The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, in collaboration with the Virginia Victims Fund (VVF), is pleased to announce the upcoming National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) Basic Victims Crisis Assistance and Response Team (VCART) Training to be held May 1-3, 2023 in Blacksburg, VA (on Virginia Tech campus).  Attendees must complete an application to attend. The maximum number of attendees for this training is 40, so complete your application by Monday, March 27, 2023.  If you are selected to attend the training, you will be notified by Tuesday, April 4, 2023. 

The NOVA Basic Community Crisis Response Training event will focus on techniques and protocols for providing crisis intervention and victim advocacy in response to a criminal catastrophic or mass casualty event.

The registration fee is normally $300; however, we are pleased to announce that there will be no registration fee for this training event. We are specifically outreaching to school and campus personnel, as well as those who live in Region #2, Region #3, Region #4 or Region #6 to add to our trained cadre of crisis responders in Virginia; however, anyone that has never been trained in crisis response in the past is eligible to attend. In addition, if you have received the Basic Crisis Response training more than five years ago, you are eligible to attend as well.

Upon successful completion of the Basic training, we can help determine which regional crisis response team that you will be a part of to assist in the event of a mass casualty criminal victimization or high-profile crime.

Participants are responsible for their own lodging, travel, and meals. We are working to secure the state rate ($105+tax, based on 2022-2023 federal rates) for lodging at a local hotel for the nights of April 30, May 1, and May 2, 2023.  Hotel information will be forthcoming.

There are a limited number of lodging scholarships available. To apply for a scholarship, please indicate that on your application form and submit by Monday, March 27, 2023. Please note that these scholarships only cover lodging expenses and do not cover the cost of incidentals charged to the room or other travel expenses.

For more information, contact Andrew Kinch, Victims Crisis Assistance and Response Team Program Specialist, DCJS, at Andrew.Kinch@dcjs.virginia.gov or 804-225-4331.