The Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence will present the 2014 Senator Tommy Burks Victim Assistance Academy June 9-13 in Chattanooga on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The Academy is a comprehensive basic level training designed for victim service providers.
"The Academy is just one part of the Tennessee Coalition's efforts to see that domestic and sexual violence victim advocates across the state are trained to meet the needs of victims," said Kathy Walsh, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition.
"When victims reach out for help, it's essential that they find advocates ready to help them become safe and begin to heal from the violence they've experienced."
According to an article in Tuesday's Tennessean, "In September, a report by the Violence Policy Center again ranked Tennessee in the top 10, with the sixth-highest rate of women murdered by men in the nation."
The goal of the Academy is to improve services to crime victims by enhancing the knowledge and skills of victim advocates. This week-long session will offer a Tennessee-specific 40 hour curriculum modeled after the National Victim Assistance Academy.
The Academy addresses issues specific to Tennessee crime victims and offers people who are new to the field of victim advocacy opportunities to expand their skills and knowledge of Tennessee law and advocacy by learning from experts and each other. The training is appropriate for individuals working in victim advocacy programs, prosecutor’s offices, law enforcement, probation, corrections, emergency responders, domestic and sexual violence programs, child advocacy centers, and other victim service agencies. The Academy is also appropriate for students who are interested in the field of victimology.