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Victim-advocate office says it served 1,619 people and made 8,657 referrals during fiscal year-to-date
Summary
Victim advocate Caitlin Scott reported the office assisted 1,619 people (3,342 victimizations) and made more than 8,657 referrals from July through mid-April; advocates provide court support, referrals and rotating on-call coverage seven days a week.
Caitlin Scott, a victim advocate with the city’s victim-advocate office, presented a summary of her unit’s workload and services. From July through mid-April she reported the office served 1,619 people and recorded 3,342 victimizations; advocates provided more than 8,657 referrals during that period.
Scott described services including 7-day coverage for emergency referrals, court accompaniment in justice and district court, referral coordination with prosecutors and ongoing education and training for advocates. "We have advocates working 7 days a week...we do have advocates working 7 days a week, though, so they're able to call and get services anytime," she said.
A council member asked whether the team is adequately staffed for its caseload. Scott said the office manages demand through staggered schedules, rotating on-call coverage and coordination with prosecutors; she said the program adds roughly 200 new victims to its caseload annually and that the office is able to meet needs "for the most part," but that time demands continue to grow.
Next steps: The council received the report and asked questions about staffing and caseload; no further action was recorded in the study meeting.
