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Certified Assurances for Victim Witness Coordinators

Certified Assurances for Victim Witness Coordinators. What are they & why do we have them?. Required of us by federal and state granting agencies in order to receive funds Each fund has its own Certified Assurances. To ensure that funded programs are in compliance with mandates.

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Certified Assurances for Victim Witness Coordinators

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  1. Certified Assurancesfor Victim Witness Coordinators

  2. What are they & why do we have them? Required of us by federal and state granting agencies in order to receive funds Each fund has its own Certified Assurances. To ensure that funded programs are in compliance with mandates.

  3. Certification foundation Victim Safety, and respect for victim autonomy is at the core of the certified assurances. VSS = Victim Services Support Program through the Iowa Attorney General’s Crime Victim Assistance Division VOCA or VA = Victims of Crime Act funds

  4. Common Highlights Non-supplanting Reimbursement process All match must be from non-federal funds Time & Attendance Records

  5. Common Highlights Non-discrimination Civil Rights Compliance EEOP (per 28 CFR 42.301 et. seq.) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/about/ocr/eeop_comply.htm American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Drug-Free Workplace Lobbying Debarment

  6. Sexual Harassment Policy • Have or create a Sexual Harassment policy including: • Process for filing a grievance of sexual harassment by a staff person, client, victim, or volunteer. • Consider if filing a complaint against a supervisor, administrator, or director • New and current staff and volunteers will sign an acknowledgement form • Signed copy kept in staff or volunteer file • Send a copy of Sexual Harassment Policy to your primary Victim Services Support Program contact.

  7. Common Highlights Performance Reports Site Monitoring (SM) <$25,000 in Victim Services Support Program (VSS) funds SM visit 1X every 6 years at a minimum =>$25,000 in VSS funds SM visit 1X every 3 y ears at a minimum Random SM visit because VSS staff in area Emergency SM visit because of complaints or concerns

  8. Construction and other Items Prohibited with VA funds • Purchasing of real property • Construction • Capital improvements or physical modifications to building including minor renovations (such as painting and carpeting)

  9. Common Highlights • Changes in Programming • Written Notification from your program to VSS staff • Written Authorization from VSS Staff • Example of a Change in Programming: • No longer going to serve 3 counties identified in your application but 1 county • The VAW Prosecutor is no longer going to Prosecute Sexual Assault cases

  10. Common Highlights • Withholding, Suspension & Termination of Funding • Fail to use funds set forth in your application and contract. • Failure to abide by Certified Assurances • Terminate a contract upon a 10 day written notice • Terminate contract due to reduction in funds or executive order • Termination for cause: A program’s contract when the program has substantially failed to fulfill its obligations or otherwise violates any provisions of the contract. • Program may terminate contract by written notification to Victim Services Support Program.

  11. Common Highlights Notify your primary VSS staff within 30 days in writing of any staffing change; e-mail is acceptable Notify your primary VSS staff CVAD in writing of any VSS-funded positions that have remained vacant for 45+ days; notification must include reason for vacancy & plan for filling position; e-mail is acceptable

  12. Common Highlights Services must be free, confidential. Cannot charge a fee to victims for services Funds may not be used as direct payment to any victim or dependent

  13. Record Keeping and Reporting • Reports shall be submitted in the correct form, on time and containing required information. • Fund accounting, auditing, monitoring, evaluation procedures, and such records as CVAD shall prescribe shall be provided.

  14. Access to Records, Books, Papers or Documents • Program will have open and transparent information made available to: • Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) • For those programs that received Violence Against Women (VAWA or VW) funds. • Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) • For those program that receive Victims of Crime Act (VOCA or VA) funds. • Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) • Victim Services Support Program through the Iowa Attorney General’s Crime Victim Assistance Division • Any representatives of these agencies

  15. VOCA Specific • Programs will maintain effective program and financial records that fully disclose the amount of disposition of VOCA funds received. Including: • Financial documentation for disbursements • Daily time and attendance records for paid staff and volunteers • Client files • Other sources of revenue • Job descriptions • Contracts for services • And other records which facilitate an effective audit

  16. Information Cooperation • The program will cooperate with any assessments, national evaluation efforts, or information or data collection requests, including, but not limited to, the provision of any information required for the assessment or evaluation of any activities within this project.

  17. CCR & DUNS • Apply, receive and annually update information in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) • Provide a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) • Information regarding obligations can be found at the Office on VAW website at http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/ccr-award-term.pdf. 

  18. Specific Prohibition - ACORN No federal funds, either directly or indirectly, will be used to support any contract or subaward to either the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) or its subsidiaries, without written approval Direct any questions regarding this requirement to Donna Phillips

  19. Minority Impact Statement All Programs are required to complete and submit to the Victim Services Support (VSS) Program a Minority Impact Statement and complete the U.S. Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Worksheet.

  20. Access to Services • Persons with Limited English Proficiency • Programs will provide meaningful access • May entail providing language assistance services, including oral and written translation, where necessary http://www.lep.gov

  21. Civil Rights • In the event a Federal or State court or Federal or State administrative agency makes a Finding of Discrimination after due process – the program will forward the findings to: • VSS Program • Federal Office for Civil Rights

  22. No Retaliation • In accordance with federal civil rights laws, the program shall not retaliate against individuals for taking action or participating in action to secure rights protected by federal civil rights laws. • Complainant or Witness

  23. FRAUD • Program will provide credible evidence that a principal, employee, agent contractor, subgrantee, subcontractor, or other person: • Submitted a false claim for grant funds • Committed a criminal or civil violation of law pertaining to fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, gratuity, or similar misconduct

  24. Misuse of Funds • Potential fraud, waste, abuse, or misconduct should be reported to the VSS Program and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) • See Certified Assurance for address, email, phone, and fax number of OIG Office in Washington D.C.

  25. VOCA and VAWA Specific • Encourages no texting while driving policy!

  26. VOCA Specific Public or Non-Profit program Providing direct, free, confidential services to victims of crime

  27. VOCA Specific Cannot discriminate against a victim who disagrees with the manner in which criminal prosecution is pursued

  28. VOCA Specific Promote coordination of public/private efforts to aid crime victims Assist victims with Crime Victim Compensation application process and benefits.

  29. VOCA Specific Must use volunteers in VOCA programming -Direct Service Volunteer Hours

  30. VOCA Specific Recipients agree to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and the related National Historic Preservation Act.

  31. VOCA Specific • Programs must demonstrate a record of providing effective services to crime victims. Including – • Support and approval of services by community • History of providing direct services in a cost-effective manner • Financial support from other sources • New programs must show 25-50% of their financial support comes from non-federal sources.

  32. VOCA Specific All materials publicizing or resulting from award activities shall contain an acknowledgement of the awarding agency assistance.

  33. VOCA Specific “This project was supported by Award No. 2011-VA-GX-0043 awarded by Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs.”

  34. To ask a question: Click on “raise your hand button” then give us a moment to unmute you and call on you. (If you are on the phone) Click in the text message box and text your message to us. Questions on Certified Assurances?

  35. Donna Phillips Victim Service Support Administrator 515-281-7215 donna.phillips@ag.state.ia.us Rhonda Dean Community Specialist 515-242-6112 Rhonda.Dean@iowa.gov Nikki Romer Victim Specialist 515-281-0563 Nicole.Romer@iowa.gov Crime Victim Assistance DivisionVictim Services Support (VSS) Staff

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