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Office of Work-Life Programs -
Victim/Witness Assistance Program
Who is Eligible for this Program?
The Victim/Witness Assistance Program is applicable to the
following members of Team Coast Guard:
- Active Duty, Reservists, Retirees and their families
- Civil Service employees
- Exchange System and MWR employees
Purpose of Program
The Victim/Witness Assistance Program is intended to ensure
that all victims and witnesses of crime who suffer physical, financial, or
emotional trauma receive the assistance and protection to which they are
entitled.
Program Confidentiality
Discussions of the Victim/Witness Assistance Program
are confidential within the following guidelines:
- Disclosure to personnel of the Coast Guard who have a need to know the information within the record in the performance of their official duties.
- Disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) outside the
Coast Guard in compliance with routine uses of records published in
the system of records notice. Specifically, this pertains to:
- Federal, state and local government or private agency for coordination of victim-witness programs, medical care, mental health treatment, and civil or criminal law enforcement.
- Individuals or organizations providing family support program care under contract to the Federal Government.
Definitions
The following definitions apply to the Victim/Witness
Assistance Program:
- Victim. A person who suffers actual or threatened physical, emotional or financial harm as the direct result of a criminal offense. “Victim” includes the immediate family of a minor who is a victim or the family of a homicide victim.
- Witness. A person who participates in a Coast Guard criminal investigation or proceeding for the purpose of providing information or evidence concerning an offense within the investigative jurisdiction of the Coast Guard. When the witness is a minor this term includes the minor’s parents or guardians, or any person having legal custody of the minor.
- Serious Offense. An offense involving personal violence, or attempted or threatened personal violence, or for which a maximum period of confinement of more than one (1) year is authorized under the Manual for Courts-Martial. “ Serious Offense” also includes an offense involving the destruction or permanent loss of property of a value of more than $100.00.
- Victim Losses. This term includes: (1) medical services relating to physical, psychiatric, or psychological care; (2) physical and occupational therapy or rehabilitation; (3) necessary transportation, temporary housing, and child care expenses; (4) lost income; (5) attorney’s fee, plus, in the case of domestic violence victims, any costs incurred in obtaining a civil protection order; and (6) any other losses suffered by the victim as a proximate result of the offense and/or as a result of participation in the investigation or prosecution of the offense or attendance at proceedings related to the offense.
Services and Resources Available
The following services and resources are available
within the Victim/Witness Assistance Program:
- Work-Life Center Services
- Coast Guard Intelligence Service (CGIS)
- Legal
- Medical
- Chaplain
Requesting Services or Resources
These services or resources can be obtained by
contacting the Employee Assistance Program Coordinator (EAPC) at your
Regional Work-Life Staff. Work-Life Staffs are
located at Integrated Support Commands CG-wide and at the Headquarters
Support Command.
Related Program Information
In addition to services available through Coast Guard
programs, victims and witnesses of crimes that did not occur on
Coast Guard property should be referred to the appropriate state or
federal Victim/Witness Assistance Program for the correct
jurisdiction where the crime occurred.
Program References
The following reference provides details of the
Victim/Witness Assistance Program:
- The Crime Victims’ Rights Act of 2004
- Military Justice Manual - COMDTINST M5810.1D
Related Web Sites
The following web sites provide information related to the
Victim/Witness Assistance Program:
- Coast Guard Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program
- Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime
- National Center for Victims of Crime
Point of Contact
If you are unable to contact the Employee Assistance Program Coordinator on your
Regional Work-Life Staff, or need additional
assistance beyond the information provided here, please contact the
Headquarters Employee Assistance Program Manager, Ms. Lisa Teems
CG-1112, at (202) 475-5157, Fax: (202) 475-5907 or email at
Lisa.A.Teems@uscg.mil.
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