Blogs

Yes, it IS too good to be true!

Foreign lotteries, claims of former dictators to give you millions if you help them get money into your country, promises of good deals on loans, on good jobs (for a small fee), or “Oops, we sent you too much money, keep a bit for the inconvenience and send the rest back.” Think about it—who is going to GIVE you huge sums of money!?

Although scientific studies on the prevalence of such abuse were done more than a decade ago, this is the first survey of its kind — one that asks people with disabilities and their families about their own personal experiences as victims of abuse and about how their situations were handled by authorities.

US House Joint Resolution 106, the proposed Constitutional Amendment for Victim's Rights is heard.  

Fantastic news! The House Judiciary Committee has introduced H.J.RES.106 -- Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to protect the rights of crime victims. Let your House of Representatives elected official know your desires for co-sponsoring a US Constitutional Amendment for Victims' Rights. 

Ohio Crisis Response Team (OCRT) NOVA-trained member Liz Arnett passed away on March 5th, 2012. Many NOVA crisis responders will have worked with her during state and national responses. Responding to Katrina, Liz was one of our NOVA team members who found shelter in one of the Gulf coast schools during subsequent threatening weather when high winds tore the roof off the school while the team members were inside with community members.

(Washington, DC) NOVA has been selected by the US Department of Defense (DoD) in a sole source contract award, to be the Secretariat for the DoD Sexual Assault Advocate Certification Program (D-SAACP). This program will apply professionalizing standards to the services rendered in military victim assistance. D-SAACP will be under the United States Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office as directed by Major General Mary Kay Hertog.

James Gierke, NOVA Director of Victim Services, will be presenting on Identity Theft Victim Assistance at GovSec 2012. GovSec is the Government Security Conference and Expo.

As pervasive as identity theft already is, perpetrators find new ways to violate victims, especially the youngest and most vulnerable in our society, along with their families. As was recently reported deceased children and their Social Security Numbers are being used to commit fraud, leaving grieving families with financial debts and secondary trauma. NOVA is committed to education and awareness as well as remediation support for victims of identity theft.

James P. Damos died Saturday, September 10, 2011 after having lived ninety-one years, a large portion in University City, Missouri, during his career as Chief of Police. Mr. Damos was committed to serving and supporting the needs of crime victims, as demonstrated by his service on the NOVA Board of Directors and President Reagan's Presidential Task Force (1982) to focus on the victims of crimes, a group which had been largely ignored in the past by our system of justice.

Thank you Mr. Damos, for your commitment to the cause of justice for all, including the victims.