There are two types of OVC consultant: the Training and Technical Assistance Expert Consultant and the Victim/Survivor Impact Consultant. The following are descriptions of the types of consultants and the criteria for becoming a consultant with OVC.

Training and Technical Assistance Expert Consultant
Victim/Survivor Impact Consultant

Training and Technical Assistance Expert Consultant

Training and Technical Assistance Expert Consultants may be called upon by OVC or OVC TTAC to deliver a panel presentation; develop and deliver trainings; provide customized training and technical assistance; conduct in-depth technical assistance; or conduct peer reviews of publications, curricula, or grant applications.

In order to be a Training and Technical Assistance Consultant, the applicant must have:

• U.S. citizenship or be eligible to work in the U.S.
• Experience working with one or more of the following:
1. All crime types/varied victim populations
2. Specific crime types/victim populations
3. Underserved victim populations
• At least 5 years' experience working in the crime victims field as a service provider, advocate, program manager, researcher, technical writer, etc.
• At least 5 years' experience working with victims in allied professions/settings (e.g., medical health, law enforcement, mental health, grade school or college/university, prosecutor's office)
• A minimum of 5 years' experience with one or more of the following:
1. Designing training based on accepted adult learning theories
2. Delivering training to both large and small groups in the victim services field using accepted adult learning theories
3. Utilizing a variety of delivery mechanisms for training (e.g., face-to-face, online forums, video conferencing)
4. Speaking at conference workshops or plenary sessions
5. Performing training needs assessments, preparing customized and responsive training materials, and conducting training evaluations
6. Reviewing documents (reports, program fact sheets) or products (e.g., DVDs), conducting research, and developing recommendations

If you are interested in becoming an OVC Training and Technical Assistance Expert Consultant, please complete the Training and Technical Assistance Expert Consultant Application. For questions about becoming a consultant, please review the frequently asked questions (FAQs) or contact us at 1-866-OVC-TTAC (1-866-682-8822).

Top

Victim/Survivor Impact Consultant

Victim/Survivor Impact Consultants are called upon by OVC or OVC TTAC to deliver presentations on their experience as a victim or survivor of crime as a way to increase awareness of the impact of crime and as a means of improving services to other victims of crime. These types of speaking engagements may include: plenary sessions at conferences, remarks for community outreach or awareness event, providing testimonials or impact statements, or talking to organizations about the victim perspective to improve services to victims.

In order to be a Victim/Survivor Impact Consultant, the applicant must have:

• U.S. citizenship or be eligible to work in the U.S.
• Experience working with one or more of the following:
1. Delivering messages to the media
2. Participating in community outreach planning
3. Providing impact statements/first-hand testimony in a legal/law enforcement/corrections context
4. Delivering remarks to community/civic organizations or to victim assistance programs and their constituents
5. Speaking at conferences or at crime victim-centered awareness events or vigils

The applicant should have:

• A specific motivational, educational, or inspirational message (e.g., what can people learn from your experience?)
• Allowed sufficient time to pass since the victimization to ensure that he or she (as a victim/survivor) is not likely to be re-traumatized by the speaking engagements. OVC recommends a minimum of a year in the case of a personal violent crime.

If you are interested in becoming an OVC Victim/Survivor Impact consultant, please complete the Victim Survivor Impact Consultant Application. For questions about becoming a consultant, please review the frequently asked questions (FAQs) or contact us at 1-866-OVC-TTAC (1-866-682-8822).

Top

General Consultant Network Questions
Consultant Network Application and Enrollment Process
Online Consultant Orientation Questions

General Consultant Network Questions

What are the criteria for becoming a consultant?
What type of work might OVC consultants be asked to do?
What topic areas might a consultant be asked to address in a training?
How often is a consultant asked to speak?
Is there a limit to how many times a consultant may be used by OVC TTAC?
Will OVC or OVC TTAC manage my training calendar for me?
If I refer someone to OVC TTAC for customized TTA, does that mean I will get chosen to provide the TTA?
What is the Consultant Learning Community?
How can I access the Consultant Learning Community?
Who do I contact if I forget my login credentials?
Is an OVC consultant eligible to receive an OVC Professional Development Scholarship?
What do consultants and prospective consultants interested in applying for Professional Development Scholarships need to be aware of?

What are the criteria for becoming a consultant?
Applicants must meet certain criteria to become an OVC consultant. You can read more about the Criteria and Eligibility for both the Victim/Survivor Impact Consultant and the Training and Technical Assistance Expert Consultant. Please be advised that ALL OVC consultants must be either a U.S. citizen or eligible to work in the U.S in order to be eligible for enrollment.

