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Foundational Academy Instructions
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Foundational Academy Instructions

Attendance at the Foundational Academy assists new victim service professionals to identify and understand their roles and job responsibilities as outlined by the PCCD’s Consolidated Victim Service Standards.

The manual for the October Foundational Academy is available here. Please read the manual and print it if you would like to have it available at the academy. (COMING SOON)

The Foundational Academy consists of three (3) components. These components include:

A program-specific orientation training provided by your agency.
A three-day classroom-training component which is held in February (Pittsburgh), April (State College), July (Philadelphia), and October (Harrisburg).
An online, independent study component consisting of online reading assignments, an online Victim Assistance Training [VAT] course, and WebEx Trainings. The online, independent study component can be started at any time (but should be done no later than 60 days after the classroom training). The Foundational Academy Online Training Requirements and Completion Verification is available here.

You must attend the Foundational Academy:

If your position is PCCD-funded through RASA and/or VOJO grants and you provide service to all crime victims.
If your position is VOCA-funded and you are not governed by PCADV, PCAR, or NCA. *If your position is VOCA funded and you provide services to victims of crimes other than DV or SA, you must also attend despite being governed by PCADV or PCAR.

This training is supported by a grant awarded to the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Institute (PDAI) by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).

Training hours may be applied towards continuing training hours required each year as put forth in the PCCD Standards and the Center for Juvenile Justice Training and Research (CJJT&R). Participants will receive a certificate of completion upon successful completion of this course. In addition to reviewing the documents and the activities in the online, independent component, many of the OVC Vat online assignments include maintaining a journal and discussing the activity with your supervisor. The time assigned to each assignment includes this discussion time.

You and your supervisor must verify that you have completed the 18-hour online, independent study component of the training by signing the participant’s Completion Verification. The signed Completion Verification must be emailed to Amelia Smulktis at AJS@restitutionconsulting.com. You will not receive a letter certifying your completion of the Foundational Academy until the Completion Verification is received by Amelia Smulktis/PDAI.

Amelia J. Smulktis
Restitution & Victim/Witness Consultant
AJS@restitutionconsulting.com
717.333.2319

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