Upcoming regional meetings, webinars, and news from the field
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mnallianceoncrime.org
In this issue:
Letter from the Executive Director
November Regional Meetings
News from the Field and Funding Opportunities
Upcoming Trainings
Job Postings
Our world continues to be unstable and scary. As we watch the horror and terror that is the reality for Israelis and Palestinians, it is too easy to disconnect from their suffering. We can turn off the news, we can busy ourselves with projects within the comfort of our homes. Unless we truly understand that humanity’s liberation from war, oppression, injustice, and greed for power, is connected to each and every one of us, none of humanity will truly be free.
No, I don’t proclaim to have the magic formula to create world peace, but I do have random thoughts about peace and war that help me to have perspective, maybe they’ll help you too.
-We all are souls who have limited time. Life is precious and fragile and we need to treat it as such.
-Hitting, beating, killing, or harming anyone can never benefit you, EVER. It might appear to, but it is only an optical illusion. Anyone who has picked up guns and weapons to use against another human hasn't lived a peaceful life. Peace is something natural. It is the only thing which remains in the end.
-Terrorists are human beings who are misguided. They need help and guidance. Terrorism and war can only be finished by dialogue and mutual understanding.
-Historically, those who took up guns, however mighty they may have appeared to be, like Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Prabhakaran, Kaddafi, and too many more, almost all have been killed by bullets or died an unnatural or forced death.
-Difference's in ideologies is one thing but it should never be the reason for violence. Let us, by respecting each other's caste, creed, religion, ideologies, form a world which is free from hatred. Let us all help each other to be better human beings.
-Peace is the foundation of our world. Without peace the idea of boundaries among countries and people can never exist.
-Humanity is nothing but one of the many evolved forms of peace and humility.
Let us all help each other to be better human beings. It is my belief that there are a lot of us who believe this is the cornerstone of peace in our little parts of the world, believing this keeps me going. It’s why I, and so many others, continue to do the work that gives us a front row seat to the worst of humanity and the fight for dignity and justice.
Thank you to all of you whom have touched my life and helped me to be better human being. The journey to peace and betterment never ends, so let’s continue to learn from one another.
In Peace,
Bobbi
November Regional Meetings
Join your regional colleagues to discuss challenges, celebrate victories, and connect with each other. MAC staff will facilitate and help to elevate regional issues to the state level.
Registration is open for Fall Online Regional Meetings:
MAC is committed to making these meetings accessible to all members. If you cannot attend your region’s date/time, please feel free to register for one that works for you!
The 2023 National Census of Victim Service Providers (NCVSP) is a project of the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The NCVSP is critical to understanding the current landscape of victim services across the country and providing national data on victim service provision and characteristics of victim service providers. To make sure your organization is counted in the census, click here and fill out the simple form.
The 2023 legislative session was a busy one, to see all the victim related legislation that was passed this year, click here.
Equal Justice Works’ Crime Victims’ Advocacy Program (CVAP) has launched! CVAP is mobilizing a cohort of 21 Attorney Fellows based at host organizations across the country to increase access to legal services for crime victims and, particularly, for victims who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Minnesota's host organization is Isuroon.
NCVLI has created a checklist to aid these professionals in communicating with victims about expectations related to case duration. This resource, which can be found in NCVLI’s Law Library, highlights potential topics to consider and address with victims; it is designed to prompt conversations that expand victims’ understanding of case timelines, the costs and benefits of various timing, and available options for challenging timing requests or decisions.
The FBI released itsCrime in the Nation 2022 Statistics, which shows a 1.7 percent decrease in violent crime from 2021; and decreases in all reported violent crimes except robbery.
A new tool supported by the USDOJ Office for Victims of Crime can help organizations serving crime victims and survivors to measure service quality and outcomes, from the perspective of those receiving the services. iMPRoVE (Measures for Providers Responding to Victimization Experiences), is a free platform that allows users to collect, understand, and analyze the ways their program changes the lives of those they serve.
From the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, The Power of Parenting: Helping Your Child After a Family Homicide Loss“offers parents and caregivers information to help support their children after the loss of a family member due to homicide. This fact sheet highlights common reactions and experiences of children handling a family homicide loss, the importance of respecting and acknowledging grief, ways to help your child, seek professional support, as well as a list of resources to provide additional guidance for parents and caregivers.”
Funding Opportunities:
Press Release: "This session, Governor Walz signed $300 million into law for cities, counties, and tribes to meet their unique public safety, fire, or emergency management needs. The local public safety aid can be used for, but is not limited to training programs, community engagement, personnel or equipment costs, officer wellness, mental health crisis response, and victim services. The aid will be distributed by the Minnesota Department of Revenue through a formula based off city, county, and tribe population size." This money is a one-time appropriation, each local government will be deciding how to spend their share, so be sure to contact your local officials to see how your program can access these funds.
