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Office for Victims of Crime Office for Victims of Crime 2015 OVC Report to the Nation: Fiscal Years 2013-2014 'Transforming Today's Vision into Tomorrow's Reality'
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Services for Tribal Communities

Isolation, poverty, high rates of crime, and a continuing lack of resources in many American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities—compounded by complex jurisdictional issues and cultural diversity among tribes—make this underserved population a critical focus for OVC. In coordination with a comprehensive DOJ initiative to increase engagement and action on tribal justice issues, OVC focuses its support on developing culturally appropriate programs and projects that reflect an understanding of tribal practices. In addition to funding innovative programs that provide services to AI/AN victims, OVC continues to support ongoing projects to provide critical training and technical assistance to service providers and allied practitioners in tribal communities.

Coordinated Tribal Assistance Program

The Department of Justice’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance (CTAS) program provides funding for federally recognized tribes, tribal consortia, and tribally designated organizations. OVC supports two programs within CTAS:

  • The Comprehensive Tribal Victim Assistance Program supports tribal programs in responding to victims of crime, their families, and their communities and provides trauma-informed, culturally competent holistic services. Under this program, OVC awarded eight grants in FY 2013 and eight grants in FY 2014.
  • The Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities Program provides comprehensive and coordinated multidisciplinary responses to child abuse victims and their families in ways that are trauma-informed and culturally competent. Funds support tribal efforts to develop, enhance, and operate programs to improve the investigation, prosecution, and overall response to child abuse. Under this program, OVC awarded seven grants in FY 2013 and seven grants in FY 2014.

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Bakken Region Demonstration Project

Through an interagency agreement, OVC has provided Vision 21 funding to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Office of Justice Services (OJS), to implement a victim assistance project on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Fort Berthold sits at the heart of the Bakken Oil Boom region, where rapid growth in population has resulted in an insurgence of criminal activity that includes drug trafficking, sex trafficking, domestic violence, assault, and property crime. This project will enable BIA/OJS to hire and retain one full-time victim specialist to provide support, referrals, and other direct services to AI/AN victims of crime at Fort Berthold.

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