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U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office for Victims of Crime

Office for Victims of Crime

Advocating for the Fair

OVC Fact Sheet

Treatment of Crime Victims

Background

For most victims of crime, the psychological wounds

endure long after the physical wounds have healed.

Victims of crime may suffer intense fear, shock, and terror

in the course of their victimization, followed by feelings

such as anger, anxiety, depression, social isolation, and

helplessness. These responses may be triggered in other

victims who have witnessed the injury or death of a family

member or friend. Survivors of prolonged, repeated

victimization, such as abused children and battered

women, may develop severe mental health problems.

While not all crime victims need or will even benefit from

mental health services to deal with the psychological and

emotional aftermath of victimization, there are many

crime victims who need specialized mental health services

to help them begin and continue the healing process.

Traditional mental health providers include psychiatrists,

psychologists, clinical social workers, clinical mental

health counselors, and marriage and family therapists. For

many victims, the support, understanding, and counseling

provided by groups such as pastoral counselors from the

clergy or traditional healers from Native American cultures are extremely beneficial.

The 1982 President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime

challenged the mental health community to lead the way

in developing and providing treatment programs for

victims and their families and to develop training for

mental health practitioners that gives them the understanding and skills to sensitively and effectively treat crime

victims. Although most victim advocates and other

professionals within the criminal justice system are not

mental health practitioners, the services and support that

Initiatives for Improving the Mental Health of

Traumatized Crime Victims

they provide to victims are vital to their psychological

recovery. However, the needs of crime victims frequently

extend beyond the capabilities of the victim advocacy

community, and professional mental health counseling is

needed. Recognizing signs of psychological trauma, interacting sensitively and effectively with victims suffering

from psychological and emotional distress, and making

appropriate, timely referrals to mental health providers are

critically important skills for victim assistance providers.

OVC Funding Support of Mental

Health Services

OVC recognizes that victim assistance providers need to

have the knowledge and skills to respond sensitively and

effectively to crime victims, and that mental health

services should be available to victims who need this

assistance. OVC also supports strong collaboration

between victim assistance providers and mental health

practitioners. OVC administers the Crime Victims Fund,

which was established by the Victims of Crime Act of

1984 (VOCA) to support services to crime victims

throughout the country. Each year, OVC distributes

substantial VOCA formula grant funding to State victim

assistance and compensation programs to ensure that

lifeline services for victims, including crisis counseling

and specialized mental health assistance, are available and

accessible. OVC also directly administers VOCA discretionary grant funding to support innovative, national scope

training and technical assistance initiatives that will

expand and improve services to crime victims, including

specialized training on the mental health assistance needs

of crime victims for both victim advocates and licensed

mental health providers.
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Victim Compensation Programs

All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin

Islands have established crime victim compensation

programs, and all will reimburse victims of violent crime

for mental health counseling that is related to their victimization. The States have broadly defined violent crime to

include offenses such as rape, robbery, assault, child

abuse, sexual molestation, domestic violence, and drunk

driving. Forty-five States will compensate survivors of

homicide victims for costs related to mental health

counseling, if the victim was not engaged in criminal

activity that contributed to the death. The eligibility

requirements and maximum awards vary from State to

State, but in all States compensation is paid only when

other financial resources, such as private insurance or

offender restitution, do not cover the loss. During Fiscal

Year (FY) 1997, State compensation programs reimbursed

victims almost $43 million for mental health related

expenses. This compensation can be an invaluable resource for those victims who do not have health insurance

or when their health insurance does not include coverage

for mental health benefits.

A list of the limits for mental health counseling benefits

for each State is in the box to the right. The extent of

coverage is subject to change and is determined by State,

not Federal, statute. Specific questions on eligibility and

benefits should be directed to the staff at the State agency

that administers the crime victims compensation program

in that State. The National Association of Crime Victim

Compensation Boards has developed a directory of State

compensation programs, which lists the State agency that

administers the victim compensation program in each

State along with a description of compensable expenses

covered by the State. This directory can be accessed on

the OVC Web site under the section Help for Victims.

Victim Assistance

All States and Territories receive an annual VOCA victim

assistance grant to supplement the State funding available

to support victim assistance agencies. Each State then

awards VOCA funds to local community-based organizations to provide services directly to crime victims. In

1997, VOCA assistance funding supported almost 2,800

organizations throughout the nation, many of which

provide mental health services such as crisis lines or

counseling as part of their continuum of services for crime

victims. A listing of every organization in each State that

received VOCA funding in 1997 is available on the OVC

website under the subsection, Help for Victims.

