ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The importance of crime survivor programs cannot be understated and last week, some money was awarded to help just that.
Last Thursday, Gov. Laura Kelly announced more than $28 million in state funding has been awarded to Kansas-based organizations that provide services for child and adult crime survivors throughout the state.
“It is critical for survivors of crime to have support and access to services to recover and find a sense of justice,” Gov. Kelly noted in a release from the State of Kansas. “These investments ensure Kansans across the state are not left to cope alone after a crime occurs. The Legislature increased the state grant funds to sustain Kansas programs that experienced a decrease in funding from the federal Victims of Crime Act Victim Assistance Grant Program.”
The domestic violence and sexual assault programs, children’s advocacy centers (CACs), and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs were awarded a combined $28,046,331, including $581,172 going to Liberal Area Rape Crisis/Domestic Violence Services.
“Domestic violence and sexual assault programs use state funds to provide shelter, advocacy, and safety planning for people who experience domestic violence or sexual assault,” the State of Kansas release noted. “Additionally, staff from these programs provide services and vital safety-related information to those who call the statewide language-accessible SafeLine Kansas crisis line (Text SAFE to 847411 or call 888-363-2287). State funding also supports training for community-based direct service providers. CACs are child-focused, community-oriented programs that coordinate investigation and intervention services for abused children by bringing together professionals and agencies in a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary model. The CACs use state grant funds to hire and train staff to conduct child-sensitive forensic interviews, to provide advocacy services for victims and non-offending caregivers, and to coordinate multi-disciplinary case review teams and efforts across systems to enhance services.”
CASA Programs are community-based programs that recruit, train, and support citizen volunteers. The volunteers work with the courts and legal and child welfare professionals to obtain permanent and safe placements for children who have been abused and neglected. The funds are used to train the volunteers to perform these duties.
