Office for Victim Assistance


November 13, 2009

Each FBI Field Office employs highly-trained victim specialists to support the public. These employees are part of the FBI's Office for Victim Assistance.


Audio Transcript

Mr. Schiff: If there is a tragedy that happens where the FBI is called, the FBI’s Office for Victim Assistance may respond to help. Kathryn Turman is the program director and says she has highly-trained victim specialists at all 56 field offices.

Ms. Turman: “Most of them have social work backgrounds.”

Mr. Schiff: Turman says her office helps out in many ways.

Ms. Turman: “Forensic child interviewing programs; we have a Terrorism and Special Jurisdiction Victims program; and we also have a special program that works with victims of Internet child pornography.”

Mr. Schiff: It was just after 9/11 that FBI Director Robert Mueller created the Office for Victim Assistance. Turman says her Rapid Response Team is at Fort Hood in Texas assisting the military.

Ms. Turman: “ They have a lot of experience in providing some crisis counseling and referrals for services.”

Mr. Schiff: In the past few years the Office for Victim Assistance has assisted at several mass casualty incidents, sin addition to helping local authorities at various events that have occurred at malls or schools. I’m Neal Schiff of the Bureau, and that’s what’s happening at the “FBI, This Week.”

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