Washington Coalition of Crime Victim Advocates

WCCVA is a broad-based coalition of individuals and crime victim service providers across the state of Washington, including community-based non-profit organizations, victim advocates in prosecutor's offices and law enforcement agencies, government-run victim services programs, and crime victim counselors as well as concerned citizens.
Here are just some of our current projects:

· Training – We provide training to victim advocates and victim service providers throughout Washington State on a variety of topics. Current and past training topics include: basic advocacy skills, crime victim rights and case law in Washington State, ethics in victim services, advocating for homicide survivors, understanding public policy, assisting victims of human trafficking, safety in the field, using technology to assist victims of crime, etc.

· Technical Assistance – We provide year-round technical assistance to both community-based and system-based (prosecutor and law enforcement) crime victim advocates. We address current issues and problems that advocates encounter in the field.

· Advocates Supporting Advocates – We maintain, monitor, and contribute to a state-wide listserv with nearly 200 participating advocates. On this listserv, advocates can ask one another how certain issues are addressed in other counties, get time-critical information in assisting victims of crime, post job announcements and success stories, and generally support one another.

· Public Policy Monitoring – We monitor legislation that could impact crime victims and/or crime victim rights and educate legislators about the impact of the proposed legislation.

· Public Awareness – We provide opportunities for crime victims to educate themselves and/or share their stories as well as educate the public about the impact of crime on victims. One example of this is our virtual “Wall of Memories” where survivors of homicide can share stories of their loved ones and educate the public about the impact of crime and the challenges for victims in the criminal justice system. We also provide public presentations about victim rights and crime in Washington. Finally, we provide information on our website as well as advertise on Facebook to increase awareness about crime victim rights issues.

· Resources and Referral – We are contacted almost daily by crime victims looking for help. We provide resources and information for victim service agencies on our website, through e-mail, or over the telephone.

· Victim Rights Resolution – We work with crime victims who believe that their rights are being violated by working with all parties and providing mediation and education about crime victim rights.

· Best Practices Forum – We provide an online library of best and promising practices in crime victim services and crime prevention as a resource to advocates around the country. Advocates can find best practice program information and discuss these programs on our Best Practices Forum.

Learn more about who we are or contact us with questions.
Our Mission: "...to strengthen victims' rights and to improve services to victims statewide."