Utilizing Forensic Rape Examinations As Reporting To Proper Authorities

Currently, to qualify for standard compensation claims, the crime must be reported to proper authorities. Proper authorities include a law enforcement officer, district attorneys, district justice, military police, campus police, probation and parole officer, child protective services, or adult protective services.  

Many sexual assault victims choose not to report the crime. Consequently, victims may be ineligible for compensation on a standard claim for critical expenses like HIV prevention medications, antibiotics, anti-nausea medications, and emergency contraception. Moreover, the trauma endured may lead to additional expenses such as medical bills, lost wages, and relocation costs for safety, which survivors often struggle to cover.

According to the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act (SATEC), hospitals or licensed health care providers seeking reimbursement for costs related to a forensic rape examination (FRE) must inform the local law enforcement agency within 12 hours of collecting sexual assault evidence. If the evidence remains uncollected after 72 hours, providers must notify the PA Department of Health.

Since the hospital or licensed health care provider is mandated to report FRE evidence to law enforcement, this can serve as the necessary reporting to meet compensation eligibility criteria on standard claims. Allowing victims who undergo FRE to qualify for standard compensation enables them to apply for a broader range of expenses, including medical bills, counseling, and relocation costs.

This policy change applies to compensation claims where the crime date, or the date the crime was discovered, occurred after September 8, 2022. This date marks the enactment of Act 77 of 2022, which extended the filing deadline for compensation claims from 2 to 5 years where the crime occurred after September 8, 2022. 



If you have any questions about this change, please contact Stacie Brendlinger at sbrendling@pa.gov or 717-265-8722.

Recordings Of PCCD's Consolidated Standards Are Available On PCCD's YouTube Channel

Pennsylvania has long been considered a leader when it comes to the OVS Consolidated Standards in their design to deliver quality services and programming led by skilled advocates and staff. To better inform the field, OVS is pleased to announce a series of recordings that will walk program staff through each of the standards. These are short recordings, up to thirty (30) minutes in length available on PCCD’s You Tube Channel: PA Commission on Crime & Delinquency (PCCD) - YouTube. Each recording counts toward OVS annual training requirements. Staff may listen to any number of recordings as they are released. The OVS Newsletter will announce new recordings as they are available.

The Standards are meant to be a guide for victim service professionals to promote excellent service delivery and to ensure the uniformity of services. The Standards provide the minimum expectations for service provision and ensure professionalism in a wide variety of victim service practices. 

The following recording is now available on PCCD’s You Tube Channel:



Use of Technology in the Provision of Services to Victims

Revised Consolidated Victim Service Program Standards

On August 2, 2024, the Victim Services Advisory Committee approved several updates to the OVS Consolidated Standards The updates affect the following standards:

Counseling/Supportive Counseling:

The first update involves the Counseling Standard which emphasizes a shared and continual, collaborative approach where counseling services may be beneficial to the victim. The revised standard requires VSPs to appropriately document counseling services in the victim’s file.  

Crisis Intervention:

The VSP must have a written crisis response protocol addressing the immediate safety, emotional, physical, and financial needs of the victim. 

Training & Ongoing Professional Development:

The Training Standard is renamed as listed above. Initial training requirements are updated for new advocates and staff. 

Victims Compensation Assistance Program:

VSPs must inform victims of eligibility requirements and filing deadlines. Additionally, VCAP materials and claim forms must be relevant to the victim’s primary language needs. VSPs shall cooperate with the VCAP and the Attorney General in any fraudulent claim investigation. 

Witness Management: 

The VSP shall work collaboratively with relevant court departments to obtain trial lists, prepare victims for court proceedings, and to advocate for their needs in attending hearings. Preparing and serving subpoenas is a prosecutorial activity and hence is prohibited under PCCD/OVS grant funding. 

All Victim Services Programs who have OVS as their oversight entity will be required to submit updated policies and procedures with the aforementioned standards beginning October 1, 2024. 

The “Changes” page within the OVS Consolidated Standards details these updates and provides additional information. 

Inquiries regarding these updates may be directed to Heather Cureau, OVS Program Supervisor, by emailing hcureau@pa.gov or by calling 717.265.8712.

Important Announcement For 2022-2024 STOP Formula Grantees Regarding Protocol Revision

In 2023, PCCD released STOP Protocol Development Guides for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. At that time, PCCD notified recipients of STOP Funding under the 2022-2024 competitive grant cycle, that they must use the protocol guides to revise their existing multi- system collaborative response protocols for domestic violence and sexual assault. PCCD also established the expectation that STOP grantees revise and submit both protocols by December 31, 2024.

