Multidisciplinary Response to Crime Victims with Disabilities: State-Level Replication Guide

• NCJ Number: 239107
• Date Published: September 2012
• Length: 1 page
• Agencies: OVC
• Publication Type: Issue Overview

Annotation

This online guide describes the Building Partnerships for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities Initiative and presents information for use by individuals responsible for the safety and protection of persons with disabilities who are victims of crime.

Abstract

This online guide presents information for use by law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, and adult protective and human services workers and others who are involved with the protection of persons with disabilities who are victims of crime. The guide was developed by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and discusses the Building Partnerships for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities Initiative (BPI). The BPI was developed in Massachusetts and uses a prosecution-based multidisciplinary approach to dealing with the problem of abuse committed against persons with disabilities. The guide includes information for use by different agencies on forming cross-jurisdictional partnerships, sharing resources, seeking additional funding, and developing additional trainings for their personnel who work with this vulnerable community. The guide contains five primary sections with each section containing links to specific topics: Reasons to Act covers prevalence of abuse, risk factors for abuse, challenges victims face, and reporting requirements and systemic barriers; the Development Stage covers the investigations advisory panel and the implementation committee; the Implementation Stage discusses formation of a steering committee, creation of a memorandum of understanding, implementation of training curricula, recognition of legislative limitations, and development of a public awareness campaign; the Pilot Replication Sites examines the three States that have replicated the BPI - Delaware, Ohio, and Oregon; and the Components of a Successful Replication include level of interest, steering committee, memorandum of understanding, training, and evaluation.