Vision

Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont convened in the fall of 2000 to create a Tri-State Victim Assistance Consortium to serve the training and professional development needs of the victim communities. Since its inception, the Consortium has worked to offer both introductory and advanced training opportunities to primary and secondary victim assistance providers. 

One focus of the Tri-State Victim Assistance Consortium was the development of a basic advocate training program. Vermont received a federal grant and developed their training independently while Maine and New Hampshire agreed to continue working together to jointly present the training.  The two-state planning group began meeting in April of 2002 to plan an academy for people who work with victims of crime in Maine and New Hampshire. 

In June 2002, the Maine Department of Human Service, Community Services Center, (CSC), and the Muskie School of Public Service (Muskie) submitted a collaborative grant proposal to the federal Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime (OVC), to assist in the creation of a Victim Assistance Academy in Maine.  The grant application cited the need for better training in Maine for all professionals who work with victims of crime, including people with diverse professional backgrounds, varying amounts of practical experience and different levels of education and training.   The lack of consistency in education and experience often leads to ambiguity and confusion between agencies and at times less than ideal coordination of services for victims.  At the time there was no statewide foundation course that provided this training.  

Maine’s grant application was one of five nationwide selected for funding by the OVC.  Maine and New Hampshire decided to continue working together to create the training for victim assistance providers, victim advocates, criminal justice personnel, and other professionals who work with victims.  The curriculum is based on the National Victim Assistance Academy (NVAA) model but adapted to be more state specific.  The academy provides the impetus for an informal network of professionals, creating more referral and consultation networks.

The project is now funded by Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services and New Hampshire’s Department of Justice.