This section notes the source from which program staff first found out about the new direct service victim and is indicated in the VSDCS.
When entering the Program Source of Knowledge for a victim, please be sure to designate whether a victim’s information was obtained from the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Commonwealth’s Attorney report or case file, court docket, court services unit, magistrate, medical/hospital, mental health, police, police report, sheriff, sheriff’s report, social services or other (specify).
“Victim-Initiated” contact occurs when the victim, without any outreach efforts by the staff (e.g., contact letters), calls or visits the program. If a victim calls or visits the program after receiving a contact letter, do not count this as “victim-initiated”. The origin of the program’s information (i.e., how the program learned of the victim and the victim’s address) is marked as the program source of knowledge. If a criminal justice agency refers the victim to the program, and the victim contacts the program, it is still a victim-initiated contact because the victim chose to make contact. However, if that same agency refers the victim to the program, but also contacts the program to alert staff and to give them information about the victim, then mark the referring agency as the program source of knowledge.