Lessons Learned

VVAA staff learned numerous lessons about project planning, implementation, and sustainability that could benefit other states interested in establishing their own victim assistance academies. Lessons learned include the following:

• Explore the idea of developing an SVAA, especially one that uses the widest possible partnership.
  
  
• Be prepared to overcome barriers to collaboration that often exist between state-based victim assistance programs and grassroots victim assistance organizations.
  
  
• Tailor the length of the training academy to the audience.
  
  
• Emphasize the project's goal of creating systemic change in the way victim service providers are educated and build skills to attract academic institutions to form partnerships.
  
  
• For planners of victim assistance academies in larger states, consider interviewing various colleges and university programs to find those that have an interest in working in a collaborative, power-sharing environment.
  
  
• Advise educational institutions interested in accreditation to carefully document how students will access the credits.
  
  
• Try to find the right level of involvement with the appropriate academic partner.
  
  
• Respect the level of commitment of trainers and others volunteering their time to the project, and make sure to express your appreciation to them.
  
  
• Thoroughly plan meetings and use courtesies, such as reminder e-mails and phone calls, to help sustain the participation of Advisory Group members.
  
  
• Send materials to participants prior to planning meetings to allow time for review and to make it clear where attention needs to be focused.
  
  
• Create a respectful environment so trainers feel supported, appreciated, and creative.
  
  
• Send written invitations and make phone calls to academy participants shortly before the event to help ensure attendance.
  
  
• To reduce costs, limit refreshments to mornings only and hold the training near restaurants so participants can have lunch on their own. Also, consider holding academies in different regions of your state to eliminate the need for lodging of academy participants.
  
  
• Send pretraining reading packets without binders to academy participants (provide the binders to participants on arrival). To reduce costs even further, consider putting reading materials on a CD-ROM.
  
  
• Charge participant fees to help ensure that participants attend the academy, while keeping the fees within budgetary reach of very small programs. Also, consider offering scholarships to programs with limited training budgets.
  
  
• Begin discussions about sustainability once buy-in to the project is secured, and explore all possible funding sources to support your project.
  
  

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The work of VS2000, with its focus on respectful collaboration both on the local and statewide tiers, helped Vermont create a victim assistance academy that is now deeply intertwined in the systems of response for victims of crime in Vermont, even as the structures of those state systems continue to change. The VVAA has become the shared project of many, for many. Literally hundreds have contributed their expertise. The talents and expertise of so many benefit all who attend and the victims they serve.