Aug. 23, 2018

New Handbook Available That Can Help Counties Reach Their Stepping Up Goals

The Stepping Up initiative’s newly released Project Coordinator’s Handbook is designed to assist counties in applying the Reducing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jail: Six Questions County Leaders Need to Ask framework. This step-by-step facilitation guide will help project coordinators develop systems-level plans to achieve their Stepping Up goals. For each of the framework’s six questions, the handbook provides:

• A summary of the question and its related objectives for the planning team;
• Facilitation tips to assist the project coordinator in managing the planning process; and
• Facilitation exercises designed to achieve objectives and establish an efficient process for capturing the work of the planning team.

Contact info@stepuptogether.org with any questions about this new resource. To access the handbook, please visit here.

National Conference on Mass Violence Response

Chief Matthew Carmichael of the University of Oregon Police Department, the California Victim Compensation Board and the Oregon Department of Justice are presenting a conference on mass violence response and effective partnerships between law enforcement and victim services to assist victims of crime. The conference will take place from September 5-7 at the University of Oregon in Eugene.  This year’s national conference will follow up on last year’s sold out conference theme of Best Practices for Mass Violence Response. The conference will include detailed presentations regarding some of the more recent mass violence incidents including the Route 91 Harvest Festival concert shooting in Las Vegas, the First Baptist Church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, the shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas and the shooting at the Pathway Home, the Veteran’s Home in Yountville, California. For more information and to register, please click here. 

New Cal OES Grant Opportunities

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Victim Services and Public Safety Branch, Sexual Assault Unit is soliciting proposals for two programs. The first program solicitation is for the Victim Advocacy in Detention Facilities (KA) Program. The purpose of the KA Program is to increase access to appropriate services for victims of sexual assault in detention facilities. The Program will fund a Sexual Assault Counselor to focus solely on serving victims in local detention facilities and to act as a point of contact to assist in removing any physical or programmatic barriers to services for victims. Approximately $1.75 million is available to fund the program through the Victims of Crime Act Victim Assistance Formula Grant Program. Applicants may apply beginning October 1, 2018 and ending September 30, 2019. To be considered for funding, the proposal package must be received or postmarked by Tuesday, September 18.

The second program solicitation is for the Specialized Emergency Housing (KE) Program. The purpose of the KE Program is to expand emergency shelter and emergency housing assistance resources and provide specialized services for victims of crime. Approximately $4.9 million is available to fund the program through the same Grant Program as above. Applicants may apply beginning October 1, 2018 and ending September 30, 2019, as well. To be considered for funding, the proposal package must be received or postmarked by Friday, September 14. For additional information and the RFP packages for both programs, please click here.