Training Overview
This training meets all essential components in the NCA Standard of Advocacy
First Witness Advocacy bridges the gap between individual advocacy with one victim and system-based advocacy that creates change for many victims. This is in contrast to more restrictive advocacy models that are based on delivering services identified by practitioners.
Through hands-on practice, participants will learn how to put advocacy principles into action, including conducting a focus group to improve programming, changing organizations and systems, and creating programs and interventions that meet victims’ needs.
Participants will practice skills for effective crisis intervention and advocacy, problem-solving, and decision making around the toughest issues in advocacy work.
Participants will:
- Understand the principles of social change advocacy and how to use them in their work
- Understand how societal beliefs and values impact advocacy
- Learn and practice crisis intervention and counseling
- Explore controversial issues in advocacy such as confidentiality, boundaries and neutrality
- Learn how to create system change and facilitate focus groups with families
- Learn about how to build child and family resiliency in the face of abuse
- Learn how to create an advocacy-based organization and a community of advocates
- Understand the advocate role and how to work within a multi-disciplinary team structure
- Learn about the victim advocacy standard for National Children’s Alliance Accreditation
Who should attend:
- Advocates working within a child advocacy center
- Advocates working within sexual assault or domestic violence agencies who work with a child advocacy center
- Directors or managers within child advocacy centers
- Victim witness specialists
- Any advocate working on behalf of survivors of physical and/or sexual violence and/or child abuse