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OCVS Grants and Training Updates Bulletin #25

October 2024 - December 2024

Table of Contents

• VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) Grant
• OCVS Protected Dates
• Forensic Nursing Program
• Children's Justice Act (CJA) and State Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Grants
• Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Trainings
• Victim Resource Center (VRC) - Victim & Witness Rights
• Crime Victims Rights Board
• Victims' Rights Spotlight: An Overview of the Crime Victims Rights Board
• 2025 Wisconsin Crime Victims' Rights Conference
• Crime Victim Compensation (CVC) Program
• OCVS Grants & Training Team Contacts
• Federal Civil Rights Policies & Compliance Checklist
• OCVS Grants Reports Due Dates: SAVS/VAWA/VOCA
• VOCA - OVC PMTs
• How to Add/Delete Additional Users to VOCA OVC PMT Report

VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) Grant

VOCA Orientations 2024 - 2025 

November/December 2024

Thank you to OCVS subrecipients and partners for attending the VOCA Orientations over the past several weeks. We enjoyed seeing all of you and appreciate you making the time to attend.

We would like to extend a special thank you to Attorney General Josh Kaul for providing updates and answering questions about Wisconsin DOJ’s victim services budget request.

Please let us know if you have questions or would like to partner with us in advocating for victim services programs across the state.

Referenced Documents:

• VOCA Orientation 2024-2025 PowerPoint
• Volunteer In-Kind Match Form 
  • In-Kind Volunteer Documentation Spreadsheet  
  • In-Kind Donation Documentation
• Time and Effort 
  • Blank Bi-Weekly Payroll Summary Sheet
  • Example Time Sheet – Time & Effort  
  • Time & Effort Best Practices for VOCA- Funded Personnel  
  • OCVS Guidance – Timesheet & Payroll Documentation 
  • Pooled Staff Documentation – Attach to FSR
• Grants & Training Team Technical Assistance Request Form – PDF Fillable
• Staff Development Form - Training Report Form 
• OCVS Contractual Checklist
• State of Wisconsin Department of Justice Budget Request: 2025-27 455 DOJ Budget Request.pdf

OCVS Protected Dates

OCVS is committed to hosting and supporting events and trainings on days that allow access for all victim service providers and criminal justice partners throughout Wisconsin. In 2025 we endeavor to avoid the scheduling of events on religious holy days or days of cultural significance. More information will come in the new year and in the meantime, please connect with us if you have questions, comments, or ideas as to how we can continually improve our practices related to this commitment.

Forensic Nursing Program

2025 Forensic Nurse Examiner Comprehensive Course | Winter Session Registration Open

We’re excited to announce the update of the SANE training course, now titled the Forensic Nurse Examiner Comprehensive Course | Adult, Adolescent & Pediatric. This title better reflects the diverse skill set of this nursing specialty. This updated course not only covers medical-forensic care for victims of violent crime including sexual assault, but also recognizes the broader scope of expertise that forensic nurses bring to a variety of cases. With content that covers diverse populations across the lifespan, this course equips participants with the essential knowledge and skills needed to provide comprehensive care to patients experiencing violence. This course awards 66 nursing contact hours and has earned the International Association of Forensic Nurses' Seal of Approval for forensic nurse education, ensuring that the content meets national standards while focusing on practice specific to Wisconsin. This is a blended learning course, with 24 hours of self-paced, online modules and concluding with 42 hours of in-person sessions. Winter in-person session Dates: February 3-7, 2025 | Black River Falls Please visit the event page for more information and registration.

2024 SANE Training Accomplishments

91 Health professionals trained in Adult, Adolescents and Pediatric forensic nursing care

20 experienced RNs attended a clinical skills lab, in partnership with Froedtert & MCW.

Jefferson Co. Exploring More Support For Sexual Assault Victims

County health department sees need for sexual assault nurse examiners

To enhance the availability of forensic nursing services statewide, the SANE/FNE Program has partnered with Jefferson County Health Department, marking a a significant milestone as the department becomes the first in the state to introduce forensic nursing services in the public health space. This initiative will provide a new entry point for care in the community, particularly in areas that currently lack such services. Forensic nursing services are expected to begin in August 2025. 

Children's Justice Act (CJA) and State Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Grants

Wisconsin Forensic Interviewing Guidelines

The Children's Justice Act Team within the OCVS Grants & Training Team held three Wisconsin Forensic Interviewing Guidelines training sessions this year and trained a total of 54 new forensic interviewers in 2024!

Forensic Interviewers at Trial

The Forensic Interviewers at Trial in February 2024 trained nine teams of prosecutors and forensic interviewers!

Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Trainings

FREE Virtual TRAINING:

Interpretation for the Multidisciplinary Team and Forensic Interviewer

January 24, 2025

9:00 am - 12:00 pm CST

This training focuses on the critical role interpreters play in child abuse investigations involving non- English speaking or limited-English proficiency children and families. This two-part webinar will cover the ethical considerations of using interpreters for the multi-disciplinary team, the challenges in working with children who may have experienced trauma and have limited English proficiency, and best practices for working with qualified interpreters. Participants will gain an understanding of the cultural and linguistic barriers that may affect the investigation process and learn strategies for overcoming these obstacles to build trust, ensure clear testimony, and improve the overall outcomes of the investigation.

Safe at Home (SaH) Address Confidentiality Program

Safe at Home sends out over 60,000 pieces of mail every year to the approximately 2,400 participants in over 1,100 households around the state of Wisconsin.

