A new office in Northampton provides welcome support for victims and others affected by crimes in western Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA), established in 1984 as part of the state’s first Victim Bill of Rights, earlier this month opened its only office outside Boston at 403 Pleasant St. During a ceremony April 12, Attorney General Maura Healey, who chairs the Victim and Witness Assistance Board governing MOVA, also announced $9 million in grants that will help strengthen programs in the region.
We expect that the new office and its three staff members will broaden the support available for people impacted by crime, and educate the community about the needs and rights of victims.
“If you are a victim, you need a place to go and you need people to turn to, and you also need to know there is a presence in your community so that you feel safe and feel validated in coming forward,” Healey said. “Fundamentally this is about helping people. This is about taking care of people and is going to be an additional resource at the state level to assist the many wonderful advocates and community organizations that have been doing this work in this area for far too long alone.”
Among those who knows firsthand the value of those services is Josh Moulton, of Amherst, whose sister died as the result of domestic violence about a decade ago. He has been a member since 2013 of the MOVA governing board, representing survivors.
“I think it’s really important today to realize how far MOVA has come in addressing some of the concerns about fair representation out in this part of the state,” Moulton said. “I think that we need to continue and never lose focus of meeting victims where they are, meeting their immediate needs in the aftermath of tragedy, but I also want to see us asking big questions.
“What is the true nature of victimization and trauma? What are the circumstances that conspire to increase the chances of victimization and how can we intervene earlier so that there are less victims in the future? I know that these are really big daunting questions.”
The $9 million will go to programs that assist victims and survivors in Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden and Berkshire counties, including Safe Passage, the Northwestern Children’s Advocacy Center, Hilltown Community Health Centers, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin, and the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition.
The grants are distributed by the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime from fines collected in federal courts.
Diane Coffey, who heads the regional office and directs MOVA’s victim services, said that having people in the community is critical to providing additional resources to organizations already familiar with local needs.
Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan, whose downtown Northampton office is within walking distance of the MOVA staff, said they will help further the work of advocates and service providers throughout western Massachusetts. “One of my prime priorities is to help victims of crime and this just adds another tool in the tool box,” he said.
Liam Lowney, executive director of MOVA, said, “We have been funding and working with domestic and homicide programs and sexual assault programs in those four counties for a very long time. We’ve learned that we need to be more on the ground working with them.”
Besides advocating for the rights of victims and helping connect them with services, MOVA also makes presentations to community groups about the criminal justice system and “the specific needs of victims of crime in various forms, such as homicide, child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, drunk driving, stalking elder abuse and fraud.”
During her visit, Healey said, “It’s a great day here in Northampton, great day in western Massachusetts and a great day for victims and survivors in this region who for too long have gone without access to the kind of resources and direct services that they deserve. Nothing is more important to me or to all of us here than to make sure that victims, survivors and their families have the support and resources that they need.”
We commend Healey and others involved with MOVA for recognizing the importance of their presence in western Massachusetts.
MOVA staff may be contacted at 413-387-4300 or by emailing mova@state.ma.us. More information is available online at askmova.org.