What type of work might OVC consultants be asked to do?
Training and Technical Assistance Expert Consultants may be asked to do one or more of the following activities: deliver a panel or plenary presentation; develop a training curriculum; deliver trainings or workshops; conduct indepth technical assistance; or conduct peer reviews of publications, curricula, or grant applications.

Victim/Survivor Impact Consultants may be asked by OVC or OVC TTAC to do one or more of the following activities: deliver a panel or plenary presentation from the victim/survivor perspective; deliver trainings or workshops on working with victims/survivors of crime; provide victim impact presentations for conferences or awareness events; or participate in awareness month/week activities.

Top

What topic areas might a consultant be asked to address in a training or presentation?
Consultants might deliver a training or presentation on crime-related topics, victimization issues, targeted populations, organization programmatic issues, impact of crime on victims or survivors, impact of services or procedures on crime victims or survivors, or other topics of interest to victim service providers.

How often is a consultant asked to speak?
Frequency varies depending on the crime victim issues that garner the most need and the expertise of the consultants who can meet that need. For customized TTA requests, when a service provider requests assistance, OVC TTAC Technical Assistance Specialists match the needs of the requesting agency to the skills of the consultant. Thus, the services of some consultants may be used more than others. OVC TTAC contacts consultants to determine availability for potential assignments.

Top

Is there a limit to how many times a consultant may be used by OVC TTAC?
OVC consultants can provide up to five TTA services within the calendar year for all OVC programs, including Customized TTA, Trainings by Request, and Instructor-led Trainings. This limit does not apply to conducting peer reviews, hosting Web Forums, or tasks related to OVC's special initiatives. If you have any questions about how many times you have been used so far this year, please contact OVC TTAC's Consultant Management team at 866-682-8822 or by e-mail at consultants@ovcttac.org.

Will OVC or OVC TTAC manage my training calendar for me?
OVC and OVC TTAC are not responsible for your calendar. Please do not refer victim service providers or allied professionals to OVC TTAC to "book a training."

Top

If I refer someone to OVC TTAC for customized TTA, does that mean I will be assigned to provide that TTA?
Not necessarily. While OVC takes into consideration specific consultant recommendations from the TTA requester, it is ultimately OVC's decision who is assigned to provide the TTA. OVC assigns consultants based on a variety of factors including but not limited to expertise and experience on the requested topic, familiarity and cultural competency with the region and/or population, and travel costs.

What is the Consultant Learning Community?
The online learning community is designed for OVC consultants to promote information sharing and assist consultants in the completion of assignments. In this community, consultants will find information about being an OVC consultant, resources to aid them in the preparation and completion of assignments, frequently asked questions, and access to the Consultant Network application.

Top

How can I access the Consultant Learning Community?
Approved consultants will receive an approval e-mail, which contains their login credentials and instructions to access the Consultant Learning Community Web site.

Who do I contact if I forget my login credentials?
If you forget your login credentials to your Consultant Network application or the Consultant Learning Community, please contact the OVC TTAC Consultant Management team at 866-682-8822 or at consultants@ovcttac.org.

Top

Is an OVC consultant eligible to receive an OVC Professional Development Scholarship?
No. According to OVC Professional Development Scholarship program policies, OVC consultants are ineligible for Professional Development Scholarships whether or not they are contracted to support the event in question.

Top

What do consultants and prospective consultants interested in applying for Professional Development Scholarships need to be aware of?
Consultants and prospective consultants who wish to apply for Professional Development Scholarships should be aware of the following policies:

• OVC consultants who enroll in the OVC Consultant Network are not eligible to receive Professional Development Scholarships.
• If an enrolled consultant has not received an assignment in 12 consecutive months and wishes to be removed from the OVC Consultant Network, OVC TTAC will honor the request to be removed and the consultant may apply for a Professional Development Scholarship.
• If an enrolled consultant has received a training or technical assistance assignment (TTA) in the past 12 months and requests to be withdrawn from the OVC Consultant Network, he or she will have to wait 12 months from his or her last assignment before applying for a Professional Development Scholarship.
• An individual who received a Professional Development Scholarship may become a consultant without penalty after 12 or more months from the date of receipt of the scholarship.
• If an individual applies to be a consultant less than 12 months after receiving a Professional Development Scholarship, he or she will not receive consultant fees for the first two days of his or her TTA assignments (unless the first assignment occurs more than 18 months from receiving the scholarship.)