After considering the feedback from STOP monitoring visits, conversations with STOP Project Directors and other stakeholders, we are modifying our original direction to current STOP Grantees. The new requirement for 2022-2024 STOP Projects is to submit revisions to one of the two response protocols by the end of the current year, December 31, 2024.

We understand developing/updating these protocols is a large undertaking and want to make it clear that submitting a protocol is not a pass/fail situation. PCCD will review the protocols in the spirit of assessing the degree of effort made by each STOP Team. This will be evident in two ways. The first way is through making sure that the required components highlighted in the PCCD Protocol Development Tool are included in your team’s protocol. Second, PCCD will look at how well the revisions to the protocol address the unique needs/conditions of your county. 

PCCD acknowledges that each team is unique, and many teams are finding the protocol revision process daunting. All teams should use the Protocol Development Tool to address the following broad areas (this is not an exhaustive list):

• Need for Updated Information - What STOP-related laws have been amended or enacted since the last update to the Protocols? Has someone on the team gone to a training and brought back or instituted a best practice? Where does it fit in the explanation of the response?

• Mission – Is the mission of the STOP Team clear, concise, and memorable? Does it reflect gender neutral language and inclusivity?

• Systems of Response – Nearly all current STOP Protocols provide detail on the law enforcement response. Few address response of the other required areas of collaboration outlined in the tool. What systems are missing in your county’s protocols?

•  Confidentiality – Does the protocol contain explanatory information about confidentiality as it pertains to 1) discussions at the team meetings and 2) the different levels of confidentiality each team member holds based on their profession and the agency they represent?

•  Roles and Parameters of Response – Can a new STOP Team member read through the protocol and understand where one system’s response begins and ends, the reason for that, and what system picks up the work from there?

•  Federal Certifications – Do the responses in the protocols uphold the STOP Grantee’s compliance with the relevant federal certifications under the federal Violence Against Women Act?

All submitted Protocols will be reviewed in accordance with the relevant PCCD Protocol Development Guide. PCCD staff will use the results of this review to identify areas of technical assistance and training for grantees and identify topics for future statewide STOP Grantee Meetings.

Should you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to reach out to your program contact designated in the Egrants System.

Statewide Training & Technical Assistance Under The STOP Formula Grant Program

On July 3,2024, the OVS released four separate competitive solicitations under the STOP Formula Grant Program:

• Statewide Training and Technical Assistance; Domestic Violence, Stalking and Dating Violence
• Statewide Training and Technical Assistance: Law Enforcement
• Statewide Training and Technical Assistance: Prosecution; and
• Statewide Training and Technical Assistance: Sexual Assault

These solicitations differ from the traditional competitive STOP Solicitation in that the focus of the work is statewide. There is a separate solicitation for each sector of the cross-system response to violence against women crimes. The successful applicant for each solicitation must have the professional credentials, expertise, and capacity to provide a variety of in-person and web-based trainings to relevant stakeholders across Pennsylvania and be available to promptly respond to questions and requests for individualized technical assistance from STOP grantees across Pennsylvania.

The solicitations can be accessed here. Applications are due via the PCCD Egrants System by 11:59 on Friday, August 23, 2024. 

RASA/VOJO 2025-2026 Funding Announcement Is Now Open!

The RASA/VOJO 2025-2026 Funding Announcement opened on July 26, 2024. Applications will be accepted for Year 1 funding to support Rights and Services Act (RASA) and Victims of Juvenile Offenders (VOJO) initiatives. Year 1 applications must be filed in E-grants and are due Friday, September 27, 2024, by 11:59pm. Year 2 funding will be determined at the Victims Services Advisory Committee (VSAC) meeting in November 2024. A continuation application is required to commence Year 2.

A link to the funding announcement can be found here.

Please note that RASA funding recommendations are made by each county’s District Attorney (DA). VOJO funding recommendations are made by each county’s DA in consultation with the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer (CJPO). Funding recommendations will be presented at the November 2024 VSAC Meeting. The VSAC will then develop final recommendations for consideration by the Commission for final approval at their December meeting. Year 1 projects will commence January 1, 2025, and run through December 31, 2025. In order for victim service programs to apply for 2025 RASA/VOJO funding, each county’s DA and CJPO must complete the RASA (DA only) and VOJO (DA and CJPO) Funding Recommendation Forms which designate programs and funding amounts.  

