All victim services personnel—supervisors, direct services staff, student interns, and volunteers—benefit from comprehensive, specialized training. Whether victim services staff are hired with significant advocacy experience or no relevant experience, agencies are encouraged to establish consistent training for all victim services personnel. Robust training establishes a strong foundation for the role of victim services and promotes consistency of practice. 

Developing training requires a significant amount of time and specialty. The purpose of this publication is to provide core content for victim services training. Materials have been developed through a review of documents from existing law enforcement-based victim services programs. While all material has been vetted by subject matter experts, they do not provide state-, tribe-, or agency-specific information. Agencies should carefully review all material and update content to ensure information is consistent with agency, statutory, and constitutional requirements within local jurisdictions. 

Overview Documents

Activity Workbook

Training Modules & Supplemental Handouts

For more information and resources on the Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services (LEV) Program, please visit the LEV Program's main project webpage.