Atlanta, GA – Yesterday, CJCC kicked-off the 2019 Tier A Georgia Victim Assistance Academy (GVAA). This year’s academy is being held Sunday, May 19, 2019 through Friday, May 24, 2019, in Atlanta, Georgia. The Tier A Georgia Victim Assistance Academy is a comprehensive, skills-based training experience for crime victim advocates and for those who serve crime victims through a range of victim services programs.

The overarching goal is to improve the quality and consistency of services for victims in Georgia. The training weaves core concepts and best practices together to encourage a victim-centered, multidisciplinary, and collaborative approach to supporting those whose lives have been impacted by crime. GVAA is building the capacity of communities to recognize, respect, and respond to the needs and experiences of crime victims in our state by cultivating academy participants’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

The Tier A GVAA is designed for advocates with fewer than three years of experience, including long-term direct service volunteers. Offered annually, GVAA is limited to 50 participants who will learn together from Sunday afternoon through Friday afternoon. It is 40 hours of experiential practice, also known as “baseline victimology” full of mini-lectures, large group discussions, and practical small-group exercises.

These 40 hours of interactive learning will benefit participants by:

  • Promoting excellence in service to crime victims,
  • Challenging the way advocates approach service delivery,
  • Assisting professionals in more fully meeting the needs of crime victims, and
  • Encouraging collaboration, networking, and partnerships.

On the last day of the academy, Friday May 24th, there will be a class graduation and recognition of the class president. The president is nominated by their fellow classmates for the outstanding leadership and commitment throughout the entire academy. For more information on GVAA, or how to apply to attend next year, contact Kyra Matthews at [email protected] or by phone at 404-654-1778.

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About the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC)

Created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1981 as an Executive Branch agency, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) represents the culmination of many efforts to establish a statewide body that would build consensus and unity among the State's diverse and interdependent, criminal justice system components. For more information visit the CJCC website: https://cjcc.georgia.gov/.

Samantha Wolf – Communications and External Affairs Director | Atlanta | 404.657.1958