The Maryland Crime Victims' Services Program, subject to the availability of funds, provides specialized services to meet the needs of victims of crime through a network of local crime victims' assistance programs. Priority in funding shall be given to local crime victims' assistance programs serving victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. Terms Defined. “Crime victims' assistance program” means a local program providing direct services to victims of crime. “Office” means the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. An individual who has been an alleged victim of a crime, as well as affected family or friends, or both, of the alleged victim of crime, are eligible for services from a crime victims' assistance program. An individual who has been an alleged victim of a crime, as well as that individual's family member or friend, may apply directly to a crime victims' assistance program for services, or be referred from another source. A member of the staff shall assess the application and determine whether services are available and appropriate for the applicant. When the service is unavailable or not appropriate for the applicant's needs, the staff member shall refer the applicant to other appropriate resources. For the applicant who is accepted for services, the staff member shall explain the services and develop and begin to implement the service plan. The local program shall offer services that directly benefit the crime victim. These services may include, but are not limited to, the following: Crisis intervention services that meet urgent emotional or physical needs of crime victims. Crisis intervention services may include the operation of a 24-hour hotline that provides counseling or referral for crime victims. Emergency services that: Provide temporary shelter for crime victims who cannot safely remain in their current lodgings; Offer measures such as repair of locks or boarding up of windows to prevent the immediate reburglarization of a home or an apartment; or Provide crime victims petty cash for meeting immediate needs related to transportation, food, shelter, and other necessities. Support services that include: Follow-up counseling for other than crisis reactions, reassurance and empathetic listening, and guidance for resolving practical problems created by the experience of victimization; Acting on the crime victim's behalf vis-a-vis other social services and criminal justice agencies; Assistance in obtaining the swift return of property being kept by police as evidence; Intervention, as appropriate, with landlords or employers; and Referral to other sources of assistance, as needed. Court-related services that assist crime victims in participating in criminal justice proceedings including transportation to court, child care, and accompaniment services. Payment of all reasonable costs for a forensic examination of a victim of sexual assault/abuse, to the extent that these costs are not otherwise reimbursed or paid by third parties. Funds may only be used to pay for those forensic examinations that conform to standards adopted by the State or meet the evidentiary requirements of the local prosecutor. Training for those individuals, salaried or volunteer staff, who provide direct services to crime victims, which may include personnel employed by criminal justice, social services, mental health, or related agencies. Printing and distribution of brochures and similar announcements describing the direct services available and how to obtain a program's assistance, and similar public notification efforts intended to recruit volunteers. The local program shall assist victims in seeking available crime victims' compensation benefits. This assistance may be achieved by identifying and notifying potential recipients of the compensation program and assisting them with the application forms and procedures. The local program shall promote coordinated public and private efforts to aid crime victims within the community served. The local program shall terminate services when the: Goal set in the service plan is reached; Recipient requests termination of services; or Staff decides with the recipient that the service is no longer appropriate. The local program shall use volunteers unless and to the extent the Governor or the Governor's designee determines that compelling reasons exist to waive this requirement. Professional and para-professional staff and volunteers shall have training or experience in interviewing individuals in crisis and providing supportive services. Fiscal Recording. The local program shall: Maintain books, records, documents, and other evidence of all expenditures and income; Maintain records according to generally acceptable standards of accounting; Present all books, records, documents, and other evidence for inspection, review, or audit by State auditors or others authorized to monitor the performance of the local program, upon reasonable notice. Case Record. For each: Applicant for service, the local program shall collect and retain basic identifying and demographic data concerning the applicant, and the nature of the request for service; Recipient of service, the local program shall collect and retain data concerning the services rendered, including the service plan and disposition of the case. The local program is responsible for compilation and transmittal of statistical data as required by the Office. Records shall be retained for a period of 3 years following completion of services. The local program may not disclose any identifying information regarding an applicant or recipient of service to any agency or individual without written authorization from the applicant or recipient except: As required by State law regarding the reporting of cases of suspected child abuse or neglect; or To Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention employees authorized to monitor or audit the program. The local program shall maintain all written records regarding applicants and recipients of service in a securely locked location. The local program shall make available to any applicant or recipient of service aggrieved by a decision, action, or inaction of the local program, a procedure by which the grievance may be heard. The procedure shall include a written notice of the action taken and the basis for the action, together with a copy of the grievance rights and the steps to take to initiate the grievance process, an opportunity to be heard, and a written decision by the local program director or his or her designee that affirms or reverses the local program's action. The written determination shall include the basis for the decision. The local program shall forward to the Office a summary of each decision rendered, including finding of facts concerning each grievance heard. Human Services Article, §4-302, Annotated Code of Maryland;Victims of Crime Act of 1984, Public Law 98-473, §1401 et seq. Effective date: November 17, 1986 (13:23 Md. R. 2479) Regulation .01 amended effective October 1, 2001 (28:19 Md. R. 1683) Regulation .03 amended effective October 1, 2001 (28:19 Md. R. 1683) Regulation .04 amended effective October 1, 2001 (28:19 Md. R. 1683) Regulation .05A, C amended effective October 1, 2001 (28:19 Md. R. 1683) Regulation .07 amended effective October 1, 2001 (28:19 Md. R. 1683) Regulation .08A amended effective October 1, 2001 (28:19 Md. R. 1683) Chapter recodified from COMAR 07.06.07 to COMAR 07.01.16 effective June, 2009 Chapter recodified from COMAR 07.01.16 to COMAR 01.04.03 effective December 24, 2012 (39:25 Md. R. 1610) Regulation .02B amended effective December 24, 2012 (39:25 Md. R. 1610) Regulation .08C amended effective December 24, 2012 (39:25 Md. R. 1610) Regulation .09A amended effective December 24, 2012 (39:25 Md. R. 1610) Regulation .10B amended effective December 24, 2012 (39:25 Md. R. 1610)