Victim Advocate

Victim services personnel can provide an immediate and short-term response to mental, emotional, physical, and behavioral distress.

Crisis Support Hotlines (24 Hours)

Victim services personnel can assist victims in navigating the multiple complex processes within the criminal justice system and understanding their rights.

Follow this link for a printable version in many languages:

Marsy’s Law Card

Victim services personnel can help victims create safety plans to prepare for and access help when future victimization or crises occur, or to reduce the risk of harm.

Restraining Order Information

There are different kinds of restraining orders available through the court system. Please read through the different eligibility requirements, some are limited in the relief that they can provide.

Types of restraining orders:

• Domestic Violence Restraining Order
• Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse Protective Order
• Civil Harassment Restraining Order
• Workplace Violence

If you don’t know which restraining order is best for you or you need additional help, please consult a private attorney or visit your nearest Self-Help Center.

For those identified needs that victim services personnel cannot meet; they can provide referrals to local community organizations. Please visit our Community Resources page in our City of Soledad website to view additional services offered within our community.  

The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) Program helps crime victims and their immediate families with the financial costs of crime. CalVCB covers crime-related costs such as counseling, medical treatment, and loss of income not paid by other sources.

If you or your immediate family have financial costs because of a crime, you may be eligible for the crime victims’ compensation program. Here is what you need to know. 

Who qualifies for compensation?

Direct Victim

• A person who has directly suffered physical injury.
• A person who has been directly threatened with injury.
• Someone who dies due to a crime.
• Children who live in a Domestic Violence home.
• Directly impacted by the crime, physically, financially, and in some cases emotionally.

Derivative Victim

• A spouse or domestic partner.
• Children
• Parent / Legal Guardian
• Siblings
• Grand Parents
• Grand Children
• Anyone who assumes legal or financial liability for a deceased victim’s expenses.
• A person living in the same household as the victim at the time of the crime.
• A minor who witnesses a violent crime may qualify for mental health counseling, even if they are unrelated to the victim.

You may apply for compensation for all eligible crime-related costs. To receive compensation for these costs, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. When the crime occurs in California to a California resident.
2. When the crime occurred outside of California to a California resident.
3. To a nonresident of California that were victimized in California.
4. There should be reasonable cooperation from the victim or claimant with law enforcement, and court officials to arrest and prosecute the offender (exceptions may apply).
5. There should be reasonable cooperation from the victim or claimant with CalVCB staff.
6. File the application within seven years of the crime, seven years after the direct victim turns 21 years of age, or seven years from when the crime could have been discovered, whichever is later. If an application is filed late, the applicant must complete the Late Filing Consideration form and submit it with their application.
7. Not have been involved in the events leading to the crime that could be charged as a felony (some exceptions may be considered).
8. Persons who commit the crime.
9. Persons who do not cooperate reasonably with a law enforcement agency in the apprehension and conviction of a criminal committing the crime (some exceptions may be considered).

What Crimes Does the Program Cover?

Covered crimes include but are not limited to:

• Assault
• Child Abuse
• Domestic Violence
• Drunk Driving
• Elder Abuse
• Hate Crimes
• Homicide
• Human Trafficking
• Online Harassment
• Robbery
• Sexual Assault
• Stalking
• Vehicular Manslaughter

Payor of Last Resort

By law, CalVCB is a payor of last resort, which means applicants are compensated for covered expenses that have not been and will not be compensated from any other source.

 A claimant is first required to exhaust payments from other public or private sources prior to seeking compensation from CalVCB. Sources include:

• Medical/health, dental, or vision insurance
• Public benefit programs (MediCal, unemployment insurance, or Department of Rehabilitation or other disability benefits)
• Auto insurance
• Workers’ compensation benefits
• Court-ordered restitution
• Civil lawsuit recoveries