Building Critical Communications in Victim Hotline Response

Through the OVC FY 2017 Vision 21: Advancing the Use of Technology to Assist Victims of Crime solicitation, OVC seeks to support organizations which demonstrate innovative strategies to create, expand, or enhance use of technology initiatives on a national scale to improve response, services, and access for victims of crime. OVC seeks to address three areas, which may intersect depending on the applicant’s proposed activities and project strategy. These are: 1) Coalition building; 2) Development of new national apps or creation of other technology platforms designed to serve victims of crime, including updates and maintenance for the length of the award; and 3) Expanding or enhancing (including updates and maintenance) existing service and hotline digital, online, text platforms and apps that use technology to provide services, referrals, tools, and information to victims of crime. The National Center for Victims of Crime proposes to support infrastructure enhancements for technology advancement and to connect their various program systems. Enhancements will also support remote work capabilities to provide more seamless hotline response and increase the social media presence of VictimConnect. The second goal of the project includes support of the National Hotline Consortium, which will determine technology sharing, data sharing, and warm hand off capabilities among the services. The consortium will work to set uniform standards and definitions, develop protocols for referral vetting and consistent confidentiality and data sharing. Letters of support and commitment are included from the current consortium members, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, the National Runaway Safeline, the National Network To End Domestic Violence, the Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center, and the National Human Trafficking Hotline. CA/NCF