To learn more about Safe at Home and how an advocate in your organization can become an application assistant, go to Safe At Home | Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Victim Resource Center (VRC) - Victim & Witness Rights

To learn more about the Victim and Witness Rights, and how the Victim Resource Center can assist victims and witnesses to crimes, please visit Victim & Witness Rights | Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Crime Victims Rights Board

Crime Victim Rights Board Operations Director Announced

Anne Kessenich is the Crime Victims Rights Board (CVRB) Operations Director in the Office of Crime Victim Services (OCVS). She started this position October 6th.   For the past 11 years, Anne has been a steadfast resource to victims and witnesses accessing their rights and navigating the challenges of the criminal justice process. Anne joined OCVS in 2016 as a Victim Rights Specialist within the Victim Resource Center, where she works with both victims and criminal justice professionals to informally mediate violations of crime victims’ rights. In this time, Anne has developed an unparalleled understanding of crime victims’ statutory and constitutional rights and what those right mean in action. This background, and Anne’s demonstrated ability to engage collaboratively across the criminal justice system will serve her, the Crime Victims' Rights Board, victims of crime well.

Victims' Rights Spotlight: An Overview of the Crime Victims Rights Board

The Wisconsin Crime Victims Rights Board (CVRB) is the state's victim rights enforcement body. The CVRB is an independent, fact-finding body with legislative authority to issue sanctions for violations of statutory or constitutional victim rights by public officials, agencies or employees.

For more information about the CVRB, including copies of decisions released by the CVRB, please visit: https://www.doj.state.wi.us/ocvs/victim-rights/crime-victims-rights-board

Questions about the CVRB? Please contact:

Anne Kessenich, Operations Director

Phone: 608-286-8942 Email: kessenicham@doj.state.wi.us

2025 Wisconsin Crime Victims' Rights Conference

Save the Date for the 2025 Wisconsin Crime Victims' Rights Conference 

Crime Victim Compensation (CVC) Program

CVC stats at a glance for FFY ’24 (10/1/23 – 9/30/24)

• Number of applications received: 2,032
• Number of applications approved: 1,171
• Number of applications denied: 407 (most common reason- no compensable crime)
• Total amount spent in CVC benefits: $3,184,603.00 (highest spending category- medical/dental)

During the first week of December 2024 the OVC VOCA Center supported an In-Person Learning Community Opportunity in Houston, Texas. One session was focused on Crime Victim Compensation Programs across the country. Crime Victim Compensation Claims Specialist, Melinda Knuth, had the opportunity to attend the session focused on improving Outreach to Underserved Communities. Over the two full days of the learning community, Melinda had the opportunity to engage with compensation specialists from around the country. The format was intentionally interactive, allowing the opportunity to learn from each other. The sessions were led by presenters focused on three primary topic areas: Outreach to tribal communities Developing an outreach plan focused on underserved communities Improving communication using various media sources and styles of communication. We are looking forward to using the information as well as continued connection with both the other members of the learning community as well as the presenters, as we work to develop an outreach plan the centers the communities we serve. Please contact Keri Berling berlingkj@doj.state.wi.us with any questions.

OCVS Grants & Training Team Contacts

OCVS Grants Subgrantees by Grants Managers List - Effective 10/1/2024

Federal Civil Rights Policies & Compliance Checklist

Due March 16, 2025

The Federal Civil Rights Policies and Compliance Checklist email was sent out on December 16, 2024. Please be sure to complete both steps in REDCap.

*Please do not email the EEO Certification Form to us.

The screenshot below is from REDCap, where the information will need to be uploaded. Links are provided in the email.

The link for the EEOP Report Builder is included the email and also linked in the screenshot below (clicking on the pic will take you to the webpage).

*You are on the correct page if you see the "Not for Use by Direct Recipients" in red. The WI DOJ OCVS is the Direct Recipient, and your agency is the Subrecipient. 

Please contact your grant manager if you have any questions.

Job Aid: Sub-Recipient Report Builder

OCVS Grants Reports Due Dates: SAVS/VAWA/VOCA

SAVS

SAVS Final Program Report Due 1/30/2025

VAWA

STOP and SASP 4th Quarter/Final Financial Reports Due 1/30/2025

VAWA Final Program Report Due 1/30/2025

• Done directly in Egrants

VOCA

VOCA  1st Quarter Fiscal Reports Due 1/30/2025

Fiscal reports may be submitted monthly, but at a minimum, quarterly. Please refer to the Monitoring section of Egrants to determine your fiscal reporting.

How to Create a Fiscal Report in Egrants

VOCA - OVC PMTs

1st Quarter OVC PMT Reports due 1/30/2025

How to Complete OVC PMT Report

OVC PMT FAQs

OVC PMT Dictionary & Terminology Resource

First Quarter OVC PMT Report – (See directions & definitions in the first three links above)

• The timeframe for the OVC PMT Fourth Quarter Report = October 1, 2024, through December 30, 2024. 
• If you never had a password and need one, please call Mary Colletti.
• Enter your OVCPMT report, or Performance Measures data directly into the OVC PMT website.
• BUT, if you are having trouble signing onto the OVCPMT website, please go to the OVCPMT website to view the login instructions.
• You can also find this information on the OCVS Grants VOCA website.

How to Add/Delete Additional Users to VOCA OVC PMT Report

There has been much turnover in programs.  In this last OVC PMT Report I noticed that new staff were left with no access to their agency VOCA OVC PMT Report.

I want to remind you all that you can Add/Delete Additional Users to access your OVC PMT Report.  I want to remind you all to delete staff who are gone and then add in new staff as Additional Users.

It is best practice to have a few staff who are trained on how to complete the report so that in case of an emergency, or staff changes, there is someone with the knowledge to complete the report for your agency.

To add/delete staff from your agency report, go into the ADMINISTRATION section of your OVC PMT Report.  It is here where you will add and delete staff access to the report.

Again, it is best to have multiple staff who are trained and able to do this report in case of an emergency or staff changes. 

Please contact your Grant Manager if you have any questions!