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

 

Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance Training Academy (MTA)

Over the last year, MOVA has been working on rebranding the Massachusetts Victim Assistance Academy (MVAA) to be inclusive of a hybrid format and the emerging needs of direct service providers in the victim services field. We are pleased to announce the development of the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) Training Academy (MTA). This training academy is specialized for individuals who provide direct services to crime victims and survivors. It is our intent that the training will strengthen collaborative relationships within the field and build skills to ensure effective advocacy for victims and survivors. We are launching a pilot of the training for our currently funded programs and criminal legal direct service providers in the summer of 2023 and hope to be able to open it up to a more broad audience next year after assessing the outcomes and feedback. 

Stay tuned! 

Victim Rights Month (VRM)

Victim Rights Month has come to an end and we are so grateful to the victim services community for joining us throughout April. On April 24th, MOVA hosted the Victim Rights Awards Ceremony where we honored nine awardees for their notable contributions in supporting victims and survivors across Massachusetts. These individuals work tirelessly to ensure survivors are supported and their voices are centered in our work.

Thank you to the community of providers, elected officials, legislators, survivors, and allies who joined us to congratulate awardees and reflect on the strides Massachusetts has made toward ensuring victims and survivors have access to the resources, services, and support they deserve.

2023 Victim Rights Award Recipients

2023 Award Ceremony Program Book

Upcoming Training Opportunities

MOVA hosts a variety of training opportunities, mostly via Zoom, throughout the year. All upcoming training opportunities will be posted here. Please note that registration is required for all trainings and events.

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].