The New York State Crime Victims Board (CVB) has approved a three year grant of $265,416 for Columbia Memorial Hospital to provide direct personal services to victims of crimes.
The award is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds.
The grant will be disbursed in annual amounts:
In 2009-2010 the hospital will receive $86,683; in 2010-2011, $87,987, and in 2011-2012, $90,746. Award amounts for the period 2010-2012 are subject to availability of ARRA and VOCA funds.
According to Ray Parafinczuk, Supervisor of Contract Administration, “the Crime Victim’s Board request for proposal for victim assistance program grants emphasized support for direct personal assistance to the innocent victims of crime.”
The CVB reviewed more than 225 proposals for victim assistance program grants which will take effect October 1, 2009.Columbia Memorial Hospital already has one
program which will benefit from the grant, according to Teri Kisselbrack, Emergency Department Educator. That is the Dr. Stephen and Suzanne Menkes Child Advocacy Program.
“Monies awarded will provide for two new staff members for the Child Advocacy Program,” she said. This program is designed to reduce trauma, provide expert medical care and enhance collaboration among organizations in the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child abuse. The hospital’s program provides a non-threatening, child-focused environment where investigations, treatment, and prosecution of child sexual abuse cases can be conducted by a supportive, trained team of experts. Team members are representatives of child protective services, law enforcement, prosecutors and medical providers, as well as mental health staff, school guidance counselors and rape crisis staff.
“The Child Advocacy Program is situated in a purposefully-designed, stress-free, comfortable area of Columbia Memorial Hospital, where confidential and joint interviews of child and family can take place” said Kisselbrack.
“The CVB award will allow us to maintain our program to provide a neutral facility where multi-disciplinary case reviews can occur without having the child travel to numerous imposing and scattered offices,” she concluded.
