Vera Institute of Justice Content Topic Results

Supporting Deaf & DeafBlind Survivors

Author(s)

Anneliese Brown

Nancy Smith

Raylene Lotz

Deaf people are 1.5-5 times more likely than hearing people to experience domestic and sexual violence. Despite being at greater risk, they face significant barriers to accessing victim services. Many mainstream hearing programs want to serve Deaf survivors, but are often unaware of the unique experiences and cultural values of Deaf survivors and are not prepared to provide sign language interpretation.

This is a series of videos about Deaf and DeafBlind culture, best practices for working with Deaf and DeafBlind survivors, and how to find qualified interpreters. There is also a panel discussion highlighting key factors that contributed to a successful partnership between a hearing and Deaf organization.

Associated Links

Material Categories

Cultural Competence

Staff Development

Language & Literacy

Supporting Crime Victims with Disabilities Online Training Toolkit

berdman — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 16:01:27 +0000

Supporting Crime Victims with Disabilities Online Training Toolkit berdman Tue, 03/14/2023 - 12:01

General Material

Training Tools

Published Date

October, 2020

Publisher(s)

Supporting Crime Victims with Disabilities Online Training Toolkit

People with disabilities turn to a variety of support systems in the aftermath of victimization, from family and friends to victim services to their local disability service provider or to law enforcement. When those support systems are knowledgeable about the needs of people with disabilities, they can broaden the paths to healing available to victims with disabilities.

The Supporting Crime Victims with Disabilities toolkit was designed to provide comprehensive and culturally responsive informational and educational resources, tools, videos, and examples of best practices for law enforcement, forensic interviewers, victim advocates, and others to prepare them to effectively respond to victims of crime with disabilities across the lifespan. Leveraging the guidance and expertise of representatives from these fields, the toolkit embodies ideals of intersectionality, accessibility, and usability among others. The toolkit includes video testimonials from survivors with disabilities, recorded lectures from professionals across a variety of systems, and interactive activities. You can review the content from beginning to end or select specific topics of interest.

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Material Categories

Trauma-Informed Policing Interview with Captain Altovise Love-Craighead

berdman — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 18:36:10 +0000

Trauma-Informed Policing Interview with Captain Altovise Love-Craighead berdman Tue, 02/02/2021 - 13:36

General Material

Published Date

May, 2020

Publisher(s)

Trauma-Informed Policing Interview with Captain Altovise Love-Craighead

Author(s)

Altovise Love-Craighead

In this video, Philadelphia Police Department Captain Altovise Love-Craighead discusses the fundamentals of trauma-informed policing, including how de-escalation can interrupt cycles of violence. The central tenets of trauma-informed policing are introduced and examples are given as to how these principles can be applied in real-world policing situations.

Associated Links

Material Categories

Trauma Informed Approach

Criminal Justice

COVID-19 Impact Briefs

berdman — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 19:36:27 +0000

COVID-19 Impact Briefs berdman Mon, 07/13/2020 - 15:36

General Material

Published Date

May, 2020

Publisher(s)

Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

The National Resource Center for Reaching Victims conducted a series of listening sessions to unearth the impact the COVID-19 health crisis is having on underserved victims of crime and better resource the crime victim services field to respond to those needs. This series of impact briefs summarizes key findings on the impact of COVID-19 on victims who are boys and men of color, children and youth, people with disabilities, girls and women of color, immigrant and LEP, LGBTQ+, older adults, and people who have been incarcerated.

Associated Links

COVID-19 Impact Briefs

Material Categories

Health / Public Health

Sexual Violence

Young People

Protection Orders and Working with People with Disabilities

berdman — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 15:19:46 +0000

Protection Orders and Working with People with Disabilities berdman Mon, 03/18/2019 - 11:19

General Material

Training Tools

Published Date

February, 2019

Publisher(s)

Battered Women's Justice Project (BWJP)

Protection Orders and Working with People with Disabilities

The Protection Orders and Working with People with Disabilities tip sheet is a tool that attorneys, advocates, and others can familiarize themselves with common types of disabilities, the unique barriers people with those disabilities may experience in the protection order office, and strategies for overcoming those barriers that attorneys and advocates can implement in their work. The tip sheet is designed to assist practitioners in foreseeing, recognizing, and eliminating barriers to justice in the protection order process for people with disabilities.

