The Foundations of CAC Family Advocacy, formerly known as The Advocate's Role in the Multidisciplinary Response to Child Abuse, is intended to fulfill the 24.0 hours of core training for victim advocates required in the 2023 National Children's Alliance Standards for Accredited Members. This training covers the twelve competencies set forth in those standards and will include evaluation of an increase in skills and knowledge in those attending the training. There is no cost to participate in this training.
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If you have previously met the nine components of the 2017 training standards for victim advocacy, you will only need additional training documentation for the following three new components along with the 2017 documentation to meet the 2023 standards:
- Cultural responsiveness and addressing the implicit bias in service delivery
- Caregiver resilience
- Domestic violence/family violence/children’s exposure to domestic violence and poly-victimization
* If you have not previously met the nine components of the 2017 standard, you will need training documentation for all 12 components of the 2023 standard.
**If you have already completed The Advocate’s Role in the Multidisciplinary Response to Child Abuse - this is the same training with a new updated name.
Moving Beyond: A Recorded Series of Special Topics in Victim Advocacy provides advocates an opportunity for online learning with experts in the child abuse field on these four special topics. The recording trainings are 60-90 minutes that you can watch at your own pace, review the included resources, and download a certificate upon completion of the evaluation.
Building Caregiver Resilience using the Strengthening Families Protective Framework and the Impact of Domestic Violence on Children and Families served at CACs will meet two of the new training requirements for victim advocates as outlined in the 2023 National Children's Alliance Standards for Accredited Members.
Moving Beyond: A Recorded Series of Special Topics in Victim Advocacy Here
This training is appropriate for advocates who take part in providing the constellation of services to children served by a children's advocacy center (CAC) across the country. This includes victim advocates employed by the CAC, working at a partnering District Attorney's office, and/or staff of a community-based organization.
Applicants should be advocates with less than five (5) years of experience AND who have not yet completed the 24 hours of training required to meet NCA Standards.
Sara Lee, MS, Program Manager - MRCAC
Christina Rouse, Program Manager, CAC Development - SRCAC
Salli Kerr, Training Specialist - WRCAC
This training will enable participants to:
- Demonstrate an increased knowledge of the unique role of victim advocates in responding to the needs of children and families
- Understand strategies to engage and empower supportive caregivers in their own healing and support of child maltreatment/abuse victims
- Increase understanding of multi-disciplinary team dynamics and implications for victim advocates as integral and active team members
This course includes four 5-hour sessions of live instruction via Zoom and approximately 4 hours of independent pre/post work to complete 24.0 hours total of instruction. The 2024 training schedule is listed below. Applications will open 6 weeks before each scheduled training. Applications will be open for 14 days. Important! Please note the specific start and end times for your time zone.
June 2024 Training | Applications will open April 30, 2024.
Training dates: Tuesday, June 11, 2024; Thursday, June 13, 2024; Tuesday, June 18, 2024; and Thursday, June 20, 2024
- 6:00am - 12:00pm HDT (Hawaii)
- 8:00am - 2:00pm AKDT (Alaska)
- 9:00am - 3:00pm PT (Pacific)
- 10:00am - 4:00pm MT (Mountain)
- 11:00am - 5:00pm CT (Central)
- 12:00pm - 6:00pm ET (Eastern)
Applications are due May 14, 2024. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by May 21, 2024.
September 2024 Training | Applications will open in August.
Training dates: Wednesday, September 18, 2024; Thursday, September 19, 2024; Wednesday, September 25, 2024; and Thursday, September 26, 2024
- 4:00am - 10:00am HDT (Hawaii)
- 6:00am - 12:00pm AKDT (Alaska)
- 7:00am - 1:00pm PT (Pacific)
- 8:00am - 2:00pm MT (Mountain)
- 9:00am - 3:00pm CT (Central)
- 10:00am - 4:00pm ET (Eastern)
Accepted applicants must complete the following items as part of their required pre-work in order to participate in the training:
- Complete and obtain a certificate from the OVC Training: Child Abuse and Neglect
- Read Vincent Felitti's article: The Relation Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Health
- Watch NCAC's webinar: Nurturing a Hope Centered Trauma-Informed Response
- Watch NRCAC's Building a Better Case Review Together
- Read NRCAC's Guidelines for Case Review
- Read Resources for Meeting the Victim Support and Advocacy Standard
- Read NRCAC's Field Guide to Victim Advocacy
Please treat this virtual four day training as you would an in-person training. We understand that four days at five hours each day is a long time. We also recognize that oftentimes the training participant may hold multiple roles. We ask that every training participant do the following:
- Make sure no other activities are scheduled during training hours.
- Be in a space that is free from distractions and other people for confidentiality purposes.
- Have a working video camera and microphone.
- Participate via chat or using the microphone during the training.
- Refrain from answering calls and emails during the virtual training.
- Make sure to have a good wi-fi connection.
- Do not participate while driving.
Please note that if a participant misses more than three hours of the training combined, they will not receive a certificate of completion. Participants who miss up to three hours will get a modified certificate.
Sign up for your Regional CAC's mailing list to be notified when applications open:
- Midwest: https://mrcac.tfaforms.net/f/rcac22a
- Northeast: http://eepurl.com/c4eHH5
- Southern: https://www.srcac.org/contact-us/
- Western: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/5987901/WRCAC-General-Mailing-List-Form
Contact your Regional CAC representative:
- Midwest: Sara Lee
- Northeast: TBD
- Southern: Christina Rouse
- Western: Salli Kerr