The Oregon State Basic Victim Assistance Academy (Basic Academy) provides fundamental education for victim service providers and allied professionals who routinely interact with victims of crime. The Summer/Fall 2018 Basic Academy in Portland, Oregon, will require online distance learning on select dates in August and September, in addition to in-person learning from September 10-13, 2018.

The Basic Academy is designed for advocates who are new to the role of advocacy. The curriculum includes sessions that cover the core competencies of victim advocacy taught by local advocacy experts.

The Basic Academy is committed to graduating advocates who possess the core competencies necessary to compassionately, knowledgeably, collaboratively, and sustainably support agency in the aftermath of crime.

Topics May Include: Justice System Overview; Ethics; Privacy; Crime Victims’ Rights; Effective Communication; Crisis Intervention; Intimate Partner Violence; Vicarious Trauma, Resiliency and Self-Care; Neurobiology of Trauma; and Financial Recovery.

Target Audience: This training is designed for Oregon advocates new to the role of advocacy who are working in system-based and community-based agencies. Allied professionals working with crime victims (e.g. mental health counselors, crisis response workers) will be enrolled as space allows. Registration priority is given to Oregon participants; out-of-state participants will be enrolled as space allows.

Learner and Academy Obligations and Commitments

The Basic Academy is a place for learning the fundamentals of effective victim advocacy and for building a sustainable, collaborative community dedicated to serving and empowering victims. Success in this endeavor requires commitments from the organizers of the Basic Academy and from each participant.

In addition to participating in the 4-day, in-person Basic Academy and completing the required pre-work, participants must complete four mandatory two-hour pre-Academy distance learning sessions scheduled for Tuesday, August 14th, Tuesday, August 21st, Tuesday, August 28th, and Tuesday, September 4th, 2018 (flexible times available).

All registrants must review and sign the Agreement found here.

National Advocate Credentialing Available

Successful graduates of the SVAA Basic Academy will be eligible for the National Advocate Credentialing Program Provisional Level credential. For more information about this credential, please visit: http://www.trynova.org/help-crime-victim/nacp/. This training will qualify for CEUs.

Costs and Basic Academy Information

The $300 registration fee includes access to all materials, coffee, morning and afternoon snacks and graduation certificate. Participants pay for their own lodging, food and travel expenses.

Logistical information will be sent to registrants in advance of the Basic Academy.

CVSSD Scholarships for Basic Academy

The Oregon Department of Justice, Crime Victim and Survivor Services Division (CVSSD) has limited scholarships (full and partial) for victim service providers to attend the upcoming Oregon State Victim Assistance Academies, both Basic and Advanced. Scholarship applications are due July 20, 2018. Scholarships may cover the registration fee, lodging and transportation costs. Click the following link for a scholarship application to the Basic Academy. For more information, please email Caroline Olfert, CVSSD Training and Curriculum Policy Coordinator.