Information for Las Vegas shooting survivors from California Victims Compensation
If you know someone who was a victim of the Las Vegas shooting, please give them this info:
PART ONE:
Survivors of the Las Vegas Tragedy can receive FREE therapy (and other help..keep reading) paid for by Victims of Crime Compensation no matter where in the US you live. In Los Angeles, we have assigned our own advocate so victims don’t get the run around and so one person knows all the information to help you. Her name: Brenda Aguilara. Her number is 213-974-1622. She will expedite your claim so you can get help today. If you are outside Los Angeles call 1 (800) 380-3811. Even if you live outside of California, the 1 (800) 380-3811 will link you to funding in your state. In California, they will pay for 40 sessions of therapy at whatever therapist you choose. They pay therapists more than normal insurance companies so your therapist probably won’t hesitate taking this. I am a therapist and I called Victims Compensation today to verify this information that is in this post.
Also check out my blog posts at LongBeachTherapy.com. I have 3 posts about how to help people and explain PTSD.
PART TWO – What’s covered?
CalVCB can help victims of crimes that occur in California as well as California residents who become victims while visiting other states or outside the country.
Additionally, people who suffer a monetary loss because of death or injury to a crime victim may also be eligible for compensation. These victims can include:
- Spouses or Domestic Partners
- Children
- Parents
- Legal Guardians
- Brothers
- Sisters
- Grandparents
- Grandchildren
What Expenses Can CalVCB Help Pay?
CalVCB may help pay for expenses related to a crime such as:
- Medical and dental treatment
- Mental health services
- Income loss
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of support for dependents when a victim is killed or disabled because of a crime
- Home or vehicle modifications
- Home security
- Relocation
- Crime scene cleanup
CalVCB cannot pay for any expense not related to the crime, any expenses paid by insurance (CALVCB will pay for copays and deductibles you may have though) or another source of reimbursement or coverage, expenses for lost, stolen or damaged property, or damages for pain and suffering.
There are limits on how much can be paid for each loss.
PART THREE
Also, this is information I personally received directly from California Victims of Crime Compensation (this was not written by me):
Dear Providers:
The horrific crime that happened on Sunday affected thousands of Californians, and our hearts go out to everyone who was impacted in Las Vegas, here at home, and across the nation. Many Californians were killed or injured, and thousands were in attendance at the concert. I am writing to you to let you know that CalVCB can help. Californians who were there are eligible to receive victim compensation through both the California and Nevada programs.
We have posted a special application for victims of the Las Vegas attack (https://victims.ca.gov/lasvegas/) on our website. We are coordinating closely with Nevada, and have agreed to accept each other’s applications. The application we posted has Nevada’s signature page as well as ours. One application will suffice for both programs.
If victims or their family members come to you, please help them get in touch with us. Anyone there that night will be eligible for assistance. As you know, we can help pay for funeral expenses, medical bills, counseling and income or support loss.
We have set up a special fax to receive applications related to the Las Vegas attack at (833) 225-8220. No crime report is needed with these applications. We are just asking for a description of what happened to the applicant that night and a description of injuries, if applicable.
We are working with advocates in Nevada to reach the families of deceased victims and those who were injured. If you are in contact with the family of a deceased victim and they have not had contact with either victim compensation program, please contact us right away so we can assist them.
Yesterday we sent out a press release regarding our efforts. We would appreciate your help in spreading the word through your own press contacts, websites, or social media. Please check our social media often for updates.
Sincerely,
Mental Health Section Staff
Victim Compensation Board
(This is #1 of 4 blog posts about this topic, please see all 4 posts for this topic to get all the information you can. I will add posts as I get information that might help).