While everyone is impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis, the impact is far greater on people from underserved communities: older adults, people with disabilities, communities of color and so many more. Prior to COVID-19, these communities were already underserved by victim services despite experiencing higher rates of victimization. These same communities have access to fewer resources, which compounds the challenges they already face and the new challenges created by COVID-19.
To ensure these survivors from underserved communities are at the center of all COVID-19 response efforts, we need to better understand the impact this health crisis is having on survivors’ needs and better resource the crime victim services field to respond to their needs. We hosted a series of listening sessions designed to surface the unique challenges facing survivors from specific underserved communities and to identify solutions. We believe that the collective wisdom and creative-problem solving within our field is needed now more than ever. We invite you to view the recordings and access the resources shared.
Listening Session Recording