Mental Health Counseling Benefits

AL 50 sessions (no more than $6,250 total)

AK $25,000

AR 12 months from date of first treatment

AZ 6 months or $2,500, whichever comes first

CA $10,000 for direct victims, and per relative in homicides; $3,000

other secondary

CO Limits set by districts; generally $1,500-$3,000, with some at $10,000

CT $15,000; $25,000 in homicides

DE $25,000

DC $25,000

FL 3 years or $2,500 for adults; $10,000 for minors

GA $2,500

HI $5,000 for direct victims only

ID $2,500 for direct victims; $500 per family member to maximum of

$1,500 per family

IL $25,000

IN $1,500 for direct victims; $1,000 per family

IA $3,000 ($10,500 psychiatric); $3,000 per family member in homicides,

$1,000 per family member in nonhomicides, limit of $6,000 per crime

KS $3,500; $1,000 in homicides; $10,000 inpatient; may be extended

to $25,000

KY $25,000

LA 26 sessions or 6 months, with maximum $5,000 direct victims,

$2,000 indirect victims

ME $7,500

MD $2,000

MA $25,000

MI 26 sessions

MN $5,000 for victims, spouses, minor children, and parents in homicides;

10-session limit for siblings and adult children in homicides

MS $2,500

MO $2,500

MT $2,000 or 12 consecutive months: may be extended to $25,000

NB $2,000

NV $3,500; additional $5,000 in extreme situations

NH $2,000

NJ 50 sessions for adults, 100 sessions for children

NM $20,000; authorized only in 30-session increments

NY No limit

NC 1 year for adults; 2 years for children 10 and under

ND $25,000

OH $50,000

OK $3,000 for direct victims (may be extended in extreme cases; $500

per person, $1,000 per family in homicides

OR $20,000 for direct victims and family in homicides; $10,000 for

children in domestic violence

PA $35,000

RI $25,000

SC 180 days or 20 sessions, whichever is greater

SD 18 months; $1,800 or 18 sessions for family members in homicides;

6 sessions for parents of juvenile victims; may be extended to $10,000

TN $12,000

TX $3,000 outpatient; 30 days inpatient

UT $2,500 direct victims, $1,000 indirect victims (may be waived to

maximum of $25,000)

VT $10,000; must be approved in $1,000 increments

VA $15,000 for direct victims; $1,000 for family in homicides

VI 10 sessions

WA $150,000; treatment must be reviewed and approved every 90 days

WV $25,000 for direct victims; $35,000 in homicides

WS $40,000

WY $10,000

Note: Some States may consider inpatient care under higher medical

maximums rather than the limits set above.
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VOCA Discretionary Grant Programs

Using the VOCA discretionary funding, OVC supports

several national scope training and technical assistance

projects that focus on enhancing the response of various

practitioners to the mental health needs of crime victims.

Building Skills for Sexual Assault Responders

Sexual Assault Resource Services

This project will develop a comprehensive training and

technical assistance package for sexual assault victim

advocates and counselors to improve their skills and

abilities to serve sexual assault victims. A major focus will

be the promotion of personal recovery and healing of

victims. The grantee will conduct pilot testing in Minnesota in August 1998 and in Colorado in September 1998.

During the second phase of the project, the grantee will

modify the curriculum based on feedback from the pilot

testing and will conduct a series of regional training

workshops for sexual assault responders.

Traumatic Grief: The Synergism of Trauma and Grief

Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia (AVP)

This project will develop an empirically tested model of

traumatic grief that captures the unique experience of

victims of violent crime, and more specifically, of survivors of homicide victims. AVP will develop a multidisciplinary training curriculum designed to foster more

consistency in services for victims of violent crime and to

give practitioners the specialized knowledge and skills

needed to work effectively with crime victims.

A Multimedia Approach to Reduce Distress and Court

Attrition Among Physically Injured Crime Victims

National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center

(NCVC), Medical University of South Carolina

The NCVC is developing a brief intervention program for

injured, hospitalized crime victims, consisting of a twopart video and accompanying brochure. The materials will

focus on educating victims about the criminal justice process and reducing their psychological distress. To support

sensitive, effective use of these products in hospital settings

across the nation, the grantee will develop supplemental

training materials for medical personnel. NCVC will also

follow victims after their discharge, to track the effectiveness of the program in reducing the psychological trauma

of victims and increasing their participation in the criminal

justice process.

