Tennessee Voices for Victims
Programs
Budget
$44,000.00
Description
After being asked by OCJP to conduct roundtables to determine some of the most pressing needs facing victims in our state, it was determined that frustration levels were higher than necessary simply because victims weren't sure what to expect after being victimized. Though police officers and DA offices answer as many questions as possible, the fact remains that there are more victims than employees in either one of those agencies. To help address this, TVFV will host a series of videos and resource information on our website so victims can get some of their basic questions answered and be empowered to access other resource information.
Program Successes
Receiving feedback that a survivor was able to find the answers they were seeking from our website, an acknowledgement from a colleague that the website has been helpful to someone they are serving, and reviewing site usage numbers.
Category
Human Services - Victims' Services
Beneficiaries
Victims
Long-term Success
This program will be considered successful as web traffic is being monitored on TVFV's website.
Short-term Success
Short-term success will occur when the program launches on our website.
Program Success Monitored By
TVFV's co-founders
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
$44,000.00
Description
After being asked by OCJP to conduct roundtables to determine some of the most pressing needs facing victims in our state, it was determined that frustration levels were higher than necessary simply because victims weren't sure what to expect after being victimized. Though police officers and DA offices answer as many questions as possible, the fact remains that there are more victims than employees in either one of those agencies. To help address this, TVFV will host a series of videos and resource information on our website so victims can get some of their basic questions answered and be empowered to access other resource information.
Program Successes
Receiving feedback that a survivor was able to find the answers they were seeking from our website, an acknowledgement from a colleague that the website has been helpful to someone they are serving, and reviewing site usage numbers.
Category
Human Services - Victims' Services
Beneficiaries
Victims
Long-term Success
This program will be considered successful as web traffic is being monitored on TVFV's website.
Short-term Success
Short-term success will occur when the program launches on our website.
Program Success Monitored By
TVFV's co-founders
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
Budget
$43,000.00
Description
TVFV will assist judicial districts in establishing a homicide support group.
Program Successes
Survivors attending and staying involved in the support group.
Beneficiaries
Victims
Long-term Success
Long term success will be determined by the longevity and health of the support groups.
Short-term Success
Short term success will be determined by identifying and establishing groups.
Program Success Monitored By
TVFV's co-founders
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
$43,000.00
Description
TVFV will assist judicial districts in establishing a homicide support group.
Program Successes
Survivors attending and staying involved in the support group.
Beneficiaries
Victims
Long-term Success
Long term success will be determined by the longevity and health of the support groups.
Short-term Success
Short term success will be determined by identifying and establishing groups.
Program Success Monitored By
TVFV's co-founders
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
Description
Tennessee Voices for Victims works collaboratively with Raphah Institute on Nashville's Juvenile Restorative Justice program. As the lead agency, Raphah coordinates the restorative justice program; however, Tennessee Voices for Victims has come alongside them, understanding the benefit to both the victim and responsible youth. Unlike a victim offender dialogue, the responsible youth has the opportunity to repair the harm directly to their victim. Unlike the traditional court system, the victim has the opportunity to directly tell the youth the impact their crime had on them. To learn more about this innovative program, please visit Raphah's Giving Matters site.
Program Areas Served
None
Tennessee Voices for Victims works collaboratively with Raphah Institute on Nashville's Juvenile Restorative Justice program. As the lead agency, Raphah coordinates the restorative justice program; however, Tennessee Voices for Victims has come alongside them, understanding the benefit to both the victim and responsible youth. Unlike a victim offender dialogue, the responsible youth has the opportunity to repair the harm directly to their victim. Unlike the traditional court system, the victim has the opportunity to directly tell the youth the impact their crime had on them. To learn more about this innovative program, please visit Raphah's Giving Matters site.
Program Areas Served
None
Budget
$67,000.00
Description
These classes are designed to help incarcerated men and women understand accountability, their impact, and why they make the choices they make. We are currently contracted to teach 4 classes each week. One class is with men and three are with women. Two occur for TDOC and two for inmates housed by the Sheriff of Davidson County.