Associated Links

Material Categories

Civil Legal Rights & Protections

Core Competencies

Screening & Assessment

National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project (NIWAP)

U Visa Toolkit for Law Enforcement Agencies and Prosecutors

berdman — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 20:44:06 +0000

U Visa Toolkit for Law Enforcement Agencies and Prosecutors berdman Mon, 02/08/2021 - 15:44

General Material

Published Date

October, 2018

Publisher(s)

U Visa Toolkit for Law Enforcement Agencies and Prosecutors

Author(s)

By providing U‐visa certifications, law enforcement officials add to their arsenal of crime fighting tools because victims feel safer coming forward to report crimes. This document provides the following background information on the U‐visa: an overview of the U‐visa and a section on law enforcement officials and the U‐visa certification. The section on law enforcement officials includes who qualifies for a U‐visa, which criminal activities are covered by the U‐visa, the application process, and other information that will assist law enforcement in their role as certifiers.

Associated Links

Material Categories

Civil Legal Rights & Protections

Criminal Justice

Immigration / Resettlement

Immigrant / Refugee

An Unjust Burden: The Disparate Treatment of Black Americans in the Criminal Justice System

berdman — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 14:10:41 +0000

An Unjust Burden: The Disparate Treatment of Black Americans in the Criminal Justice System berdman Thu, 02/04/2021 - 09:10

General Material

Published Date

May, 2018

Publisher(s)

An Unjust Burden: The Disparate Treatment of Black Americans in the Criminal Ju…

Author(s)

Elizabeth Hinton

LeShae Henderson

Cindy Reed

This document provides an overview of the ways in which America’s history of racism and oppression continues to manifest in the criminal justice system. It also provides a summary of research demonstrating how the system perpetuates the disparate treatment of Black people and explains how the evidence helps account for the hugely disproportionate impact of mass incarceration on millions of Black people, their families, and their communities.

Associated Links

Material Categories

Compensation Considerations for Self-Advocates Receiving Government Benefits

berdman — Fri, 18 May 2018 15:31:36 +0000

Compensation Considerations for Self-Advocates Receiving Government Benefits berdman Fri, 05/18/2018 - 11:31

General Material

Published Date

April, 2018

Publisher(s)

Compensation Considerations for Self-Advocates Receiving Government Benefits

This tip sheet gives basic information on some government means-tested benefits programs for people with disabilities and explains the potential effects that receiving compensation may have on their benefits. It also guides readers to additional resources for people with disabilities and their advocates.

Associated Links

Material Categories

Public Benefits

Working with Sign Language Interpreters for Events

berdman — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 12:45:33 +0000

Working with Sign Language Interpreters for Events berdman Fri, 03/17/2017 - 08:45

General Material

Training Tools

Published Date

January, 2017

Publisher(s)

Working with Sign Language Interpreters for Events

The Working with Sign Language Interpreters tip sheet provides information on how to find, select, and evaluate sign language interpreters for in-person events. This information explains how to meet legal obligations for communication access and to create an inclusive and equitable experience for Deaf participants.

Associated Links

Material Categories

Center on Victimization and Safety (CVS)

Language & Literacy

Culture, Language, and Access: Key Considerations for Serving Deaf Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 21:22:33 +0000

Culture, Language, and Access: Key Considerations for Serving Deaf Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/07/2014 - 17:22

General Material

Published Date

January, 2015

Publisher(s)

Culture, Language, and Access: Key Considerations for Serving Deaf Survivors of…

Author(s)

Nancy Smith

Charity Hope

This document offers a framework for understanding and addressing the unmet needs of Deaf survivors that is rooted in a cultural and linguistic perspective. As such, it includes information on the Deaf community and culture in the United States, provides foundational information on what is known about the incidence and prevalence of domestic and sexual violence against Deaf people, and explores the cultural and linguistic barriers that prevent Deaf survivors from accessing services and other supports that generally exist. It discusses several promising approaches to delivering culturally and linguistically competent services to Deaf survivors and the challenges faced by those delivering these services. Finally, it concludes with a set of recommendations for policymakers and practitioners in the victim services field aimed at creating equal access to services and the criminal justice system for Deaf survivors in every community.

Associated Links

Material Categories

Cultural Competence

Trauma Informed Approach

Criminal Justice

Attitudes / Perception / Awareness