Victim/Witness Assistance Division Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare

the Victim/Witness Assistance Division through the Office of the District Attorney 17 year s has been serving victims of crime For

Tulare County’s Division of Victim/Witness Assistance is staffed by: 1 program director 7 victim advocates, two of which are bi- lingual, serving north and south county 2 claim specialists 3 clerical support staff About Our Bureau... All advocates are required to receive 80 hours of training and are certified by the California Victim/Witness coordinating council Advocates are also trained and certified by the National Organization of Victims Assistance in Crisis Response Claim specialists receive 160 hours of training and are certified by the Victim Compensation Government Claims Board to process claims locally Ongoing continuing education is provided through various seminars, workshops and conferences

About Our Program... The goal of our program is to assess and attend to victim’s immediate and fundamental needs…from initial contact through final resolution Where do we get our victim referrals? Law enforcement Adult protective services Child protective services Hospitals Battered women’s shelters Rape crisis center Deputy district attorneys The victims themselves

WHAT SERVICES DO WE PROVIDE?

Crisis intervention

Emergency assistance

Orientation criminal justic e syste m to the Orientation criminal justic e syste m to the

Court escort & support, including kid’s court for minor victims

Case status & disposition information

Assistance with victim impact statements

Property return information

Communi ty resource & counselin g referral

information Restitution

Assistance in filing for financial reimbursement from the state Victim of Violent Crime Fund

assistance and services as needed Other

If crime occurred outside California, victim must have been a California resident at the time of the crime THA T MUS T BE MET: REQUIREME NTS Crime must have occurred in California Crime must be reported to law enforcement or adult/child protection agency Victim must reasonably cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of any known suspects Victim must cooperate with staff of the Board and/or Victim/Witness Assistance Bureau in the verification of the claim

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE CRIME VICTIMS COMPENSATION PROGRAM? A victim who was injured or died as a result of a crime A derivative victim Who was not directly injured or killed as a result of a crime, but who, at the time of the crime was the parent, sibling, spouse or child of the victim Who was living in the household of the victim Who had lived in the household for at least two years in a relationship similar to a parent, sibling, spouse or child of the victim Who was another family member (including fiancée) and witnessed the crime Who is now the primary caretaker of a minor victim Anyone who pays for the medical and/or funeral/burial expenses of a deceased victim NOTE: Eligibility to receive services is not based on income or citizenship status A derivative victim A victim who was injured or died as a result of a crime

WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE CRIME VICTIMS COMPENSATION PROGRAM? NO T Persons who contribute to or take part in the events leading to the crime Persons who commit the crime Persons who do not cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation and/or prosecution of the suspects Persons who do not cooperate with the staff of the Board and/or the Victim/Witness Assistance Division in verification of the claim

FILING DEADLINES: The State Victims Compensation & Government Claims Board is always payer of last resort, and will only pay those expenses or losses that are related to the crime, and are not covered by any other resources Victim claims are paid through the State Restitution Fund which is funded entirely by criminal fines and penalties — No taxpayer monies are used Adult victim applications must be filed within one year of the date of the crime Applications resulting from crimes against a minor must be filed before the minor’s 19th birthday Some exceptions to the filing deadlines may apply if certain criteria are met

LOSS ES THA T MA Y BE COVERED: Medical/dental expenses for the victim Mental health treatment or counseling Wage/income loss Financial and/or support loss for dependents of a deceased or disabled victim Funeral and/or burial expenses Crime scene clean-up Moving/relocation expenses for victims of domestic violence Home security installation or improvements Job retraining for victims disabled by the crime Home or vehicle renovation or retrofitting for victims who are permanently disabled as the result of the crime

LOSS ES THA T ARE NOT COVERE D: Personal property losses, including cash, are not eligible for reimbursement under the program Applicants cannot be compensated for “pain and suffering” NO T

SERVING VICTIMS OF CRIME IN TULARE COUNTY Tim Ward, District Attorney Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Victim/Witness Assistance Division 221 S Mooney Blvd Rm 264, Visalia, CA (559)