Building skills to strengthen survivors
The goal of the Crime Victims: A Social Work Response, Building Skills to Strengthen Survivors is to develop the capacity of professional social workers to respond effectively and empathetically to the immediate and long-term impact of violent crime on victims and their families. By developing professional knowledge and skills in this area, social workers will become effective allies who will assist crime victims in their transition from victim to survivor.
A partnership between the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Center for Social Work Research will develop an awareness campaign, specialized training, and linkages between social workers and victim assistance professionals and organizations. This partnership, combined with an advisory committee of experienced victim assistance professionals, will work toward the goal of training professional social workers to identify, assist and refer crime victims to the appropriate service providers.
This project will pilot test products and materials that can be used in subsequent years on the national level and by other state NASW chapters. The project products include: A report on social work competencies for serving crime victims, a 90-minute workshop presentation, a training kit that contains a competency-based curriculum (facilitator guide) titled A Social Work Practitioner’s Guide to Responding to the Needs of Crime Victims, a Social Work and Crime Victims Website, a survey to schools of Social Work in Texas, a survey to social work practitioners in Texas, a report on the continuing education needs of social workers in this area, and a directory of social work practitioners and educators in Texas. The effectiveness of the project will be assessed by using both outcome and process evaluation measures designed to assist in replicating this project.
Sponsor:
Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice