Advanced Victim Offender Dialogue: Cases Involving Sexual Assault

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) has developed a nationally recognized training program that prepares experienced Victim-Offender Dialogue (VOD) Facilitators with the knowledge and skills required to facilitate cases involving sexual assault. Participants will learn NIC is committed to strengthening the field of corrections by ensuring that agencies are equipped with the training, tools, and resources necessary to deliver post-conviction victim services effectively. This training course will expand the capacity of state corrections agencies to meet victims' needs, foster healing, and enable victims to actively participate in repairing the harm caused to them.

Goals: 

1. Distinguish between different types of sexual assaults and what these categories mean for potential victim impacts and offender behaviors.
2. Appreciate the unique victim impacts of sexual assault.
3. Distinguish between different offender attributes including psychopathy vs sociopathy and antisocial behavior.
4. Recognize and have skills to address offender coercive control behaviors.
5. Be able to address cognitive errors in offender thinking, with the goal of helping that offender better achieve the victims' goals for the dialogue and to reduce the potential for harm.

Phases:

The course is divided into three phases. The first two are provided by NIC and the third is provided by the sponsoring agency.

• Six, 2- to 3-hour virtual instructor-led training sessions
• Four days (32-hours) in-person training
• State-specific laws, policies, regulations, on-the-job training, and mentorship

Who should apply?

To be eligible for this training, participants must be referred by a state corrections agency providing post-conviction VOD (also known as Facilitated Dialogue Programs).

VOD facilitation is not for everyone. Successful facilitators have personal attributes such as empathy and curiosity, as well as excellent listening and communication skills. Facilitators engage in conversations involving serious and violent crimes and strong emotions. A background working with victims and offenders is a plus. The ability to appreciate and aid victims of traumatic violence is particularly important to this work.

Here are just a few examples of the backgrounds of past VOD trainees:

• Survivors
• Victim Service Providers
• Therapists
• Department of Corrections Victim Services Personnel
• Laity-Faith Based
• Probation & Parole Officers (adult and juvenile)
• Correctional Officers (adult and juvenile)
• Community Reentry Team Members (adult and juvenile)
• Justice-Specialized Court Staff
• Mediators
• Interested Community Members

Prerequisites: 

Must have completed the NIC Basic VOD Facilitator Course and/or similar training that adheres to the VOD Essential Principles Standards.