Virginia''s Victim Assistance Academy

The purpose of this project is to assist States in developing effective strategies for establishing State Victim Assistance Academies (SVAA) - planning for an SVAA that provides comprehensive, academically-based, fundamental education and training for victim service providers, victim advocates, criminal justice personnel, and allied professionals who routinely interact with victims of crime. The Victims Services Section (VSS), within the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), will plan the State Academy for Virginia and plans to work with either Virginia Commonwealth University or the University of Richmond as their academic partner(s).

The strategic goals for Virginia in their first (planning) year are to:

1. Establish a viable partnership with an academic college/university to help in the planning process for the implementation of the state academy;
2. Establish diverse advisory/steering committees to guide the strategy/ implementation of the academy;
3. Conduct, complete, and analyze a statewide training needs assessment among allied professionals in VA. (formulate student selection criteria, initiate academy curriculum development, research training locations and logistics for Summer 2008 Academy and develop a resource development plan for sustaining the program after OVC funding ends).

c/ncf