WTC Records Folder 0128 Disaster Information General label, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Responding to Terrorism Victims - Oklahoma City and Beyond Page 4 of 7

Between June 1, 1995, and February 28, 1998, Project Heartland reported providing 8,869 clients with counseling, support group, or crisis intervention services. Approximately 186,000 contacts were made, which included reaching out to a broad spectrum of minority and ethnic populations (Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, May 31, 1998). Outreach efforts included educational materials and information about services, debriefing sessions for workplace groups, and educational seminars on such topics as grief or traumatic stress. Services were provided free of charge at the Project Heartland Center, which housed a core group of clinicians and was open from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., with evening and weekend appointments available on request. After hours, calls to the Center were transferred to the ODMHSAS crisis hotline, enabling clients to have 24-hour access to services.

Streamlining Procedures To File for Claim Benefits

Federal and state agencies made special efforts to streamline procedures for obtaining benefits and other assistance for victims. Agencies such as the state's crime victim compensation program, administered by the Oklahoma District Attorney's Council, assisted victims with crime-related expenses. This program made special efforts to simplify the compensation application and award process by waiving the usual law enforcement verification requirements and by dedicating one staff member to exclusively process all claims. Special attention was given to compensating lost wages for the victim and loss of support for the victim's family. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOT) administers the Public Safety Officers' Benefit program, which provides aid to survivors of slain and injured federal and state safety officers. In response to the Oklahoma City bombing, BJA not only streamlined its application procedure but also sent staff to Oklahoma to meet with surviving family members and assist them in applying for benefits. These are only two examples of special efforts taken to provide easy access to public benefits for victims of this terrorist act. Recognizing the horrific trauma experienced by the bombing victims, other special efforts were also undertaken by agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Social Security Administration.

U.S. Attorney's Office Response

This phase of the Oklahoma City bombing response focused on identifying and locating victims, assessing their needs, and providing the services needed to help them cope after the immediate crisis. Based on the federal definition of "victim,"2 victims encompassed a wide range of ages and situations) A critical task for the U.S. Attorney's Office involved identifying the victim population and developing a plan for providing appropriate assistance. While the definition of a federal crime victim includes anyone who suffers direct physical, emotional, or financial harm, there is a potentially wider range of individuals who suffered psychological harm. The Oklahoma City bombing victims directly affected by the event included the injured and killed and their families as well as employees of agencies in the Murrah Building. Beyond this core group of victims are other victims who suffered: rescue workers, police officers, and other responders to the scene; coworkers; people

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/pubfcations/infores/respterrorism/chap3.html 9/29/01

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