Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day is May 5, 2022
The Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Day (MMIP) annual commemoration is a time to renew our commitment to ensuring resources are available to solve missing persons cases in Tribal communities and providing services to victims and their families.
In his proclamation, President Biden states,
“we must work hand in hand with Tribal partners through each phase of the justice system to create solutions that are victim-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate.”
In recognition of this day, OVC highlights our new Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons page featuring resources to support survivors, victim service providers, and allied professionals. The topic page includes publications, state resources, related links, and videos including—
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Learn about the MMIP crisis in this Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center video. Grassroots efforts on behalf of MMIP are working to increase national awareness and understanding of the issue.
- When a Loved One Goes Missing: Resources for Families of Missing American Indian and Alaska Native Adults
This guide provides information and practical resources to assist family members and friends with the search for a missing adult loved one. This guide offers helpful steps to take while searching for a loved one, suggestions about how to cope with trauma, and a list of resources for navigating this difficult situation.
- The Tribal Resource Tool
This OVC-funded online directory features contact information for service providers throughout the Nation that offer crime victim services to American Indian and Alaska Native survivors. Use the Search Resources to locate these services.
- Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program: Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons
Tribes and organizations that receive funding under the OVC Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program can use their funds to—- provide services to the family members of MMIP victims,
- generate awareness of MMIP among community members, in general, and for individual MMIP cases, and
- collaborate with Tribal, federal, and state and local officials to respond to MMIP cases.
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
NCMEC has a national, toll free hotline (800-843-5678) to report missing children. NCMEC case managers are available to work directly with families and Tribal law enforcement agencies investigating missing children’s cases.
NCMEC also assists Tribal law enforcement by deploying Team Adam Consultants. These consultants provide rapid, onsite assistance to agencies and families during critical cases involving missing children. Learn more about the work of Team Adam by visiting the NCMEC Case Resources page and view the NCMEC blog for more information about resources and technical assistance for Native American communities.
Older Americans Month
In his proclamation, President Biden states,
“let us pay tribute to the seniors who raised and guided us throughout our lives, and let us renew our commitment to honoring their contributions by giving them the fullest care, support, and respect they deserve.”
During Older Americans Month, we highlight the OVC-operated National Elder Fraud Hotline. Experienced hotline case managers are standing by to provide victims of financial fraud aged 60 or older with personalized support by assessing their needs and identifying relevant next steps. Call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-1 (833-372-8311) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Apply for OVC FY 2022 funding opportunities to enhance services that support older victims of crime.
This year’s funding opportunities include the OVC FY 2022 Transforming America’s Response to Older Victims: Developing and Supporting Statewide Elder Justice Coalitions and Training and Technical Assistance Program. Under this program, OVC will fund a program to develop or expand statewide Elder Justice Coalitions.
View publications and multimedia products to help the field provide effective services to victims of elder abuse and financial exploitation. These materials, hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, include the following and more—
- Strategies and Training to Address Greater Elder Safety: this curriculum is designed to educate teams of judicial, justice, and community professionals about financial exploitation and elder abuse.
- Lifting Up the Voices of Older Survivors: this collection of nine training videos and accompanying discussion guides features the voices of older survivors, a digital dashboard for hospital emergency departments to screen for elder abuse victims, and curricula to help victim advocates become elder justice advocates.
Discover additional resources for organizations responding to elder abuse on the Elder Justice Initiative website and the Elder Fraud and Abuse section of the OVC website.
National Police Week, May 11-17, 2022
May 11 through May 17, 2022, is National Police Week and Sunday, May 15, 2022, is Peace Officers Memorial Day.
In her National Police Week message, OVC Director Kristina Rose states,
We are extremely grateful to the local, Tribal, state, and federal law enforcement officers who devote their lives every day to safeguarding our citizens. We will continue to develop tools that support their well-being and those of the communities they serve.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Fraternal Order of Police/Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary, and Concerns of Police Survivors annually lead the Nation in commemorating National Police Week.
Register to attend a Candlelight Vigil to honor fallen law enforcement officers on Friday, May 13, 2022, at 8:00 p.m., eastern time on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Apply for OVC funding opportunities to help law enforcement agencies provide services to victims of crime, including—
- OVC FY 2022 Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services Technical Assistance Program
OVC seeks to fund a national-level technical assistance project to develop, enhance, and sustain direct victim service programs within law enforcement-based systems to serve the needs and rights of all crime victims.
- OVC FY 2022 Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims Fellowship
This program will support one full-time fellow to promote the Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims (ELERV) strategy, provide training and technical assistance to agencies interested in ELERV, and engage with law enforcement agencies interested in improving agencywide victim response and creating in-house, law enforcement-based victim services.
The Law Enforcement section of our site highlights OVC’s support for programs that help law enforcement personnel compassionately and effectively meet the needs of crime victims, features publications, multimedia, and other resources. Resources include—
- The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit that can help law enforcement agencies strengthen their ability to address work-related exposure to trauma; and
- the Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims (ELERV) Strategy, Second Edition that introduces law enforcement leaders to the benefits and methods for adopting victim-centered, trauma-informed philosophies to enhance the response to crime victims.