Victim Advocates
MADD Nebraska offers support services by trained Victim Advocates at no cost to victims or family members of victims killed or injured in drunk driving crashes. MADD Nebraska currently has 10 trained volunteer Victim Advocates throughout the state. They also help give a voice to victims who have been affected by this violent crime and work to strengthen existing laws and enact new ones. Services provided by Victim Advocates include:
- Immediate emotional support from drunk driving.
- Recognition, acknowledgment, and acceptance of all that is involved in your grief journey.
- Support groups with other victims of drunk driving.
- Guidance through the criminal justice system.
- Literature to help you cope emotionally (available in English and Spanish).
- Information about drunk driving laws and victim rights in Nebraska.
- Information and support in preparing victim impact statements for court.
- Accompaniment to court proceedings.
- Opportunities to meet other families impacted by alcohol related crashes.
- Assistance in applying for crime victim compensation benefits.
- Information about your crash report and the offender’s driving record.
- Information about civil attorneys.
- A Nebraska helpline: 1-800-444-6233 (response within 24 hours) and a 24 hour national helpline: 1-877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435) are available for victims in need of immediate assistance.
Victim Impact Panels
MADD Victim Impact Panels are attended by drunk driving offenders. These panels are a way for victims to share their stories in hopes of healing and to change the behavior of the offender. Panels are an effective way to help offenders realize the impact drinking and driving has on victims. To find a Victim Impact Panel near you, visit the Announcements and Events page.