Collaboration for Victims' Rights and Services

The ultimate success of victims' rights and services is highly dependent on involvement and input from a wide variety of individuals and entities whose foci include public safety. Over the past three decades, numerous collaborative efforts and partnerships have effected significant, positive changes in the ways victims are viewed, treated, and served in the United States. This chapter will explore the concept of collaboration, along with recommended strategies for successful collaborative efforts to enhance public safety and improve victim services.

Learning objectives include:

• Types of working relationships.
• Challenges to successful working relationships.
• Moving beyond "traditional" stakeholders for collaborative initiatives.
• The community as a partner in collaboration.
• The relationships among national, state, and local victim services.
• A checklist for successful collaborative efforts.