Deaf victim advocacy services are both a program of support providing direct assistance to the deaf or hard of hearing community in understanding and navigating the criminal justice system, and a training course focusing on teaching general victim advocacy groups the skills necessary to offer these services to the deaf and hard of hearing populations in their communities. The Advocacy Services for Abused Deaf Victims (ASADV) is an example of a direct deaf victim advocacy service. To be sure, the ASADV provides a range of services, such as crisis intervention, legal assistance, and referrals to deaf and hard of hearing crimes victims (ASADV). As a provider of direct advocacy services, the ASADV works directly with deaf and hard of hearing individual to resolve the issues that they encounter. For instance, an ASADV staffer might accompany a victim to the police station or court to assist them in communicating with a police officer, court personal, or an attorney.
The deaf victim advocacy service of the Vermont Victim Assistance Academy (VVAA) is an example of a training course. The VVAA was established in order to “improve the quality and consistency of victims’ services with the state (VVAA). In order to achieve that, it designed a number of training course to train any organization, such as the state’s attorney’s office, law enforcement agencies, and child welfare programs, that generally encounters or works with victims of crime. Since, the victim population necessarily includes the deaf and hard of hearing, VVAA also created a special training program focuses on teaching its participant effective ways of providing assistance, support, and advocacy to deaf victims. Unlike, the ASADV, the VVAA does not normally work directly with victims but rather with the people that will work directly with the victims such as prosecutors, police, and social workers.
Works Cited
Advocacy Services for Abused Deaf Victims (ASADV). “What does ASADV do?” ASADV, 2010. Web. http://asadv.org/about-asadv/what-does-asadv-do/
Vermont Victim Assistance Academy (VVAA). “About.” VVAA, 2015. Web. http://www.ccvs.state.vt.us/academy
