health Network

The Colorado Community Health Network is the collective voice for Colorado's 14 Community Health Centers (CHCs) and their patients. CHCs provide a health care home to one in twelve Coloradans from 54 of Colorado's 64 counties. Without CHCs, hundreds of the thousands of Colorado's low-income families and individuals would have no regular source of health care. CCHN's mission is to increase access to high-quality health care for people in need in Colorado. For more information about CCHN, please visit their website at http://www.cchn.org.

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   COVA Conference Keynote Presentations:

- Monday, October 27, 2008, Robin Rose - Your Brain, Your Breath, & Your Best
This dynamic presentation teaches professionals key self-management skills than enhance their professionalism, communication, and learning abilities. Designed for those who work with stressed clients or in stressful work environments, Robin brings a combination of research-based material that helps individuals and teams understand what happens when they feel irritated, stressed, or overwhelmed and then provides practical strategies that can be used immediately to transform emotional reactions into healthy, professional responses. participants learn how to maintain focused thinking regardless of other's behaviors, stop stress reactions, and collaborate with others.

- Tuesday, October 28, 2008, Juli Burney - "Pearls of Wit (and Wisdom)"
Victim advocacy is the most gratifying and, at times, the most thankless job in the world. Oysters respond to the irritants of the world, over time, forming them into pearls. Advocates to the same and it is with wit and wisdom that they are able to find the strength to continue working. We do not always have control over events surrounding us, however we do have control over our response to challenging situations and this is when humor (wit) is the key. This presentation will help us remember the strength we have within as we face challenges head-on. Come and discover your own delightfulness!

- Wednesday, October 29, 2008, Anne Munch, JD - "Tailoring Our Response to Crime Victims"
How do we respond to crime victims? Many well-intentioned people who work on behalf of victims in the criminal justice system find themselves perplexed and on the receiving end of criticism by crime victims. Victims may report unsatisfactory experiences, be reluctant to participate in the system, or simply refuse to take part in the process at all. This session is designed to examine the socio-cultural and individual influences that frame crime, crime victimization, and the criminal justice system response. Consultant Anne Munch, will identify strategies to better tailor our responses to victims and survivors and make them both effective and meaningful.

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  National Center for Victims of Crime on YouTube!
The National Center for Victims of Crime is pleased to announce that their award-winning educational videos are now available for preview on YouTube!

"Links in the Chain: Two Communities Respond to Stalking" and "Because Things Happen Every Day: Responding to Teenage Victims of Crime" were produced to build awareness about and motivate local communities to address stalking and teenage victimization. Produced in a compelling, documentary, story-telling style, these national Center videos profile collaborative community-based programs through "day-in-the-life" scenes of practitioners from multiple disciplines, and interviews with victims who describe the impact of their victimization, the kind of support they received, and how that support helped rebuild their lives. The videos also feature interviews with national experts.

These vides are available for purchase in DVD and VHS formats, along with a discussion guide, from the National Center Store. To view the complete collection of online store products, visit http://www.ncvc.org/store, or contact NCVC at 202-467-8742 for more information.

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  FREE Training/Technical Assistance in Crime Victim Services
Through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the National Sheriffs' Association is offering free on-site training and technical assistance to rural Sheriffs' Offices and Police Departments working to establish or enhance a Victim Services Program within their agencies.

Some of the topics of the training and technical assistance include:
- Maximizing the Use of Volunteers in Victim Services Programs;
- Conducting Proper and Compassionate Death Notifications;
- Marketing Law Enforcement Agency-Based Victim Services to Patrol Deputies/Officers, Victim Service Providers, County Commissioners/Other Funding Authorities, and Crime Victims;
- Providing Victim Services in Native American Communities;
- Meeting the Needs of Immigrant Victims of Crime; and
- Serving Young Crime Victims Better via a Child Advocacy Center.

This free training and technical assistance is the culmination of a four-year demonstration project of OVC, NSA, and the victim advocacy organization Justice Solutions. The project entailed 10 rural Sheriffs' Offices and Police Departments across the country receiving start-up funding to develop and test innovative initiatives in establishing or enhancing a victim services program within their agencies. Training and technical assistance on implementing these promising practices/model programs is now being offered to other rural law enforcement agencies that are interested in replicating the victim services initiatives in their own agencies.

For more information, contact Tim Woods at twoods@sheriffs.org or 703-836-7827.

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   How to Access COVA's Emergency Fund
            COVA receives grant funding from State VALE to establish a Victim Emergency Fund for Colorado victims of crime.  The goal of the program is to provide emergency funds for victims that have unusual needs that cannot be met through any other resource.  Procedures for accessing the fund are as follows:

- All requests must come from advocates in the field, not from the victim directly.
- All traditional resources for funding (Victims Compensation, Denver Center for Crime Victims, Inter-Faith Task Force, for example) should be  exhausted at the time of the request.
- The request should address a current and immediate need that is directly connected to the crime.
- Funds should be provided, whenever possible, to the vendor or service provider, not directly to the victim.
- Documentation (invoices, receipts, etc.) must be provided to COVA for the funded services or products.
- No amount over $500 will be released with approval from either the Executive Director or the Deputy Director of COVA and at least one member of the Executive Committee of the COVA Board of Directors.

                For further information or to request an application form, contact COVA at 303-861-1160 or 800-261-2682.

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  Men's Sexual Assault Survivors Support Groups
WINGS Foundation, Inc., is excited to announce the beginning of two new men's support groups for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse.  A Boulder men's group will begin on August 21 and will be held on Tuesdays from 6-8pm.  A Colorado Springs men's group will begin on August 16 and will be held on Thursdays from 7-9pm.  WINGS groups are on-going and can be attended for as long as the group member likes.  Full and partial scholarships are available for those who cannot afford the nominal group fee.  Please refer any men who might be appropriate for these groups to WINGS at 303-238-8660 or 1-800-373-8671.  WINGS also has 16 other support groups meeting in the Denver metro area, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Greeley for male and female adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.  Visit www.wingsfound.org for more information.

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  Colorado SIDS Program In-Service Training
The Colorado SIDS Program reaches out to many victim advocate groups throughout Colorado to provide an in-service training for those who may encounter a family or childcare provider who has encountered the sudden death of an infant in their care.  The objectives are:  Demonstrate a working knowledge of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, including statistics, epidemiology, and risk reduction; Demonstrate an awareness of appropriate crisis intervention with families and others affected by a death; Demonstrate an awareness of cultural practices and their affect on families; and Be knowledgeable regarding referral resources for families and others affected by an infant death.  There is no charge for these services.  If a group wishes to make a donation to the Colorado SIDS Program, it is always appreciated.  If you would like more information or to schedule a presentation, contact Tena Saltzman at tena@coloradosids.org or 303-320-7771.

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  Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Sustainability Technical Assistance Project

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center is requesting preliminary applications for its Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Sustainability Technical Assistance Project, developed with grant funding from the Office on Violence Against Women, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The project will provide on-site technical assistance to SANE programs struggling with immediate and significant issues related to their survival. These may include such issues as recruitment/retention, funding and collaboration. Applications will be accepted from October 15 - November 10, 2008.

Once preliminary applications are reviewed, programs meeting the project criteria will be selected to complete the full application, providing more detailed information related to program history, staffing, funding, etc. Please note that all applicants will be eligible for web-based and phone technical assistance from NSVRC or one of its partners. Applications must be submitted no later than November 10, 2008, by online, mail, fax, or email.

For more information about the project, including a copy of the preliminary application and access to an online submission form, please visit the NSVRC website or you may contact Jenifer Markowitz, Project Manager at jenifer.markowitz@gmail.com.

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