Bea Hanson has been appointed the new director of the New York State Office of Victim Services (OVS). In this role, she will oversee the state agency that supports and funds community-based programs that provide direct services to victims and survivors of crime. The Office provides a financial safety net for individuals with no other resources to pay for expenses they incurred as a result of being victimized, such as medical and counseling bills, funeral and burial costs, and reimbursement of lost wages, among other financial assistance.
Director Hanson has decades of experience in the victim services field, working in both the public and nonprofit sectors. She joins the administration from the New York City Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, where she served as senior advisor since January 2021. In that role, she was responsible for developing and implementing programs and policies to prevent, reduce and respond to gender-based violence. Prior to that position, Director Hanson worked in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, serving as executive director of the New York City Domestic Violence Task Force.
Office of Victim Services Director Bea Hanson said, “I am honored to join Governor Hochul’s administration. I look forward to working with the dedicated staff at the Office of Victim Services to ensure the rights of victims of crime, further advance equity and improve access to services for all survivors of crime and their loved ones.”
Last year, the Office of Victim Services provided nearly $16.5 million to victims and survivors of crime and their family members for medical and counseling bills; occupational and vocational rehabilitation; lost wages and support; funeral and burial expenses; costs associated with court and medical transportation, security devices, moving, crime scene cleanup and replacement or repair of essential personal property. New York is the only state in the country with no cap on medical and counseling expenses; state law limits other types of reimbursement or compensation. In addition, OVS directly reimbursed medical providers $2.4 million for forensic rape exams in 2023.
