FY 2021 National Census of Victim Service Providers

Since 2015, between 2 and 4 billion has been allocated to crime victim services each year. BJS designed the National Census of Victim Service Providers NCVSP as a foundational data collection that describes the size and scope of the victim service provider field, monitors characteristics of agencies overtime, and describes the types of victims that receive services, particularly victims that are difficult to reach in BJS s National Crime Victimization Survey e.g., victims of rare crimes types such as human trafficking, victims of particular demographic groups such as American Indian or Alaska Native victims . Primary goals of the NCVSP are to provide basic information about the types of agencies serving victims, numbers and rates of victim service providers nationally and by state, and the types of services provided to crime victims by these agencies. In addition, because the NCVSP is a full enumeration of the victim service provider field, it can serve as a sampling frame for other surveys on victim service provision. The first ever NCVSP was conducted in 2017, and identified approximately 12,200 agencies serving victims in the past six months either as the primary function of the agency or with dedicated staff or programs. These providers were from diverse agencies, including criminal justice agencies e.g., law enforcement agencies, prosecutor s offices, corrections agencies, etc. , other governmental organizations e.g., child or adult protective services , non profit or faith based organizations, tribal organizations, hospital or medical facilities, and educational institutions. Overall, the initial NCVSP provided a baseline description of the field, and a starting point for monitoring the field overtime. The proposed solicitation will fund the second NCVSP collection, including working with BJS to further develop the NCVSP frame, strengthen the NCVSP instrument, and administer the instrument to all victim service providers across the nation estimated 12,500 agencies . In partnership with BJS, specific tasks will include . Create and coordinate an expert panel to inform the project over the course of the award plan for at least 2 expert panel meetings. . Research and development work to strengthen the collection, including frame development and maintenance and further testing and development of key survey items that define the agency eligibility and type of provider. . Prepare an OMB package and, if necessary, IRB approvals. . Revise and prepare the NCVSP instrument. . Plan and coordinate outreach to the victim service provider field. . Administer the NCVSP to the full field of providers, including preparing all administration materials, conducting non response follow up to obtain an 80 or higher response rate, and coordinating the receipt and validation of data. . Develop and implement a plan for imputing missing data. . Clean and prepare an NCVSP public use data file, including all documentation needed to archive the file. . Prepare all required progress reports, financial reports, and other reports as requested. . Prepare a final report summarizing the administration of the NCVSP, methodology, and steps for analyzing the data.