The Association’s major activities include fostering communications and networking among VOCA Assistance Administrators through its website and operation of several listservs; providing training and technical assistance by conducting annual VOCA National Training Conferences and Peer-to-Peer meetings; and being a voice for victims’ rights and services by actively participating in policy development advocacy activities.
About
Mission Statement
The mission of the Association is to ensure accessible quality services for crime victims nationwide and to strengthen communication, training, and technical assistance to effectively respond to the issues and challenges of supporting those services.
Purpose:
- Foster and advance basic concepts relating to services to assist victims of crime, particularly in response to the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 and amendments thereto;
- Develop effective methods to administer U.S. Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) victim assistance funds within each state and jurisdiction;
- Promote an interchange of ideas and experience among state VOCA victim assistance administrative agencies;
- Form liaisons with other victim-oriented groups;
- Enhance public awareness of programs, services and rights for crime victims;
- Serve as a source of training and technical support;
- Develop, analyze and support local, state and federal legislation and other policy initiatives for crime victims through public education efforts;
- Receive donations, engage in fund raising events, seek and receive public and private funding, and to be the beneficiary of trusts and inheritances; and
- Do everything necessary, proper, advisable or convenient for the accomplishment of the purposes herein above set forth and to do all other things incidental to them or connected with them that are not unlawful or forbidden by law.
History
In 2001, representatives of state VOCA victim assistance administrative agencies formed the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA) as a nonprofit association.
NAVAA, represents all 56 VOCA victim assistance jurisdictions. The NAVAA Board of Directors is composed of 13 state VOCA assistance administrators, eight of whom serve as regional representatives responsible for maintaining communications with the seven jurisdictions in their assigned region.