The RASA and VOJO Recommendation Forms, along with the 2025-2026 RASA and VOJO Allocation Charts were emailed to each DA and CJPO in late July; completed forms are due back to PCCD no later than August 16, 2024. The DA and CJPO shall additionally provide copies of the completed funding recommendation forms to each RASA/VOJO program recommended to receive funds by August 16, 2024, so they can attach the signed/dated forms to their RASA/VOJO Application in Egrants.

Please contact PCCD if there are any questions concerning this announcement.

Program-related questions should be directed to Emily Procopio at: (717) 265-8451 or eprocopio@pa.gov or Heather Cureau at: (717) 265.8712 or hcureau@pa.gov.

Fiscal questions should be directed to Crystal Lauver at: (717) 265-8525 or crlauver@pa.gov.



Registration requests and general questions concerning the E-grants system should be made directly to the Egrants Help Desk by calling (717) 787.5887 or ra-egrantssupport@pa.gov.

Socio - Emotional Consequences Of Violent Crime

This online report describes the percentages of violent victimizations where the victim reported experiencing socio-emotional consequences of crimes, namely moderate to severe emotional distress, significant problems with friends or family, or significant problems with their job or schoolwork.



Please click here to view.

Protecting Victims' Privacy Rights: Smartphone Data

NCVLI has updated a pre-existing resource, to help ensure that the field has access to introductory information about United States Supreme Court and other court cases that describe protections accorded to smartphone data. The resource also offers suggestions about how a victim who wishes to share some but not all information on their smartphone with law enforcement or prosecutors can do so while protecting their privacy rights.  

Please click here to access.

Ten Tips For Forensic Nurses Testifying In Court

Forensic nurses can expect to eventually receive a call requesting their testimony regarding a patient encounter.  Whether you are a new forensic nurse or a seasoned veteran, testifying in court can be a nerve-wracking experience. For this reason, DC Forensic Nurse Examiners (DCFNE) has compiled a list of tips to help.

Please click here to read.

Dual Tragedies: Domestic Homicide - Suicides With A Firearm

On average, more than once per day in the United States, a tragedy occurs where a perpetrator kills an intimate partner, and then dies by suicide themself. Of these incidents, 93 percent involved a gun, and 95 percent had women killed by their male partner. These tragedies often include children, family members, and friends. Despite the devastation and immeasurable impact, these events garner little public attention and recognition as a frequent form of gun violence.

Please click here to read.

Scam Survival Toolkit

The BBB Scam Survival Toolkit was created using trauma-informed design and empathetic language to calm, center, and connect users to vital resources. This free online Toolkit was developed with input from a wide range of subject matter experts, from mental health counselors to fraud prevention and cybersecurity professionals. Featuring messages from scam survivors and a user journey that is easy to navigate, the BBB Scam Survival Toolkit produces a personalized recovery plan and provides useful links to encourage actions that can restore a person’s financial, mental, and emotional well-being.  

Please click here to access.

Barriers To Reporting Bias: Trust, Trauma, And Threat

Thursday, September 12, 2024 

11:30am - 1:00pm PST

In this CLE, presenters will share information about Oregon’s hate and bias laws, the Bias Response Hotline, and what we’ve learned about the barriers to reporting from the victim’s perspective. We will focus on the lack of trust in our institutions, layers of individual, familial, generational, and community trauma, and the real threats, danger, and retaliation that individuals face in reporting hateful conduct. We will also address common challenges victims face during the investigation and prosecution phases, and ways victims’ rights attorneys can help victims meaningfully participate while reducing risk of re-traumatization.

Please click here to register.

Inherited Trauma: How It Shapes Who You Are

Wednesday, September 25, 2024 

11:00am-12:05pm PST

Dr. Galit Atlas, Ph.D. discusses the realities of inherited trauma and its legacies. Dr. Atlas is a psychoanalyst and clinical supervisor in private practice in New York City who teaches and lectures throughout the United States and internationally. This CLE, “Inherited Trauma: How It Shapes Who You Are,” draws on Dr. Atlas’s recent book, Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients and the Legacy of Trauma, which combines stories from her life and her work with patients with decades of psychological research, creating an engaging examination of the links between our parents and grandparents’ history, and our own emotional struggles.

Please click here to register.

Spirituality And The Trauma Of Trafficking-Pathways To Healing

September 30, 2024

11:00 am - 1:00 pm

This comprehensive training program delves into the intricate relationship between spirituality and the trauma experienced by survivors of human trafficking. It is designed to equip professionals, caregivers and advocated with the knowledge and tools necessary to support the healing journey of those affected by trafficking. The training combines theoretical insights with practical strategies to foster a holistic approach to recovery. 

Please click here to read.

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