Types of Programs

Child Advocacy Center

Child Advocacy Centers provide a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team response to allegations of physical and sexual child abuse in a dedicated, child-friendly setting. The team response includes forensic interviews, medical evaluations, therapeutic intervention, victim support and advocacy, case review, and case tracking. These components may be provided by a child advocacy center's staff or by other members of the multidisciplinary team. To the maximum extent possible, components of the team response are provided at the Child Advocacy Center in order to promote a sense of safety and consistency to the child and family.​

Domestic Violence Community Advocacy

Domestic Violence Community Advocacy Programs (CAP) provide advocacy services including 24-hour crisis intervention, safety planning, arrangements for emergency housing and transportation to safety, assistance in pursuing civil, criminal and family court remedies, accompaniment to appointments as appropriate, and coordination of services provided by other agencies. CAP programs also provide information and referral to resources which may include child care, services for children, income maintenance, legal services, food and clothing, medical services, transitional housing resources and social services. CAP programs are primarily housed in community-based non-profit organizations including domestic violence shelters, and within a few local governmental entities.

Domestic Violence Shelter

Domestic Violence Shelter programs provide temporary emergency housing for victims of domestic violence and their children. Shelters provide 24-hour crisis intervention; advocacy and emotional support; safety planning; assistance in securing emergency services such as shelter, food, child care, clothing, financial assistance, medical services, and other necessities; assistance in pursuing civil, criminal and family court remedies; information and referral to access human, social and/or family services and other public benefits programs; group support; and accompaniment to appointments as available. Shelter programs serve the wider community and often have a community advocacy program working within the community for victims of domestic violence not needing emergency shelter.​

General Crime Victim Services

General Crime Victim Services programs provide advocacy services to victims of crimes such as assault, robbery, burglary, theft, homicide, elder abuse, driving while impaired, criminal vehicular homicide/operation and other traffic offenses with a victim, arson, fraud, identity theft, criminal damage to property, bias motivated crimes, labor trafficking and other crime types not served by a specific other program type (domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, sex trafficking). Services include 24-hour crisis intervention, transportation, acting on victims' behalf with social services or criminal justice agencies, assistance in filing reparations claims, filing temporary restraining orders, emotional support during trials, and having information available regarding possible legal resources. General Crime Victim programs are primarily housed in community-based non-profit organizations.

Legal Advocacy

Legal advocacy programs address the legal needs of victims/survivors.  Services include information about civil and criminal remedies available to crime victims, referrals to support services, and legal consultation and advice.  In some instances, legal advocacy programs may provide legal representation for a victim's legal needs related to crime victimization, including but not limited to, family law matters, privacy issues, immigration issues, and consumer law issues.  Legal advocacy programs may work in tandem with an advocacy agency providing direct services to crime victims.  Legal advocacy agencies are community-based non-profit organizations.

Parenting Time Center

Parenting Time Centers (PTC) provide supervised visitation, monitored visitation, and supervised exchange programming to provide a safe, non-violent environment for children to have positive interaction with parents and siblings; an opportunity for the non-custodial parent to interact with their child; a safe and neutral site for exchanges to take place; and information and referral resources to families.  For parents who are separated/divorced, court-ordered, and where children are in foster home placement, PTC programs provide a safe environment at a neutral site.  

Prosecutor-based crime victim services are services within a county or city attorney's office that receives grant funds to assist victims of all types of crime such as assault, domestic violence, child abuse, robbery, burglary, theft, homicide, elder abuse, sexual assault, driving while impaired, criminal vehicular homicide/operation and other traffic offenses with a victim, arson, fraud, identity theft, sex and labor trafficking, criminal damage to property, and bias motivated crimes.  Prosecutor-based services must provide victims with information about their rights under the Crime Victims Bill of Rights, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 611A, and other relevant victims' rights laws.  Staff provide assistance to victims and their families and ensure crime victims' rights are upheld in the criminal justice system process.  Staff provide notifications and services, and communicate victims' input and concerns to the prosecutor.  Staff provide information and support, act as a liaison with other criminal justice partners, and assist with hearing preparation, court accompaniment, restitution requests, crime victim reparations claims, and victim impact statements. ​

​Services for Children and Youth Impacted by Crime

Services for Children and Youth Impacted by Crime include (but is not limited to) children and youth who have experienced violence assault or gunshot; physical or sexual assault or neglect; child abuse imagery; sex and/or labor trafficking; and children/youth who witness violence. Services may include 24-hour crisis line, personal advocacy and emotional support, crisis intervention, safety planning, legal advocacy, information and referral, transportation, group support, assistance in securing emergency services and other necessities. Children and Youth programs are housed in or operate in a variety of community-based non-profit organizations that typically provide other services and support. 

Sexual Assault

Sexual Assault programs provide advocacy services for victims/survivors of sexual violence including 24-hour crisis intervention, emotional support, safety planning, assistance in securing emergency services, transportation, information and referral, assistance during medical procedures, assistance during investigations and court activities, group support, and assistance in accessing human/social/family services. Sexual Assault programs are primarily housed in community-based non-profit organizations and a few local governmental entities.

Statewide Coalition

Statewide Crime Victim Coalitions are grassroots, membership-based organizations that support the elimination of violence, advocate on behalf of crime victim issues, challenge ideas and attitudes which permit violence to continue, and respond to the needs and concerns of communities through input from its members. Coalition activities increase the capacity of direct service providers to promote and provide services through training, policy development, building collaborative relationships with criminal justice entities, bringing national issues to the work in Minnesota, and furthering diversity, equity and inclusion at the program level. The funded statewide coalitions are: Minnesota Alliance on Crime, Minnesota Children's Alliance, Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition, Sacred Hoop Coalition, and Violence Free Minnesota.​​