Victim Services, Resources, and Training

MOVA provides assistance to crime victims and connects them with local providers available to assist them. Further, MOVA provides training opportunities for service providers to ensure those who work with victims and survivors are compassionate, informed, and are able to collaborate with one another to meet victim and survivor needs.

If you are looking for local victim services or support, please visit our AskMOVA website (www.mass.gov/askmova). You can find services by crime type and/or location on AskMOVA.

To be kept informed about updates from MOVA, please join our email distribution list by sending your name and email address to [e-mail] and asking to be added to the general listserv. We never share contact information.

SAFEPLAN Programs

Safety Assistance For Every Person Leaving Abuse Now

SAFEPLAN is MOVA’s statewide court-based program that provides specially trained advocates to help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking who are seeking protection from abuse. SAFEPLAN currently serves 53 district and probate courts throughout the state. SAFEPLAN Advocates are employed by 15 local community-based domestic violence and sexual assault agencies in the following counties:

Barnstable	Independence House
Berkshire	Elizabeth Freeman Center
Bristol	New Hope Stanley Street Treatment and Resources The New Bedford Women's Center
Essex	Healing Abuse Working for Change (HAWC) YWCA Northeastern MA
Franklin	NELCWIT
Hampden	Alianza Behavioral Health Network YWCA of Western MA
Hampshire	YWCA of Western MA
Middlesex	Greater Boston Legal Services YWCA of Central MA
Plymouth	Health Imperatives/A New Day South Shore Resource and Advocacy Center
Worcester	New Hope YWCA of Central MA

 

The Massachusetts Victim Assistance Academy (MVAA)

At this time, we are reworking the format, structure, and content for the MVAA and plan to relaunch the training in 2023. Stay tuned for more information. If you have questions, please contact [e-mail].

Victim Rights Month (VRM)

Due to the continued public health circumstances, MOVA has made the decision to commemorate Victim Rights Month (VRM) virtually again this year. Throughout April 2022, MOVA will host a month-long celebration of victim rights and services in Massachusetts. We will offer virtual training opportunities, honor the Victim Rights Award recipients, and recognize advocates who are celebrating anniversaries of providing direct services.

To be kept informed about Victim Rights Month updates, please join our email distribution list by sending your name and email address to [e-mail] and asking to be added to the general listserv. We never share contact information.

Click here to view recordings of our VRM 2022 workshops.

 

Victim Rights Awards

Victim Rights Awards recognize individuals for their notable contributions to victim rights and services in Massachusetts. The 2022 Victim Rights Awards will be presented virtually through a social media campaign dedicated to the award recipients and their accomplishments in April. Follow @massmova on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join us in commemorating this year's award recipients.

Click here to view the 2022 Victim Rights Award recognition videos.

Congratulations to the 2022 Victim Rights Month award recipients. 

Gerard D. Downing Leadership Award
Tom King, Massachusetts Children's Alliance

Public Policy Advocacy Award
Nicole Bell, Living In Freedom Together, Cherie Jimenez, EVA Center, and Audrey Morrissey, My Life My Choice

Access to Justice Award
Leigh Ann Barry, Disabled Persons Protection Commission and
Julie Dahlstrom, Boston University School of Law

Legislator of the Year Award
Senator Harriette L. Chandler, Massachusetts State Senate and
Representative Tram T. Nguyen, Massachusetts House of Representatives

Innovation Award
Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime Initiative (CLAVC)

Special Recognition Award
Lovern Gordon, Love Life Now Foundation, Inc.

Advocate of the Year Award
Fari Shakur, Fenway Health

Corporate Leadership Award
Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation

Upcoming Training Opportunities

MOVA hosts a variety of training opportunities via Zoom throughout the year. All upcoming training opportunities will be posted here.

Please note that registration is required for all trainings and events, and you must register for each event you'd like to attend.

Grief and Loss: Adapted Practices to Support Healing and Hope in BIPOC Communities: December 2, 2022 from 1:00pm - 2:30pm. 

This training will be presented by Herdine Cheridor, Catia Mendes, and Mirna Mejia from the Justice Resource Institute (JRI) Boston Trauma Response Team. The training will address the cultural considerations needed to acknowledge the unique and cumulative grief of the BIPOC communities the JRI Boston Trauma Response Team works with. People of color are often grieving a loss of hope and safety in addition to someone’s life. The goal of this training is to shift personal and professional response and recovery as well as provide the space, conversation, and tools to guide the reality that while grief is a universal experience, the reasons we grieve, and our access to mourning, are not shared. 

To register, please click here.

If you have any questions or to request a reasonable accommodation, including language access, for any of our virtual convenings, please contact MOVA at [e-mail]. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request with reasonable advance notice. All accommodation requests must be received at least two weeks in advance of the session. Requests will be handled based upon the availability of service(s) and updates will be provided as we work to secure your request.

Let us know what future training opportunities you would be interested in.

Downloadable Resources

Victim Bill of Rights Brochures

SAFEPLAN Brochures

Safety planning during COVID-19

 

To request an alternate form of these documents, including a document in another language, contact [e-mail].