Minnesota's New Sentencing Laws
A 2-part Webinar Series
Part 1: Department of Corrections
Wednesday, November 8th, 11:30am-1pm CT
The Minnesota Alliance on Crime hosts Liz Richards from the Department of Corrections, Victim Services and Restorative Justice Unit, who will present on the new laws recently passed in Minnesota which aim to reduce the number of incarcerated people. New sentencing guidelines, early release requirements, and other changes to DOC policy will be discussed.
Join us one week later to hear from Healing Justice, a national non-profit that uses restorative justice to provide healing to individuals and families that have been harmed by wrongful convictions. They will discuss the impact of these new sentencing laws on victims, and how victim's needs should be at the forefront when an unexpected early release occurs.
This series is free for all to attend, the recordings will be made available exclusively to MAC members.
Train the Trainer
A 2 part series by "Megan Rae of When...Advocacy: Education & Training"
When grant funding requires your program to do more trainings and outreach, how do you make the most of it? In this 2-part series, Megan Rae of When...Advocacy: Education & Training will take you through how to improve your virtual trainings and outreach within diverse communities. Part 1 of the series will take you through the nuts and bolts of an effective virtual training, from how to craft slides, use virtual tools, and tips on speaking publicly. Part 2 will discuss engagement with your local communities, what sensitive outreach and trainings will look like, and how to be connect with folks from diverse backgrounds.
Part 1: December 7th 1pm-2:30pm
How to Engage a Virtual Audience: Tools and tricks for effective training
Part 2: December 14th 1pm-2:30pm
How to Engage Across Diversity: Provide culturally sensitive outreach and trainings
This series is free for all to attend, the recordings will be made available exclusively to MAC members.
MNCASA's Virtual 2023 Symposium. Wed, November 8th, 2023. Join MNCASA virtually on Wednesday, November 8, for our 2023 Symposium: Expanding Narratives About Male and Masculine Survivors, featuring keynote speaker former NFL player, speaker, author, advocate, and PAVE Ambassador Jon Vaughn. The Symposium is free for MNCASA members, $35 for non-members, and $5 for students. Click here to register.
MNJRC's 2023 Conference: Re-Imagining Justice: Centering Humanity Over Fear. Thurs, Nov 16 - Fri Nov 17, 2023. The MNJRC's annual Re-Imagining Justice Conference is an inspirational convening of a broad diversity of criminal legal system practitioners, scholars, advocates, impacted persons, and community members. Through keynotes, plenaries, and breakout sessions, we create the space to share and learn from efforts to bring the criminal legal system closer to a true justice system. More information.
Introduction to Technology Safety and Technology-Facilitated Abuse. This free online course is offered by Safety Net. This course is an introduction to technology safety and technology-facilitated abuse (TFA). It is designed for advocates who work with survivors of TFA, with a focus on basic concepts and an introduction to relevant advocacy skills.
Trauma Recover Chair Yoga: Take time for some mindful breathing and stretching facilitated by Brenda Hershey, President and Founder of TRY Global and friend of Women’s Advocates. Women's Advocate's hosts 3 sessions on 10/25, 11/8, and 12/27 on their YouTube channel.
Coerced Debt Legislation Update. Thurs, Nov 9th, 2023 12pm-1pm CT.Hosted by Legal Services State Support. New protections put in place limit the ability of creditors to collect debts from victims of abuse. Come learn about how these changes may affect your clients’ rights and how you might use the new legislation to your clients’ benefit. Presenters: Ron Elwood, Supervising Attorney, Legal Services Advocacy Project, John Buhta, Staff Attorney, Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services; Rana Alexander, Director of Finance, Standpoint. The training is free,register here.
Jobs and Fellowships:
The Office of Justice Programs will be hiring a number of positions over 3 phases. Check their employment page for the current postings.
The Leadership Education and Advancement for Professionals (LEAP) Project is taking applications for their fellowship training program. The free program is for "emerging leaders of color interested in developing, building, and enhancing their leadership skills in the anti-gender based violence field to address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking and intersecting issues." Apply here.
Stronghearts Native Helpline is a 24/7 confidential and anonymous culturally-appropriate domestic and sexual violence helpline for Native Americans. Stronghearts is looking to fill the positions of Quality Assurance Manager and Deputy Executive Officer. Click here to learn more.
The Minnesota Alliance on Crime connects systems, service providers, and victims to advance the response for victims of all crime. MAC is a membership coalition of more than 90 crime victim service providers in Minnesota, including prosecution-based victim/witness programs, community programs, law enforcement agencies, and individuals committed to supporting crime victims. We support our membership through training, technical assistance, resources, public policy and legislative initiatives, and networking opportunities.
To join our coalition of Minnesota crime victim service programs, click here.
The Minnesota Alliance on Crime advances a collective movement to eliminate the systemic barriers experienced by people impacted by crime.
VISION
The Minnesota Alliance on Crime envisions a world where people impacted by crime, particularly those who are historically marginalized, can heal, achieve justice, and restore balance to their lives.
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