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Niagara County Sheriff’s Victim Assistance Unit

Description:

The VAU has been providing comprehensive direct services to crime victims in Niagara County since 1989. The advocates work as a liaison between the victim and law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office to make the criminal justice process easier to navigate. The VAU has continuously met these needs by offering:
- Outreach to explain VAU services and Office of Victim Services (OVS) compensation. OVS offers compensation for medical expenses, counseling expenses, funeral costs, loss of wages, and essential personal property to eligible crime victims.
- Home/hospital/off-site visits (to assist in filing OVS compensation claims, supportive counseling and follow up services)
- Transportation and accompaniment to police interviews, court proceedings and medical examinations at the Child Advocacy Center (CAC), criminal justice and support and advocacy
- Referrals to appropriate service providers
- Advocacy on the victim’s behalf with other agencies such as OVS, courts, law enforcement, District Attorney`s Office, insurance companies, medical providers, and employers, etc.
- Crisis intervention provided at the crime scene or hospital (24 hour on-call availability)
Telephone and in-person crisis counseling

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