Top

Consultant Network Application and Enrollment Process

How long does it take to fill out the Consultant Network application?
How long does the enrollment process take?
How do I know the Consultant Network application has been successfully submitted?
When am I recognized as an enrolled consultant?
Why is the consultant enrollment process so detailed?
Will OVC TTAC contact my references?
What is the purpose of the background check?
Who has access to the results of the background check?
Who do I contact if there is a discrepancy with the results of the background check?
How will my biographical sketch be used?
What should I include in my biographical sketch?

How long does it take to fill out the Consultant Network application?
The Training and Technical Assistance Expert Consultant Application includes nine sections. Each section takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. The Victim/Survivor Impact Consultant Application includes eight sections. Each section takes about 10-15 minutes to complete.

How long does the enrollment process take?
Upon receiving your Consultant Network application, OVC TTAC will begin reviewing and processing your application. Applicants are notified via e-mail when the application has been approved or denied. OVC TTAC takes approximately 4 weeks to review Consultant Network applications; however, the review process can take up to 8 weeks.

Top

How do I know the Consultant Network application has been successfully submitted?
Applicants will receive an e-mail automatically after submitting the Consultant Network application. OVC TTAC will notify you if there are any questions or information missing. PLEASE NOTE: Your application will not be considered complete until OVC TTAC receives all required documentation, including the Disclosure Authorization form and your resume/CV.

When am I recognized as an enrolled consultant?
Consultant applicants will receive an approval e-mail, along with the results of their background check if requested. An approved applicant is considered an enrolled consultant only after they have completed all the modules within the Consultant Orientation and have received their Certificate of Completion.

Top

Why is the consultant enrollment process so detailed?
To ensure that our Consultant Network is diverse and reflects the expertise necessary to support organizations serving crime victims, it is important to know as much about a consultant as possible. The information is also used to match a consultant's skills with a specific request from the field.

Will OVC TTAC contact my references?
OVC TTAC will contact applicant references listed in the References section of the application in order to confirm that the applicant possesses the knowledge, capacity, and expertise required for OVC TTAC assignments and listed in the application, biographical sketch, resume, and publications list. To ensure that the review process remains on schedule, please include a minimum of three (3) professional references.

Top

What is the purpose of the background check?
Given the sensitive nature of the work conducted by consultants for victims of crime, it will be necessary for OVC TTAC to obtain a criminal background check on all applicants. At OVC's request, OVC TTAC is obtaining criminal history, social security number verification, and sex offender registry background checks on all applicants. This does not include a credit check. Background checks will help identify individuals with a criminal history, which will caution OVC TTAC against their enrollment and use.

Who has access to the results of the background check?
All information provided in the background check is confidential but can be accessed by OVC and the OVC TTAC Consultant Management team. OVC consultant applicants can request a copy of the background check at any time.

Top

Who do I contact if there is a discrepancy with the results of the background check?
Applicants may contact HireRite, Inc. and OVC TTAC to request a reinvestigation of the information contained in the report by HireRite, Inc. HireRite, Inc. must give you a written report of the reinvestigation and a copy of your report if the reinvestigation results in any change. If HireRite, Inc.'s reinvestigation does not resolve your dispute, you may add a brief statement to your file at HireRite, Inc. If you have any questions about the results of your background check, please contact the OVC TTAC Consultant Management team at 866-682-8822 or by e-mail at consultants@ovcttac.org.

How will my biographical sketch be used?
The biographical sketch (bio) is an important part of your Consultant Network application. It provides a concise summary of your knowledge, skills, and experience, and provides requesters and OVC information about you as they consider and approve consultants suitable to respond to needs identified in the field.

Top

What should I include in my biographical sketch?
To ensure consistency among biographical sketches, please draft your biography according to the guidelines and the sample biographical sketch presented below. Please attempt to write succinct statements with a word count of approximately 300.

Training and Technical Assistance Expert Consultants:

For your current position, please indicate your title, year assumed, and organization; and describe your role in your program and/or organization. In addition, please provide the following:

• A brief synopsis of your experience over the past 10 years (starting with current position).
• Your area of expertise and highlights of special accomplishments.
• Examples of the types of training you have conducted or are most comfortable conducting (e.g., stalking, rural victims of crime, working with reluctant victims).
• A list of any special nominations, awards, or honorary degrees that you have received as well as any published works, presentations, or public appearances.
• Your educational history (degree, year, and institution).

