National Native American Heritage Month
In his National Native American Heritage Month proclamation, President Biden states, “we celebrate Indigenous peoples past and present and rededicate ourselves to honoring Tribal sovereignty, promoting Tribal self-determination, and upholding the United States’ solemn trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations.”
The U.S. Department of Justice has a long-standing commitment to enhancing public safety for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Learn about OVC and OVC-funded programs and resources to support victim services in these communities.
Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside (TVSSA) Funding
OVC administers the TVSSA formula program that funds critical services in Tribal communities, including services to family members of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons. Read guidance that was issued in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 about using TVSSA funds to raise awareness about MMIP, provide services, and collaborate with Tribal, federal, and state and local officials to respond to cases.
Attend a Virtual Tribal Consultation on the TVSSA
OVC invites Tribal Leaders and their designees to a virtual TVSSA consultation on Wednesday, November 9, 2022. Participants will help inform the FY 2023 application process, outcomes for renovation and construction projects, and services for families of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons.
Learn more and register to attend.
Register for the 17th National Indian Nations Conference
Attend the 17th National Indian Nations Conference on December 6–9, 2022. Professionals from a variety of disciplines will receive training on the unique needs of American Indian and Alaska Native crime victims and how to improve service delivery.
Learn more and register to attend.
Financial Management Support to Tribal Grantees and Applicants
The OVC Tribal Financial Management Center offers services to support Tribal applicants create stronger applications and support their efforts to successful manage their grant awards.
Visit the OVC Tribal Financial Management Center website to learn more and request assistance.
Tribal Resource Tool
The Tribal Resource Tool is a searchable directory of services available for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of crime and abuse.
The Tool was created by the National Center for Victims of Crime, National Congress of American Indians, Tribal Law and Policy Institute, and StrongHearts Native Helpline with funding support from OVC.
Tribal Access Program
Tribes face unique challenges in information sharing and accessing federal databases, which impact public safety in Tribal communities and throughout the United States. OVC is one of the U.S. Department of Justice Program Offices that funds the Tribal Access Program, which helps provide Tribes with access to national crime information systems for both criminal and non-criminal purposes. In 2022, sixteen federally recognized Tribes were selected to participate in TAP’s continued expansion.
Additional Information
Visit the American Indian and Alaska Native Victim Services Resources and Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons sections of our site for additional information and resources.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
On Sunday, November 20, 2022, we recognize the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance to honor the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.
Transgender victims deserve respect and to be heard, believed, served, and supported.
Discover resources to help your organization raise awareness and serve victims of anti-transgender violence on the GLAAD Transgender Day of Remembrance website.
Learn about some of OVC’s efforts to support victims who identify as LGBTQ.
Recently, OVC awarded funding to FORGE to update the Responding to Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault Toolkit it developed in partnership with OVC in 2014. The updated toolkit will address all the major types of violence and crime against transgender individuals, including a focus on the experience of transgender women and girls of color.
The OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) offers a training module in Victim Assistance Training Online on “Specific Considerations for Providing Victim Services to LGBTQ Populations.” Take the free, self-paced training online for information on—
- language, terms, and concepts commonly used in LGBTQ communities;
- the differences between gender identity and sexual orientation;
- a historical and legal perspective of LGBTQ rights and recognition;
- barriers people in the LGBTQ community face when accessing services; and
- ways to increase your agency's capacity to effectively serve LGTBQ people.
View more resources from OVC TTAC:
- The Vulnerabilities of LGBTQ and Homeless Youth to Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation
- Serving LGBTQ Survivors of Violence
OVC-Funded Assistance and Compensation Programs Support Millions of Victims
OVC is pleased to present the FY 2020 VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant Program and FY 2020 VOCA Victim Compensation Formula Grant Program annual reports highlighting the work of assistance and compensation programs throughout the Nation to help victims of crime.
Under the VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant Program, OVC funds 56 states and territories. From FY 2016–FY 2020, these grantees managed $3.8 billion. This money is used to support thousands of domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, human trafficking and elder abuse programs, and other programs that provide direct services to victims of crime.
Programs receiving funding in FY 2020 reported—
- serving 9,450,970 clients (including new and returning individuals); and
- handling nearly 6 million anonymous contacts through digital chats, hotlines, Internet forums, and victim notification systems.
In FY 2020, 54 states and territories received funding through the VOCA Victim Compensation Formula Grant Program to reimburse victims for out-of-pocket expenses resulting from the crime. These programs reported reimbursing more than $361 million to 218,090 victims of crime.