by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
The program helps those who would help victims take back their lives.
A training institute, presented by The National Center for Victims of Crime, will be held April 28 and 29 at the Adam’s Mark Hotel.
The summit/workshop is the first of only four that will be held in the country this year.
“The issues are very timely,” said Eric Smith, executive director of The Center for Strategic Governance and International Initiatives at Florida Coastal School of Law, one of the session’s sponsors. “It would be a good thing for people in the school system to attend. It would also be good for lawyers who work with victims.”
Additional sponsors are the City’s Victim Services Center and the mayor’s Victim Assistance Advisory Council.
The National Center also recommends the sessions for any professional or organization that works with victims, including domestic violence shelters, law enforcement officials and advocates, psychologists, religious leaders, youth development workers and social service providers.
Those who attend will learn the latest issues dealing with teen victims, dating violence, and stalking and sexual assault, Smith said.
There will be sessions on civil justice, a spotlight on Florida programs, outreach to male victims, tools and techniques for a community needs assessment, and addressing repeat victimization.
One session will be devoted to “parallel justice.”
“That is a new concept that guarantees victims the same restorative justice that is extended to accused and convicted criminals,” said Smith. “It guarantees that, within the system, there will be medical help, counseling and the right to an attorney to assist at a reasonable charge or no charge.
“A lot of the time, victims are dumped. The victim has no value to the system. This process puts victims at the very top of the criminal justice agenda, instead of being so ill-treated as they are today.”
Smith, a member of the NCVC board, had recommended the group hold a crime victims summit.
“We couldn’t exactly do a summit; the cost was prohibitive,” he said. “What we’re doing is a training workshop and a chance for us to get together.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for people who care about victims to get together and hear from these people on some cutting-edge topics.”
A team of 10 professionals is expected to lead the sessions:
• Tracy Bahm, director of the Stalking Resource Center. She has served as a faculty member and lecturer at domestic violence and sexual assault programs.
• Jeffrey Dion, deputy director of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. He trains victim advocates in the application of civil litigation and instructs fellow attorneys in crime victim issues and services.
• Cheryl Green, program associate for the Dating Violence Resource Center. She has worked with crime victims since 1996.
• Rebecca Hoey, a program attorney in the Stalking Resource Center. She compiles and analyzes federal and state stalking statutes, case law and other legal information and answers technical assistance requests from practitioners.
• Michael Kaiser, director of the programs for the National Center. He oversees the National Center’s Stalking Resource Center, Dating Violence Resource Center and the Teen Victim Project.
• Matthew Markon, a nationally recognized trainer on threat assessment, stalking investigation, the use of technology by stalkers and domestic violence investigation.
• Lara Murray has more than 10 years of experience working with victims of crime, including victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and homicide.
• Kevin O’Brien has been involved in service to crime victims as a trainer, consultant, therapist, clinical supervisor and program administrator.
• Julie Whitman, project director for the Teen Action Partnership and the Youth Outreach for Victim Assistance Project.
“We have established the Training Institute to advance the field as a whole,” said Susan Herman, executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime. “Giving concrete tools and state-of-the-art techniques to victim service providers will translate into far more effective services to victims of crime — our ultimate goal.”
Registration information and forms are available online at www.ncvc.org.
The Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, has announced that Professional Development Scholarships are available for those who work with victims of crime and seek continuing education opportunities.
The scholarships, which are up to $1,000 for individuals and $5,000 for multidisciplinary teams, are administered by the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center.
More information about the scholarships is available at www.ovcttac.org/scholarship.cfm or by calling (866) 682-8822.
To register for the program, go to www.ncvc.org.