Events
Upcoming Events (2021)
Tuesday, October 26 – Military Civilian Victims’ Rights Attorneys & Their Respective Roles
Research is clear that representation by an attorney can improve outcomes whether in civil or criminal justice. Military-connected crime victims may benefit from a military victims’ rights attorney (known as a Victims’ Legal Counsel (VLC) or Special Victims’ Counsel (SVC)) and/or a civilian victims’ rights attorney. This training will host a panel of expert victims’ rights attorneys—both military and civilian—from across the nation who have provided representation to victims on and off installation. Join us to learn about the similarities and differences of these lawyers and how you can help a survivor activate their rights by either connecting them with a lawyer or by enhancing your representation of military-connected victims. This training is open to civilian criminal justice and allied professionals who are interested in supporting military-connected victims. Register.
Presented by:
- Lieutenant Colonel Lauren A. Shure, Deputy Division Chief of the Special Victims’ Counsel Division;
- Major Joshua Mikkelsen, Associate Professor, The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School;
- Lieutenant Commander Alexandra Nica, Victim Legal Counsel; and
- Russell P. Butler, Adjunct Professor, University of Baltimore Law School.
Facilitated by:
- Meg Garvin, MA, JD, MsT, Executive Director of NCVLI and Clinical Professor of Law; and
- Desiree Staeffler, Victims’ Rights Fellow with NCVLI.
Tuesday, November 30, Wednesday, December 1, & Thursday, December 2, 2021 – Military-Connected Victims Virtual Training Course (California, Hawaii, and Washington)
This training course, created in partnership with the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), will be an interactive, multidisciplinary course with a focus on cross-collaboration and coordinated community response (CCR) to address the many unique needs and barriers encountered by military-connected victims. Topics to be discussed include military culture, victims’ rights, military & civilian protective orders, financial recovery, risk assessments and safety planning, and military investigation and criminal justice.
The following civilian victim advocates, medical staff, and criminal justice professionals in California, Hawaii & Washington are invited to Register:
- Community-based victim advocates;
- System-based victim advocates;
- Civilian law enforcement;
- District/state(s) attorney’s offices;
- Victims’ rights attorneys;
- Civilian judges and court personnel;
- Medical responders, including SANE teams;
- Pre-trial services;
- Probation and parole officers; and
- Other civilian first responders serving on multidisciplinary CCR teams.
Recent Past Events (2021)
Tuesday, September 28, 2021 – Trauma, Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health Advocacy
This Brown Bag, hosted by the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), held a discussion on how victim advocates & mental health professionals can work together to enhance safety, empower clients, and normalize help seeking behaviors.
Presented by: Deidra Saina, LCSW (For this event, Ms. Saina did not represent the U.S. Air Force in any capacity and presented as an independent clinical social worker and victim advocate.)
Thursday, July 1 – Military & Civilian Victims’ Rights 101
Military-connected victims face unique challenges—from navigating the complexity of military and civilian criminal justice to knowing which rights can be asserted in each justice system. This training provided foundational knowledge on victims’ rights in military and civilian criminal justice, including discussion on jurisdictional issues and an overview of which victims’ rights can be asserted in each justice system.
Presented by:
- Captain Phillip N. Walters, former Victims’ Legal Counsel; and
- Meg Garvin, Executive Director of NCVLI and Clinical Professor of Law.
Facilitated by: Desiree Staeffler, Victims’ Rights Fellow with NCVLI.
Tuesdays: June 1, June 8, June 15, and June 22 – Military-Connected Victims Virtual Training Course for Civilians
This four week training course, created in partnership with the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), was an interactive, multidisciplinary course focused on cross-collaboration and coordinated community response (CCR) to address the unique needs and barriers encountered by military-connected victims.
Thank you to the state coalitions that joined:
- Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ACADV);
- Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCADSV);
- Coordinadora Paz para las Mujeres (Puerto Rico); and
- Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA!
Thursday, June 17 – Supporting Military-Connected Survivors with Disabilities and Deaf Survivors (Training)
Victims with disabilities often experience unique barriers to healing and justice, from learning about available support services, being able to access services, and being believed. This training helped professionals understand the unique dynamics of sexual and domestic violence in the lives of people with disabilities and deaf people, and the barriers they face when seeking civilian and military advocacy services. Attendees received information on supportive agencies and resources as well as practical recommendations for making services safer and more accessible for all.
Presented by: Anneliese Brown, Director for the Vera Institute of Justice’s Center on Victimization and Safety (CVS).
Thursday, May 6 – Outreach and Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Military-Connected Victims (Brown Bag/Lunch & Learn)
This Brown Bag held an interactive discussion on outreach and advocacy for LGBTQ+ military-connected victims of interpersonal violence and sexual assault.
Presented by: Angela Duhon, NOVA’s Military/Civilian Victim Services Program Manager; and Dr. Tony Korol-Evans, Statewide Trainer for the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence.
Tuesday, April 20 – Understanding Male Victimization: The Overlooked Survivors (Brown Bag/Lunch & Learn)
This Brown Bag held a discussion on male victimization, including how to effectively respond and prevent domestic and sexual violence in military and civilian communities; and how to better serve the male population and provide equally robust services.
Presented by: DM 10 Strong’s CEO Eric Barreras & Edward Wilson.
Tuesdays: March 4, March 11, and March 18 – Military-Connected Victims Virtual Training Course
This three week training course was an interactive, multidisciplinary course focused on cross-collaboration and coordinated community response (CCR) to address the unique needs and barriers encountered by military-connected victims.
In Partnership with: NOVA, NCVLI, Arizona Coalition to End Sexual & Domestic Violence (ACESDV), Florida Council Against Sexual Violence (FCASV), Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV), and Ohio Domestic Violence Network.
Thursday, January 14 – Technology-Facilitated Stalking in Military and Civilian Communities (Training)
This training enhanced awareness for victim service professionals on how technology is leveraged by perpetrators in the crime of stalking.
Presented by: Jennifer Landhuis, Director of the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC), Aequitas.
Training Recommendations
This work is funded in part by an award to NCVLI under a subgrant from the National Organization of Victim Assistance (NOVA) pursuant to Grant No. 2019-TA-AX-K019 awarded to NOVA by the Office on Violence Against Women. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice or NOVA.