Victim/Survivor Impact Consultants::

For your current position, please indicate your title, year assumed, and organization; and describe your role in your program and/or organization. In addition, please provide the following:

• A brief synopsis of your experience over the past 10 years.
• Your area of expertise and highlights of special accomplishments.
• Examples of the types of training presentations you have conducted or are most comfortable conducting.
• A list of any special nominations, awards, or honorary degrees that you have received as well as any published works, presentations, or public appearances.
• Your educational history (degree, year, and institution).

OVC TTAC staff review and edit the bios according to the above stated guidelines. Please be aware that statements that do not speak directly to your experience or expertise may be deleted. As you type your bio into the space provided, an automatic word counter will disable typing when you reach the 300-word limit.

SAMPLE BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Jane Smith has served as the Executive Director for the Crime Victims Advocacy Group (CVAG) since 1997. She manages CVAG's administrative operations and oversees its development, marketing, publications, and media relations initiatives. In this capacity, she engages in strategic planning, staff development, and board relations. Ms. Smith also serves on the board of the Homicide Victims Advocacy Coalition, where she chairs the external relations committee. Ms. Smith has extensive experience in developing effective education and outreach programs that reflect best practices in victim advocacy. Ms. Smith's commitment to the crime victims' rights stems from her experience as a homicide survivor, an experience that left her with a partial disability. Her story and message have been featured on Larry King Live and Good Morning America. Ms. Smith's advocacy was instrumental in promoting and enforcing consumer privacy laws in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In addition, she has developed successful partnerships with faith-based groups and effective relationships with nonprofit boards. These partnerships have been successful in disseminating messages about victims of crime at the grassroots level. Before joining CVAG, Ms. Smith served as Vice President of Fenton Communications, Inc., a communications/public relations firm specializing in nonprofit and public interest communications. Ms. Smith has a B.A. degree in English from Columbia University in New York.

Top

Online Consultant Orientation Questions

What is the online Orientation course?
Who needs to take the online Orientation Course?
What are the different modules of the Orientation Course?
How long does it take to go through the online Orientation Course?
Can I stop in the middle and come back to it at another time?
Where can I access the Consultant Orientation?

What is the online Orientation course?
The Consultant Orientation is a free, non-credit mini-course that is designed for approved OVC consultants. This course serves two main purposes:

• To introduce OVC TTAC to the victim services consultants who support the TTA requests to OVC from the victim services field.
• To familiarize OVC consultants with the recommended consulting approach and OVC TTAC processes.

The Orientation course consists of five modules. Each module takes less than 20 minutes, and you can complete them individually at your own pace. Completion of Modules 1, 3, and 5 is mandatory prior to accepting an OVC TTAC assignment; however, we strongly encourage completion of all modules.

Who needs to take the online Consultant Orientation course?
All consultants who work with OVC TTAC must complete the Orientation course in order for their enrollment status to be complete and active and prior to starting the work assigned by OVC TTAC.

Top

What are the different modules of the Consultant Orientation course?
Module 1, "Overview of OVC TTAC," describes OVC TTAC's vision and mission and provides a basic overview of the work that OVC TTAC consultants are engaged to perform.

Module 2, "The ADDIE Model and Key Themes," describes key themes that inform OVC TTAC's approach to training and technical assistance.

Module 3, "Cultural Considerations," addresses culture, cultural competence, and the importance of cultural considerations in training and technical assistance consulting.

Module 4, "TTA and Speakers Bureau Process," discusses the various processes, from start to finish, involved in training and technical assistance engagements of OVC consultants.

Module 5, "Consultant Conduct and Ethical Considerations," addresses expected consultant conduct in delivering training and technical assistance, and discusses some specific activities that OVC considers to be inappropriate for consultants.

Top

How long does it take to complete the online Consultant Orientation course?
Each module takes less than 20 minutes, and you can complete them individually at your own pace.

Can I stop in the middle and come back to it at another time?
After you complete a module, you may exit the orientation and complete the other modules at another time. Please be advised that Modules 1, 3, and 5 must be completed prior to starting the work assigned by OVC TTAC.

Where can I access the Consultant Orientation?
The Consultant Orientation is housed within the Consultant Learning Community. Approved applicants will receive their login credentials from OVC TTAC.

Top

 

The Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format allows you to download, view, and print a document with all of its original formatting. To view PDF files, you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is freely available for download. For more information on accessibility and Acrobat Reader, visit the Adobe Accessibility Page.

 

The Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format allows you to download, view, and print a document with all of its original formatting. To view PDF files, you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is freely available for download. For more information on accessibility and Acrobat Reader, visit the Adobe Accessibility Page.