Program Areas Served
None
$67,000.00
Description
These classes are designed to help incarcerated men and women understand accountability, their impact, and why they make the choices they make. We are currently contracted to teach 4 classes each week. One class is with men and three are with women. Two occur for TDOC and two for inmates housed by the Sheriff of Davidson County.
Program Areas Served
None
Budget
$30,000.00
Description
TVFV is working with entities across the state to develop the framework for improved response to victims of mass violence events. This improved response will include guidelines for including advocates on-site of the mass violence event as well as more complete follow through after the event. This project will include training advocates to respond at these scenes as well as working with the current first responders on how to best incorporate these service providers on-site.
Program Areas Served
None
$30,000.00
Description
TVFV is working with entities across the state to develop the framework for improved response to victims of mass violence events. This improved response will include guidelines for including advocates on-site of the mass violence event as well as more complete follow through after the event. This project will include training advocates to respond at these scenes as well as working with the current first responders on how to best incorporate these service providers on-site.
Program Areas Served
None
Budget
$80,000.00
Description
Advocacy is a broad category that encompasses many aspects of working with and for victims and accounts for the bulk of our time. Every phone call we take from across the state, every email we respond to from a victim, every committee or special project we are asked to participate on, etc. is an opportunity to provide hope and healing to a victim or help a group of people understand a victim's perspective. It's difficult to place a numerical value on this but it is in this work that we make some of our biggest improvements in helping to make the world better for an individual, their community, and our society.
Program Areas Served
None
$80,000.00
Description
Advocacy is a broad category that encompasses many aspects of working with and for victims and accounts for the bulk of our time. Every phone call we take from across the state, every email we respond to from a victim, every committee or special project we are asked to participate on, etc. is an opportunity to provide hope and healing to a victim or help a group of people understand a victim's perspective. It's difficult to place a numerical value on this but it is in this work that we make some of our biggest improvements in helping to make the world better for an individual, their community, and our society.
Program Areas Served
None
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
| In 1991, my sister-in-law was sexually assaulted and murdered. My life changed. I was immediately exposed to the frustrations of the justice system. My heart was broken and I was grieving. Suddenly I could see others in the same situation - devastated because of violent crime. I wanted to prevent that victimization experience from happening to families. I wanted to help victims rebuild their lives. I began to speak out on behalf of victims, and over two decades later, it is still my passion to prevent crime, and to help victims. Over these years, I've been inspired by the courage of victims, who work so hard to become survivors. I've also been inspired by professionals who assist victims - law enforcement and victim advocates, who receive modest financial compensation for the demanding work they do. The victims and the professionals I have met and worked with have poured their pain, their honesty, their creativity, their caring, into me personally, helping me see situations from different perspectives, helping me grow as an advocate. For ten years, I worked alongside two incredible advocates to address crime and justice issues - Sara Kemp and Valerie Craig. Like most victim advocates, they have hearts for hurting people. Sara began her journey right out of college, working in a domestic violence shelter. Domestic violence had not been a part of her personal experience, but she intuitively connected with the women and children in the shelter, and wanted to do something about DV. Valerie also began her work helping disadvantaged people. While in college she spent summer breaks working at a camp for people with physical and mental disabilities. Upon graduating college she began working with financially disadvantaged Head Start families. When the three of us began working together, it was a perfect fit. Over the years, we began identifying needs in the victim advocacy community that were not being met - needs that we believed we could address as a team, so we founded TVFV. The obstacles for starting a nonprofit are many. But, in our first year we laid a firm administrative foundation with incredible individuals who have expertise in victim related issues who have volunteered to be on our statewide advisory council and our Board. We have been blessed to receive in-kind donations for our office space /overhead, and for technical expertise for our website and our logo. The three founders believe in the mission of TVFV and we are contributing our salary when the funds are not available to be compensated. During TVFV's existence, we have been invited to collaborate on statewide initiatives such as Homicide and Sexual Assault Roundtables, partner with the Tennessee District Attorney General's Conference on the Victim Life Photo Bill and Elder Abuse initiative, and have been invited to serve on numerous community committees to help promote the voice of the victim. |
