NCVLI???s Technical Assistance for the Wraparound Victim Legal Assistance Networks

The Vision 21 Victim Legal Assistance Networks program supports the development of networks that collaboratively provide free, comprehensive, holistic legal assistance to victims to address the range of legal needs that may arise in the wake of victimization. At a minimum, the sites will provide legal services that include civil legal assistance (including, but not limited to, family, custody and dependency, employment, and administrative issues related to the victimization); enforcement of victims' rights in criminal proceedings; assistance for victims of identity theft and financial fraud; and immigration assistance for human trafficking victims and battered immigrant women.

Funding for this first 18-month phase will support extensive planning that includes formation of a steering committee or governing body made up of network partners, conducting a comprehensive needs assessment, development of a detailed implementation plan that includes policies, procedures, and protocols for providing victims with necessary legal services and referrals within the network. Grantees will establish a partnership with a local, external researcher to work with the network to develop and conduct the needs assessment. Grantees also will work closely with the technical assistance provider awarded funding under this program.

With funding under this award, the National Crime Victim Law Institute will provide technical assistance to the four victim legal assistance networks as they develop and implement their plans for providing comprehensive, no-cost legal services to crime victims in their target areas. NCVLI also will provide technical assistance to the existing six legal assistance networks under the OVC Wraparound Victim Legal Assistance Network Demonstration Project.

NCVLI's four goals in the provision of technical assistance are: (1) enhancing the effectiveness of the networks through knowledge-sharing systems; (2) facilitating intra- and inter-network collaboration; (3) ensuring effective legal advocacy through intensive, proactive, and responsive legal technical assistance and training; and (4) documenting promising practices and lessons learned into blueprints to enhance provision of effective legal services. To accomplish these goals, NCVLI will partner with organizations representing a broad range of legal issues and as the need arises with the networks, retain the services of other expert consultants to ensure its ability to provide quality technical assistance on substantive legal issues, evaluation, network development, and program/project management.

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