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Victim Services & Grant Reporting Glossary

Plain-language definitions of the acronyms victim service agencies live with: VOCA, OVC PMT, VAWA STOP, FVPSA, HMIS, comparable database, CoC APR, ESG CAPER, Sage, CCR and more.

Bed board
A live view of a shelter's capacity — which beds and rooms are occupied, reserved, out of service or available — used to place families quickly and to report bed nights.
CCR— Coordinated Community Response
A model in which advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, health and housing partners coordinate their response to domestic and sexual violence so survivors get consistent support and offenders consistent accountability.
CoC— Continuum of Care
The regional or local planning body that coordinates housing and services for people experiencing homelessness and applies for HUD CoC Program funding.
CoC APR— Annual Performance Report
The annual report HUD CoC Program recipients submit to show who was served and the outcomes achieved. It is generated as a CSV report package and uploaded to Sage.
Comparable database
A separate, confidential database that a victim service provider uses in place of HMIS. It must meet HUD's HMIS data standards so the provider can produce the same aggregate reports (such as the CoC APR and ESG CAPER) without sharing survivors' identifying information.
ESG CAPER— Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report
The annual performance report for Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) activities, submitted through Sage.
FVPSA— Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
Federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that funds domestic violence shelters and supportive services through formula grants to states, tribes and coalitions.
HMIS— Homeless Management Information System
The local data system a Continuum of Care uses to record services to people experiencing homelessness. Victim service providers are prohibited from entering client-identifying data into HMIS and use a comparable database instead.
OVC PMT— Performance Measurement Tool
The Office for Victims of Crime's online system where VOCA subgrantees report performance data — victims served, demographics and services provided — on a quarterly schedule.
Sage— Sage HMIS Reporting Repository
HUD's online repository where APR and CAPER CSV report files are uploaded and validated before submission.
Survivor-centered
An approach that puts the survivor's choices, safety and dignity at the center of every decision, including what information is collected and who it is shared with.
Texas HHSC FVP— Texas Health and Human Services Commission — Family Violence Program
The Texas state program that funds family violence shelters, nonresidential centers and special nonresidential projects. Funded programs submit monthly service data on a September–August fiscal year.
Trauma-informed care
Service delivery that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and is designed to avoid re-traumatization — for example by not making survivors repeat their story to every new provider.
VAWA STOP— Services • Training • Officers • Prosecutors
A Violence Against Women Act formula grant program administered by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). States subgrant STOP funds to victim services, law enforcement, prosecution and courts, and subgrantees file an annual progress report.
Victim advocate
A trained professional who supports people harmed by crime with crisis support, safety planning, information about their rights, accompaniment and referrals. Community-based advocates work for nonprofits; system-based advocates work in prosecutors' offices or police departments.
VOCA— Victims of Crime Act (1984)
Federal law that created the Crime Victims Fund, administered by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). VOCA victim assistance formula grants flow to a state administering agency, which subgrants them to local victim service programs.

Definitions are general summaries, not legal or compliance advice. See also our grant reporting guides.