The Victim Assistance Field and the Profession of Social Work

• NCJ Number: 210592
• Author(s): Fran Danis Ph.D.
• Date Published: April 2006
• Length: 17 pages
• Publication Series: OVC Others
• Grant Number(s): 1999-VF-GX-0004
• Agencies: OVC
• Publication Type: Issue Overview

Annotation

This report discusses the goals, objectives and recommendations of the Victims of Crime: A Social Work Response 3-year demonstration project from 1999 to 2002 supported under the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime.

Abstract

The Victims of Crime: A Social Work Response: Building Skills to Strengthen Survivors project enhanced professional social workers' capacity to respond to adult victims of violent crime. The project raised awareness of the rights of and services available to crime victims among more than 29,000 National Association of Social Workers (NASW) members in the States of Alaska, Florida, New York, North Carolina, and Texas. Professional social workers received information about crime victim assistance through newsletters, Web sites, and direct training. Several recommendations are highlighted for both the social work profession and for the victim assistance field. Highlights include: (1) NASW chapters should consider providing followup workshops on clinical skills for working with crime victims; (2) spotlighting victim assistance as an emerging field of practice; (3) developing course content and assignments that integrate competencies specific to victim assistance into the social work curriculum; (4) the victim assistance field should consider recruiting professional social workers; and (5) presenting workshops at local, State, and national continuing education conferences for social workers focusing on specific competencies needed for work in the field. This report presents the goals, objectives, accomplishments and recommendations of the 3-year demonstration project, Victims of Crime: A Social Work Response: Building Skills to Strengthen Survivors, from 1999 to 2002 and funded through a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. Project objectives included: (1) conducting a professional awareness campaign; (2) providing introductory training to social workers on crime victims' rights and services; (3) developing links between professional social work and victim assistance organizations; and (4) replicating the project with other NASW chapters.