National Mass Violence Center honored with Congressional ‘Award of Excellence’ in Washington D.C.

Bipartisan leaders recognize center’s outstanding services for mass violence victims, survivors and affected communities

When a mass violence incident (MVI) occurs in the United States, a group of dedicated MUSC employees immediately gets to work. The team at the National Mass Violence Center, based in the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center in the Department of Psychiatry and funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), immediately curates a resource guide for leaders in the affected community.

In addition to the customized resources, the center’s professionals may be activated by the OVC to provide on-the-ground guidance and technical support in the aftermath of the tragedy. NMVC may be charged with developing a resilience center in the community to provide mental health support to victims, survivors and families who are at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder. 

“OVC had a big vision for us,” NMVC co-director Angela Moreland said. “NMVC strives for excellence by listening to mass violence survivors. It is survivors’ experiences, their personal stories and their lives that really help us to augment the research that we’re doing in those days, years and decades after mass violence so we can recover and build resilience moving forward.”

 

The NMVC also promptly provides its resource guide to U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-California, following this type of event. As chair of the United States Congressional Crime Survivors & Justice Caucus, Costa ensures that the Congressional member in the affected community receives the resource guide, along with a personal note.

NMVC staff immediately responded directly to Costa’s district following mass violence incidents in Fresno, California, including a spree shooting in 2017 and a mass shooting in the Hmong community in 2019. 

“When an incident happens in a community, I have leaned on the center to provide support and services,” Costa explained. “While we all wish there was no need for a National Mass Violence Center to exist, I’m grateful that the NMVC works to help countless communities that are devastated by mass violence.”

Costa and Caucus co-Chair Anthony D’Esposito, R-New York, announced this week that they selected the NMVC to receive the United States Congressional Crime Survivors & Justice Caucus Award of Excellence.

The inaugural award was announced during the Caucus’ annual National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. This bipartisan recognition is presented at the discretion of the co-chairs to individuals and organizations that have been outstanding partners to the Crime Survivors & Justice Caucus.

“The National Mass Violence Center works to be a hub for evidence-based responses to instances of mass violence,” said Costa. “It is our nation’s go-to organization to help communities and their leaders and their allies to prepare for and to respond to and, more importantly, to recover after a mass violence crime has taken place in their community.” 

 

“We are incredibly honored to receive this award, grateful for the opportunity to serve victims and survivors of mass violence and appreciative that the Office for Victims of Crime has provided us with funding to accomplish our mission,” said NMVC director Dean Kilpatrick, Ph.D. “The NMVC team delivers year-round training, technical assistance, outreach and resources for mass violence preparation, response, recovery and resilience in addition to responding to mass violence incidents in real-time around the country.”

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-South Carolina, was invited to present the Award of Excellence at Tuesday’s ceremony. “The impact of your work extends far beyond individual survivors. Your knowledge and best practices equip the families and communities’ leaders, mental health professionals, journalists and policymakers with an understanding of mass violence trauma and the tools to support survivors,” Clyburn said. “Your work is saving lives, not just physically but emotionally as well.”

For nearly 20 years, the U.S. Congressional Crime Survivors & Justice Caucus has worked to elevate the voices of crime victims and survivors in Congress in a bipartisan manner. The caucus works diligently to protect the Crime Victims Fund that supports thousands of victim service organizations nationwide and emphasizes the importance of listening to crime survivors and those who serve them to guide Congressional actions and improve services and rights for crime victims. 

“The goals of the caucus align with the values of the NMVC to guide community leaders, including emergency planners, elected officials and mental health professionals, to develop MVI response and resilience plans that are centered around victims and survivors,” Kilpatrick said. 

Video of the awards ceremony is available online.