The goal of the Vision 21 initiative is to change the way we respond to victims in this Nation, through a comprehensive and systemic approach, to ensure that every victim of crime receives the best responses and services. In May 2013, OVC published Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services Final Report, a framework for strategic change in the victim services field, which outlined recommendations in four broad categories: (1) conduct continuous rather than episodic strategic planning; (2) support the development of research; (3) ensure the statutory, policy, and programmatic flexibility to address enduring and emerging crime victim issues; and (4) build and institutionalize capacity through an infusion of technology, training, and innovation to ensure that the field is equipped to meet the demands of the 21st century.
The Vision 21: Linking Systems of Care for Youth State Demonstration Project seeks to address the enduring issue of child and youth victimization through state-level demonstration projects. OVC is seeking state-level demonstration sites that will bring all of the relevant systems and professionals together to establish a coordinated approach.
The goal of this demonstration project is to improve responses to child and youth victims and their families by providing consistent, coordinated responses that address the presenting issues and full range of victim needs. This goal will be accomplished through the following objectives:
- Establish a collaborative body/network of stakeholders. This must consist of all of the relevant systems (e.g., child welfare, juvenile justice, victim services), professionals, community groups, and stakeholders (including families that have interfaced with the systems). It is expected that these child-/youth-/family-serving entities from across the state will convene to develop a plan for collaboration and communication moving forward. It is also expected that there will be meaningful involvement from families and communities so that the project is guided by the needs of victims and survivors.
- Conduct a gap analysis/needs assessment. States will work with their stakeholders and an OVC-identified TA provider to more fully identify all of the relevant systems and stakeholders, review and analyze existing policies and protocols of the partnering agencies, and identify strengths and gaps in services and resources. The gap analysis/needs assessment process will allow states to identify strengths, gaps, and areas of improvement (e.g., identification of agencies that should be better linked). Findings from the gap analysis/needs assessment will help formulate each state's strategy.
- Develop a strategy. States will continue to work with their stakeholders and an OVC identified TA provider to develop a strategy based on the state's needs and resources. This strategy will also include developing a systematic method to screen for victimization across entities, developing protocols and procedures to ensure children and families receive appropriate services, and delivering staff training to implement and sustain the practice statewide.
- Implement the strategy. States will continue to work with their stakeholders and an OVC identified TA provider to implement the strategy, grow their network as needed, identify and make changes as needed, identify lessons learned to share broadly, and identify how the program will be sustained after OVC grant funding has ended.