Victims of Mentally Ill Offenders

Ehrenkranz School of Social Work, New York University (NYU)

This project addresses the issues of under served victims

of mentally ill offenders who frequently do not receive

the basic rights and services that are afforded other crime

victims. The issues that will be addressed include a determination of the specific rights and range of services

afforded to victims of mentally ill offenders, identification

of problems and barriers, recommendations for needed

changes, and development of guidelines for more equitable and consistent treatment in these areas. NYU will

draft a national-scope assessment report, conduct three

focus groups in New York City, Washington, DC, and

Chicago, and produce an indepth report that will serve as

an action plan for OVC and the field, and that will be

published as an OVC bulletin.

Available Resources

Resources may be ordered from the OVC Resource Center

at 1S800S627S6872, using the inventory number, beginning with NCJ, listed at the end of each description below.

Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Crime Victims

(Videotape)

National Crime Victims Research Center (NCVC),

Medical University of South Carolina

This video presents a blend of clinical and practical

mental health expertise that addresses the major types of

short- and long-term crime-related psychological trauma

of victims, the factors that are related to victims’ healing

and recovery, and how the criminal justice system can

address the needs of traumatized crime victims.

NCJ167235.

Victim Empowerment: Bridging the Systems n Health

and Victim Service Providers

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR)

PCAR’s curriculum focuses on ways to foster cooperation

and collaboration between victim services and mental

health providers, as well as developing the ability of both

groups to help victims through victim-centered, victimempowering responses. NCJ161862. (May also be downloaded from the OVC Web site under the section Information Resources.)

Working with Grieving Children (Videotape)

National Organization for Victim Assistance

This 27-minute videotape discusses the effects on children

of a loved one’s violent death. It contains interviews with

children who have lost a loved one through violence and

offers explanations on coping with loss. NCJ165927.
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Working with Grieving Children After Violent Death:

A Guidebook for Victim Assistance Professionals

National Organization for Victim Assistance

This guidebook is a companion piece to the “Working

with Grieving Children" video and serves as a quick

reference to victim assistance professionals in their work

with children, parents, schoolteachers and counselors,

clergy members, and others as they address the needs of

grieving children. NCJ165814.

After the Robbery: Crisis to Resolution (Videotape)

In tracing robbery from crisis to resolution, this videotape

is designed to help bank robbery victims cope with the

emotional trauma of victimization and to inform them

about the criminal justice process. NCJ162842.

OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)

In an effort to expand and continue the activities begun

under OVC’s Trainers Bureau, OVC has established the

OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC).

The Training Center serves as a centralized access point

for information about OVC’s training and technical

assistance resources. The TTAC activities will include:

● Continue the work of OVC’s Trainers Bureau by

providing expert consultants, who specialize in crime

victim-related areas, to support training events of

Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies and special

emphasis organizations that are involved in activities

related to crime victims.

● Provide intensive on-site technical assistance to meet

specific programmatic and administrative requirements

of agencies offering services to crime victims.

Provide rapid response to requesting communities (and

Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies responding to

communities) affected by a major crisis involving

multiple victims through the Community Crisis Response program.

● Organize, arrange, and facilitate national conferences,

regional workshops, and meetings with diverse constituent groups, including State VOCA administrators

and OVC discretionary grantees.

● Plan focus groups that develop action plans to respond

to major emerging issues.

● Support Regional Coordination Initiative activities.

● Develop publications and other materials, such as

brochures, briefing materials, and information packets

on crime victim-related issues. This activity may

include the adaptation and modification of existing

materials to make them suitable for various user

groups.

● Promote information sharing and networking opportunities for administrators and leaders of similar agencies

in an effort to improve response to crime victims.

For Further Information

More information about the Office for Victims of Crime is

available through the following sources:

OVC ............................................................. 202S307S5983

OVC Web Site .................... http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/

OVC Resource Center ................................. 800S627S6872

OVC Resource Center Web Site......... http://www.ncjrs.org

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office for Victims of Crime

Washington, D.C. 20531

Official Business

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July 1998

Sheet Fact OVC 

Victims Crime Traumatized of Health Mental the Improving for Initiatives