SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
Our goal
The Special Victims Unit aspires to meet the distinctive needs of every victim. Each victim has specific needs and desires to recover from a crime, and our goal is to advocate for each victim’s distinctive needs to ensure that victim has an equal opportunity to recover from a crime. The Special Victim Unit advocates for every victim to feel served and have an equal opportunity to victim services.
Our mission
The Special Victims Unit is a group of individuals dedicated to help be a champion for under-served populations through growth, education, expansion, and creativity.
We aspire to make sure all victims have an opportunity to be served. Every victim, every time, every outcome, every minute counts.
Serving Survivors with Disabilities
OVWA and Crime Victim Services’ Special Victims’ Unit partnered to bring you a publication, “Serving Survivors with Disabilities.”This is a protocol designed to improve victim advocacy services being provided to crime victims with disabilities. This publication is specifically for advocates and their organizations so that they may become more inclusive, trauma-responsive, and knowledgeable about the rights of persons with disabilities.
​For questions, technical assistance, and training requests related to this publication, please contact Crime Victim Services' Special Victims' Unit at cac@crimevictimservices.org or OVWA at info@ovwa.org
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SVU Overview
​LGBTQ+: Working on education and outreach to be Safe Zone trained and efficient. Advocates are working hard toward specialized referrals and resources that meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ population.
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Immigrant Population/Limited English: Working together for language interpretation services, legal assistance support, specialized referrals advocating for the immigrant population’s needs.
Repeat Victims: Working on education and safety to bring awareness to all victims of the importance of being safe before and after a victimization.
Unreported: Advocating for education and outreach to elderly, male sexual assault survivors, Domestic Violence, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), Addiction/Mental Health, and religious minorities.
Disabilities: Advocating for specialized communication devices, sensory toolkits, social stories, and working to make a work environment welcoming for anyone living with special needs.
Survivors of Color: Working toward better education and outreach services to reach the needs of survivors of color and aspiring allies wanting to help make a difference.
Deaf, Hard of Hearing (HoH), & Blind: Advocating for specialized materials, audio guides, braille materials, ASL interpreter services, and working toward creating a conducive work environment to foster the services needed for these under-served victims.
Restorative Justice: Working toward better victim-offender dialogue services and advocating for better victim rights with restitution and victim compensation.
We work to restore access to these to all our victims served, so that they are whole again, even if no one is arrested.
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Foreign Language
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Interpreters
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Augmentive Communication
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American Sign Language Interpreters
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Crisis Counseling
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Reporting a crime to police
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Magnification for reading
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Helping with protection orders
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Trauma recovery
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Emergency money
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Help in going to court
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Safety Planning
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Help with police and prosecutors
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Foreign Language Interpreters
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Augmented Communication
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American Sign Language Interpreters
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Magnification for reading
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Braille Brochures
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Sensory Integration
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American Disabilities Act Compliant
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Reporting a crime to law enforcement
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Crisis Counseling
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Trauma recovery
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Emergency financial assistance
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Advocate with law enforcement and prosecutors
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Court Advocacy
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Safety Planning
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Help with protection orders
Connect with
Special Victims Unit
330 N. Elizabeth St., 2nd Floor,
Lima, OH 45801
Phone: 419-222-8666
Fax: 419-227-7478
Toll Free: 1-877-867-7273
email: victim@crimevictimservices.org