June 19 2023 - Laserfiche WebLink

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In 2017, the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) received funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to identify and recommend to OVW strategies to close this gap and expand advocacy services for Deaf survivors of domestic and sexual violence nationwide. The project was premised on the fact that technology could be used to expand the reach of victim services to Deaf survivors by providing these services virtually. This premise was based on several factors: the growing and successful use of technology to overcome distance and other barriers in other fields, such as telemedicine; the early success of using technology to increase survivors' access to hotlines, support groups, and even forensic exams; and, lastly, the cultural norms and traditions of using technology (including videophones, text messaging, and mobile apps) as a primary mode of communication within Deaf communities. Through interviews and focus groups with experts from Deaf communities around the country, as well as best practice research, Vera staff tested this premise and explored other strategies to expand "for Deaf, by Deaf" victim services nationwide. Based on a review of the information gathered, Vera staff concluded that, while virtual advocacy services can close significant gaps in services for Deaf survivors across the country, the nature and dynamics of support for domestic and sexual - especially when engaging with criminal, civil, medical and other systems - necessitates some level of in -person victim services support. Thus, Vera recommends a multifaceted expansion strategy - the bedrock of which is the creation of a nationwide "for Deaf, by Deaf" virtual victim services program. Additional components of Vera's recommended strategy include pilot testing strategies to expand in -person services and scaling successful models to, ultimately, make those services available nationwide. This report summarizes the key findings from the planning process we convened and outlines in detail the national strategy we recommend to expand victim services to Deaf survivors across the country based upon the information we collected. It provides background information on Deaf communities and culture in the United States and what is known about domestic and sexual violence, as well as other crimes, against Deaf people. It offers a snapshot of the current state of services for Deaf survivors based on best practice research and listening sessions we conducted. It discusses several strategies for expanding "for Deaf, by Deaf" victim services nationwide that were raised and explored during the planning process, including the strengths and limitations of each strategy. Finally, it concludes with our recommendation for how to expand services and provides a plan for implementing the recommended strategy. 02