Support & Resources

Resources for Victims & Survivors

You are not alone. The following organizations offer free, compassionate support to victims of violent crime and their families.

Illinois Attorney General

Crime Victims Compensation Bureau

The Crime Victims Compensation Bureau offers financial assistance to eligible victims of violent crime. Reimbursements of up to $45,000 are available to help cover expenses such as medical bills, funeral costs, relocation, lost wages, and mental health counselling.

Services include:

Medical bills

Funeral and burial costs

Relocation expenses

Lost wages

Mental health counselling

illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Chicago Police Department

Office of Victim Services

This office provides free, trauma-informed services to victims and survivors of violent crime. Services include advocacy, crisis support, safety planning, and referrals to community resources. Victim Specialists help navigate the justice system and provide emotional support.

Services include:

To Provide

Advocacy – Victim Specialists will advocate on behalf of victims, survivors, and witnesses with the police and justice system, including the Detective Division, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, family/criminal courts, parole, probation, AVN systems, and others.

Referrals – Victim Specialists help victims and survivors and witnesses get connected to community-based resources and wrap-around services that help promote long-term healing and wellbeing.

Crisis Support – Our team provides immediate, short-term assistance to individuals facing distressing or traumatic events, helping them regain a sense of stability, safety, and support during critical moments.

To Prepare

Safety Planning – Our team can provide safety planning for victims, survivors, and witnesses to help them navigate their situations.

Justice System Process – The Justice System can be challenging to navigate. Victim Specialists will help victims and survivors understand and prepare for this process and feel comfortable as their cases move forward.

chicagopolice.org

City of Chicago — Department of Public Health

Trauma Informed Victim Services

The city's Trauma Informed Victim Services programme works in partnership with currently funded Street Outreach organisations in communities most impacted by gun violence and lethal/non-lethal interpersonal conflicts. The Chicago Department of Public Health supports 11 programmes, each serving communities with some of the highest rates of victimisation over a three-year period, including victims of domestic violence, gunshot, and other homicide survivors.

Services include:

Crisis incident response

Assistance with post-incident coping (funeral planning, crime victims fund application)

Induction into counselling and recovery support

Guidance and accompaniment (legal, media)

Referral(s) to other family specific services

For more information, visit the Office of Violence Prevention webpage at www.chicago.gov

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