The TCVLAN is a one-stop shop for survivors of crime who need legal and support services. If a survivor applies with any one of the Network Partners, that survivor can have access to any partner who matches their needs. When the Network Partner identifies a survivor’s need(s) that the Partner cannot meet, the Partner can use the referral directory to search for another Partner who may be able to meet that need and make a direct referral to the selected Partner. The survivor will not have to make a separate application with every partner to whom they are referred.
Search our partner directory - Anyone can search the Network directory to find help. There is no fee for searching the database. Most of the Partners provide services free of charge but may have eligibility guidelines. Some partners may offer services with minimal fees to cover basic costs or those costs associated with court costs if they cannot be waived.
Survivor Information and Resources
A victim/survivor is any person who has suffered physical or emotional harm, property damage, or economic loss as a result of a crime.
Crimes can be violent or non-violent. A violent crime is one in which a person uses or threatens to use violent force against another person. Broad examples of violent crime are murder, sexual assault, robbery, and assault. However, violent crime includes a variety of offenses including child abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking, mugging, and stalking to name a few. A non-violent crime is any crime that does not involve the use of force or cause injury to another person. Broad examples of non-violent crimes are property crimes such as theft, arson, and burglary and fraud crimes such as identity theft and financial scams where deception or false pretenses are used to steal the money or property of another.
Yes. If you did not report the crime, you are still a crime victim/survivor and may need support services to deal with the effects of the crime. Many victim services will be available to you regardless of whether you reported the crime to law enforcement or not. However, you may have access to additional support services if you report the crime to law enforcement.
No. You can apply with any Network Partner even if you never reported the crime to law enforcement. If you need legal help as a result of being the victim of a crime, you can benefit from the Network.
Yes. There are rights protecting victims of crimes within the criminal justice system under both United States law and Texas law. Victim rights laws detail the rights victims/survivors have to be protected, informed about the progress of, and involved in the prosecution of their perpetrator.
Review your crime victim rights under United States and Texas laws.
Victims/survivors of violent crimes are forced to deal with the emotional, physical, and financial effects of crime. Crime victims' compensation is a program that can help victims and their family when they have no other way of paying for some of the financial cost of crime. To learn more about who qualifies for and what expenses can be covered by the Texas Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund, visit https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/cvs/crime-victims-compensation-who-is-eligible
The Texas Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) is a free service that provides crime victims/survivors with notice and updates about court events and jail status changes of offenders. To learn more about Texas VINE or register, go to https://vinelink.com/#/home.
Texas Law Help is a free on-line resource located at www.texaslawhelp.org. This resource provides legal information and forms on a variety of topics including family law, protective orders, eviction and tenant problems, consumer issues such as debt collection and bankruptcy, public benefits such as SNAP, TANF, and Social Security and more.
A Network Partner in Houston was helping JJ, a survivor of domestic violence, in her custody case. JJ and her 2 young children live out of state but JJ’s abuser filed for custody of the children here in Texas. JJ had to travel back and forth for court hearings and quickly ran out of money. JJ had to return to Houston for her final trial and was scared because she had no money for a place to stay. The Network Partner contacted a local domestic violence Network Partner and helped JJ find a safe place to stay for the week where she was able to get emotional support while dealing with the stress of a trial that would determine the future for her and her 2 small children. In the end, JJ got back to her home out of state with full custody of her two children and was able to save a little money that will help her move forward with her family safe from future abuse.
