CalVCB “Breaks the Silence on Domestic Violence” with October Awareness Activities

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Press Release
For Immediate Release: October 2, 2017
Contact: Janice Mackey, (916) 491-3821
janice.mackey@victims.ca.gov
@helpingvictims

Sacramento, CA — The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) is observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) with an array of awareness activities ranging from social media outreach to collaboration with advocates and stakeholders.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. This equals more than 10 million men and women in a year.

“October’s annual observance provides an opportunity to listen, share stories of survival or just have a conversation about an uncomfortable subject,” said CalVCB Executive Officer Julie Nauman. “Breaking the silence on family violence is the first step in empowering victims. It’s also a time to unite and raise awareness about the availability of resources for victims to get help.”

Last fiscal year, CalVCB provided $2 million to help domestic violence victims with life-saving expenses such as home security alarms, motion detectors, video cameras, first month’s rent and moving vans. On average, 23 percent of all applications CalVCB receives are related to domestic violence.

To learn more about resources for crime victims and read CalVCB’s Executive Officer’s blog on domestic violence, please visit victims.ca.gov.

For advocate assistance, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE. For immediate assistance, call 911.

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The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) provides compensation for victims of violent crime who are injured or threatened with injury. Among the crimes covered are domestic violence, child abuse, sexual and physical assault, homicide, robbery, and vehicular manslaughter. Last fiscal year, the program received nearly 52,000 applications and provided over $53 million in compensation to crime victims.

If a person meets eligibility criteria, CalVCB will compensate many types of services when the costs are not covered by other sources. Eligible expenses include medical and dental care, mental health services, income loss, funeral expenses, rehabilitation and relocation. Funding for CalVCB comes from restitution fines and orders, penalty assessments levied on persons convicted of crimes, traffic offenses and federal funds.