An Overview of PA’s Victim Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP) and How to Apply
Honora here! I am a proud vendor of VCAP services in Pennsylvania which allows me to offer free therapeutic services to victims of violent crimes. VCAP is a program run by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), designed to support individuals who have suffered physical, emotional, or financial harm due to a crime that has occurred in Pennsylvania. This program offers financial aid for various expenses to help alleviate the financial burden on victims and their families. The individuals eligible for counseling reimbursement and the limit to which they can be reimbursed are as follows:
Adult victim at time of the crime ($5,000)
Minor victim at time of the crime ($10,000)
Witness present at a crime scene ($1,500)
Relative of victim – spouse, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren ($2,500 for personal injury crime or $5,000 for homicide)
Individual engaged to be married to the victim ($2,500 for personal injury crime or $5,000 for homicide)
Person who discovers the body of a homicide victim ($1,500)
Anyone residing in the same household as the victim ($2,500 for personal injury or $5,000 for homicide)
Person responsible for the victim’s welfare ($2,500 for personal injury crime or $5,000 for homicide)
The process of reporting a crime, specifically related to sexual assault, can be scary and unfeasible for many people. To address this, VCAP offers benefits to those who did not report or does not want to report the crime to authorities. More information can be found on this specific scenario on the Pennsylvania Office of Victim Services website
Once you have found a clinician who is a registered VCAP provider, you can submit a claim. After this claim has been approved, your clinician will do the rest of the work coordinating with VCAP. You will then be provided with cost-free counseling sessions up to your allotted VCAP reimbursement amount.
To apply for VCAP services, please visit the Pennsylvania Office of Victim Services website. I am a registered VCAP provider and am currently accepting new clients. If you have interest in learning more about my therapeutic style or have more questions about how VCAP works, please contact me via the Our Team page.
