NCJ Number
238415
Date Published
2001
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of an evaluation of the effectiveness of various components of South Carolina's Victim Assistance Institute (VAI), which has provided comprehensive victim assistance basic training to victim service providers across the State, as well as advanced specialty training in areas such as coordinated community response and domestic violence and child victims.
Abstract
Participant evaluations of VAI's basic and advanced training programs have been uniformly positive; subsequent analyses have shown stability in these ratings over the full 1999-2001 period of VAI training. Through basic training, 270 participants achieved a Primary Certificate in Victim Services. An additional 52 participants completed the advanced training to earn an Advanced Specialty Certificate on Coordinated Community Response. VAI's first fiscal year needs assessment and curriculum development are described, and an overview of basic training is provided, with a listing of the curriculum units. Other VAI programs are also described, including training on what senior citizens can do when victimized and high-school awareness training on dating violence and healthy relationships. VAI's training in serving domestic violence victims and associated child victims is also described. The report concludes with a review of VAI's expenditures, achievements, and integration into the national movement in victim services training.