Recent News
AVA is Seeking New Board Members !
The Association of VAWA Administrators (AVA) is seeking new board members to be voted in during our June 16, 2023 meeting! AVA leadership should be reflective of our VAWA membership across the country through representation from various geographic regions, VAWA staff who are new to the field, those that have years of experience and ensuring […]
Abuse in Later Life – Webinar
Good morning! A former VAWA Administrator (who now works for the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL)) reached out to me recently to let me know about a webinar that you might find informative and be interested in participating in. Please see the details below: Abuse in Later Life on the Radar: Funding […]
NYS Legislation Establishing Statewide Rape Kit Tracking System
For Immediate Release: 12/22/2022 GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL GOVERNOR HOCHUL SIGNS LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING STATEWIDE RAPE KIT TRACKING SYSTEM Legislation S7867-A/A9596-A Will Help Survivors of Sexual Assault Track Evidence Collection Kits Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation (S7867-A/A9596-A) to establish a statewide electronic tracking system for sexual offense evidence collection kits, commonly known as rape kits. […]
AVA Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Meeting – May 2023
Good afternoon VAWA Administrators! As 2022 comes to an end, AVA is considering conducting an in-person, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) meeting in late May of 2023 in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of this post is to determine the level of interest and availability we have from you, the 56 VAWA State/Territory Administering Agencies. AVA has not yet […]
NOVA Request for Lists of Victim Service Providers
Good afternoon! The National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) is hoping to identify a contact in each state and territory that can help them locate a current list of victim service providers in your area, Please see the below letter from Callie Stewart, Director of Strategic Engagement for more information and respond to her if […]
AVA Strategic Planning Survey
Happy Monday everyone! The AVA Board holds a strategic planning meeting each year to identify the accomplishments of the previous year and to develop a 12-month plan for the upcoming year. This year, we are reaching out to you (in advance of that meeting) to ask for your input. The below link will take you to a […]
Acting OVW Director’s Remarks at National Conference on Domestic Violence
Please see the link below to access comments from Allison Randall, OVW’s Acting Director, during the National Conference on Domestic Violence. https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/acting-director-allison-randall-office-violence-against-women-delivers-virtual-remarks-0 Barry
GAO Study re Sexual Assault Exams
Good afternoon and Happy Monday! AVA received a detailed email from Chris Hatscher, Senior Analyst with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) last Friday. After receiving the email, I also spoke on the phone with Chris at length about a project he/GAO is working on that is likely to involve each of you. The VAWA Reauthorization Act […]
VAWA Reauthorization “Redline” Document
Good afternoon. Per the request of many VAWA Administrators, I am sharing the following document that outlines the changes in the most recent VAWA Reauthorization when compared to the previously existing statute. A great big thank you to the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence who prepared this redline document that details […]
VAWA Reauthorization Comparisons
During our AVA Annual Meeting last week, several administrators requested something akin to a side-by-side comparison of the 2021 VAWA Reauthorization (passed in 2022) and the 2013 VAWA Reauthorization. I will continue to work on this but wanted to share part of a press release in March by the USDOJ Office of Public Affairs. […]