To meet its mission of enhancing the Nation's capacity to assist victims, OVC funds the development of national training, technical assistance, and demonstration programs that promote best practices in meeting victims' needs. One area of focus is meeting the needs of underserved victim populations, including victims with disabilities, victims in Indian Country, and victims in rural areas. Another area is helping victims of telemarketing fraud, which includes an international component. Finally, OVC promotes overall strategies that are critical to the growth of victim services, such as the use of technology in creating a coordinated response to victims and making available specialized services such as those for sexual assault victims.

See the box at the right for detailed information about OVC's initiatives in this area.

Conclusion

Identifying promising practices in victims' rights and services is an important priority. OVC is committed to evaluating victim assistance efforts to determine the appropriateness of replicating these practices in other jurisdictions and disciplines. The agency continues to identify and cultivate new programs that address the needs of underserved victim populations. OVC also funds promising practices and demonstration projects that meet the needs of victims of child sexual abuse, homicide, elder abuse, gang violence, drunk driving, and terrorism. In addition, OVC has supported several cutting-edge initiatives intended to improve victim access to services, educate victims and allied professionals about victims' rights, and enhance the quality of services.