NORTHWEST VICTIM SERVICES

The Heartbeat for Victims

Northwest Victim Services
6023 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144
ph: 215.438.4410
fax: 215.438.2933
alt: 267-808-0350 24 Hour Hotline
contact@northwestvictimservices.org

About NVS

In 1981, the Community Safety Program of Northwest Interfaith Movement began as the first community based victim service program in Philadelphia. The Community Safety Program became an independent nonprofit organization incorporated under the name of Northwest Victim Services (NVS) in 1986. Six additional community based victim service agencies in Philadelphia have modeled their organizations after NVS and all of these programs have relied on NVS for technical assistance and expertise. During its first year as an independent agency, NVS provided service to 800 crime victims in the14th police district. The number of victims served, as well as the type of services provided, has grown over the last 30 years. During 2015/ 2016, NVS provided services to over 2,000 crime victims in the 5th,14th, 35th and 39th police districts. Services provided include crisis/ supportive counseling, accompaniment, financial assistance, and information/referral. In addition to providing services to crime victims, NVS provides community programs to increase safety and knowledge of NVS's services. NVS works closely with local / citywide community groups and agencies including the District Attorney’s Office, police, and government agencies such as the Social Security Administration and plays an active role in the Philadelphia Coalition for Victim Advocacy and several state and local community task forces. Please see below for NVS's mission, staff, and Board of Directors.

Mission of NVS

Provide supportive services to
crime victims in Northwest Philadelphia

NVS supports individuals impacted by crime, empowering them to effectively navigate the criminal justice system, while vigorously advocating for their rights. Through the provision of client support and the development of community relationships NVS:

Addresses the emotional, safety and financial needs of crime victims, and
Increases awareness of crime prevention strategies to elevate community safety.

VISIONS:

NVS will have a broad and deep network of supporters, partners, and funders enabling NVS to 1) serve more clients, 2) enhance services as needed, and 3) provide prevention strategies throughout the community. In turn, NVS will be known as the beacon for crime victims in the NVS service area and as the gold standard of victim service agencies throughout the region.

VALUES:

Northwest Victim Services values six principles when aiding victims of crimes and the Northwest community. These principles are: Community, Empathy, Dignity, Reliability, Competence, and Confidentiality.

We practice each of these values in the following ways:

Community: We strive to meet the needs of the individuals and the communities we serve. We foster and utilize the community’s support as partners to aid crime victims and reduce crime. Our Board and staff reflect the communities we serve.
Empathy: We work alongside crime victims as empathetic allies.
Dignity: We empower clients to advocate for themselves, treating them as individuals and providing them with choices that reflect their individual needs.
Reliability: We are present for clients and responsive to their needs, including providing information and resources to address questions if we do not have the answers. We support staff so that they can reliably support clients.
Competence: We are trained professionals, knowledgeable in the best practices in our field. We are a learning organization, continuously seeking to improve upon our knowledge and skills to better serve our clients and the community.
Confidentiality: We honor and uphold the vital importance of preserving client confidentiality at all times.

NVS Board of Directors
2016/2017

Patrice Fisher, President

Shayna Harvey, Secretary

Gail Mitchell, Treasurer

Cristsandra Penn

Kevin E. Raphael, Esq.

Mark Moore, Esq.

Denise Byrd

Lori A. Dumas

Yohanes Kosasih

Le-Quyen Vu

Nora Watson

Pedro Rodriguez

Dr. Joann Cozza

Derrick Sawyer

Pastor Robert Coombe

Advisory Board Member

Patricia A. Payne, Chair

Reverend Leroy Miles

Tonya De’voue-Black

Reverend Nick Taliaferro

A note from the President of the NVS Board:

It gives me great pleasure to serve as the president of the Board of Directors for Northwest Victim Services (NVS) and work alongside a team of dedicated board members who uphold the standards of NVS to carry on our mission. Even in these times of economic uncertainty, NVS continues to provide free quality services to victims in northwest Philadelphia despite the challenge of doing more with less. We are fortunate to have highly qualified staff working toward our goal of making sure that NVS remains a cornerstone in our community, offering the best possible support and advocacy for victims of crime. We’re excited to continue our mission through upcoming activities and events and hope you will join us.
–Patrice Fisher, President of the Board

For details about NVS statistics and finances please see the Statistical/ Financial Information page of this website.

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