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Listed below are a variety of resources for crime victims. We recommend that crime victims start with the County Resources section. In addition to county victim witness, attorney, sheriff, courts and other government agencies, we have included social service agencies in this section. If you live in one of the rural counties, you can also check Maricopa, Pima and Coconino Counties for additional resources. Below the resources list are definitions of the different types of advocates working on behalf of crime victims. Definitions of crime victim programs and the services they provide: Victim/Witness- Victim/Witness programming is an activity related to prosecution of criminal cases and is generally, though not always, affiliated with a prosecutorial office, i.e., County Attorney, Tribal Prosecutor, Municipal/City Prosecutor, U.S. Attorney, or Attorney General. Victim/Witness services generally include victim and witness support during prosecution of cases, notification to victims regarding the status of cases in the process of prosecution, and victim and witness preparation for testifying.
Victim Compensation - Arizona law provides for limited financial compensation for victims meeting certain guidelines. Funding for Victim Compensation programs comes from a variety of federal and state sources, including surcharges paid by felony defendants. In Arizona, victim compensation is a function of each County Attorney’s office in all counties except Coconino. In Coconino County, management of victim compensation funds is provided by an independent unit. However, Victim Services of Coconino County works closely with the Coconino County Attorney’s Office.
Crisis Intervention - This is a term, which may refer to services provided in several different ways, with the common factor that the service is rapid or quickly available. Crisis Intervention may refer to call-out of trained staff or volunteers to a crime scene by police or mental health entity, to a telephone “Hotline” through which an individual may talk with an experienced crisis counselor who will assess the lethality, emergency, or trauma issues expressed by the caller and either dispatch crisis personnel, refer the caller to appropriate resources, discuss alternatives with the caller, or allow the caller to ventilate, or to a “Walk-in” center available for the same needs. Not all locations have access to crisis intervention services.
Victim Assistance - Victim Assistance may refer to any of an array of services provided under the auspices of a variety of organizations, such as police departments, domestic violence shelters or outpatient programs, counseling programs specializing in victimization issues, or specialized outreach programs dealing with death/grief issues, sexual assault, suicide, homicide, drunk driving victims, child molestation, etc. Services provided may include crisis intervention, counseling, financial assistance, shelter, or information and referral. |
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