Rhode Island State Victim Assistance Academy to be Held at Roger Williams University

BRISTOL, RI (07/12/2011)(readMedia)-- In a statewide effort and as part of a national campaign to improve the quality of service to crime victims, the Rhode Island State Victim Assistance Academy will kick off July 12 at Roger Williams University. This will be the third installment of this annual education program presented in partnership with Family Service of Rhode Island.

Open to professionals who work with victims and survivors of crime, the foundation-level training provides individuals with the skills, knowledge and resources to better serve. Academy attendees have included staff from the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office as well as detectives, advocates for the homeless and for domestic violence victims, hospital interpreters, elder affairs workers and others within the public and private sectors.

"Working with crime victims is a specialty of Family Service of Rhode Island," says Margaret Holland McDuff, the nonprofit's CEO. "We wanted to combine our knowledge and experience with that of Roger Williams University's School of Justice Studies to offer a unique and comprehensive training to professionals across the Rhode Island."

Holland McDuff noted that Family Service of Rhode Island has long worked in partnership with the Providence Police Department in assisting victims and is now working in East Providence and most recently with the Rhode Island State Police.

Sessions at the Academy will cover topics including gay, lesbian and transgender issues; victims' rights; elder issues; and victim compensation. Roger Williams University faculty will serve as instructors for selected sessions, as will staff from Family Service of Rhode Island, and from several non-profit, educational and government agencies. Rhode Island General Treasurer Gina M. Raimondo will deliver the program's keynote speech.

"Raising awareness across various state and community agencies about the critical work happening around crime victim assistance is vital," General Treasurer Raimondo says. "The Crime Victims Compensation Fund, administered by my office, is another resource that academy participants will learn how to access for their clients."

The State Victim Assistance Academy will take place July 12, 19 and 26, and August 2 and 9 at the University's Baypoint Inn and Conference Center in Portsmouth, R.I.

"Partnering with a respected nonprofit direct service provider like Family Service of Rhode Island is an expression of our core value and commitment to the community," says Stephanie Manzi, dean of the RWU School of Justice Studies. "The State Victim Assistance Academy is a specialized program that complements the wide variety of course topics we offer on campus. Enabling our students to engage with professionals who work directly with crime victims provides a more meaningful learning experience and ultimately better service in the field."

The Academy is open to anyone working in Rhode Island who is in a paid or volunteer position that includes direct contact with victims of crime in Rhode Island.

Family Service of Rhode Island's Susan Erstling, Ph.D., developed the Academy about five years ago to support what she viewed as a critical need: "When you're working with a victim immediately after a crime or violent incident, what you say and do may have a tremendous positive or negative impact, especially in the case of child victims," Dr. Erstling says. "We want to make sure that Rhode Island's victim services professionals are prepared to foster healing."

The Rhode Island State Victim Assistance Academy is based on the National Victim Assistance Academy curriculum that was developed by the Office for Victims of Crime and sponsored by the United States Department of Justice.

The Academy began with direct multi-year funding from the United States Department of Justice, which has ended. "Fortunately, we've been able to sustain the program with the support of the Rhode Island Public Safety Administration Office and federal Victims of Crime Act funds through that office," Dr. Erstling says.

About RWU: Roger Williams University is a leading independent, coeducational liberal arts university at which students live and learn to be global citizens. With 41 academic programs and an array of co-curricular activities on its Bristol, R.I., campus, RWU is committed to its mantra of learning to bridge the world. In the last decade, the University has achieved unprecedented academic and financial successes and continues to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten educational institutions in its class.

About Family Service of RI: Family Service of RI is a statewide non-profit human service and education organization. It is a member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network; the co-recipient, along with the Providence Police Department, of a 2010 MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Award; as well as the recipient of other recognition for its work with crime victims. Along with the Rhode Island State Victim Assistance Academy, Family Service of Rhode Island programs include a victims' assistance partnership with the State Police; victim impact classes for the state Department of Corrections; partnerships to follow up domestic violence and other crimes and traumatic events with the Providence and East Providence police; and a psychological first aid team, responding 24/7 to community emergencies. Family Service of Rhode Island is the After Hours Emergency Response provider for the state Department of Elderly Affairs.

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