Summary:

The first session introduces tips for building and maintaining partnerships before a mass violence incident occurs, effective collaboration strategies to implement when planning for and responding to mass violence incidents, steps to execute a response plan, challenges with issuing death notifications, and factors to consider when setting up a Family Assistance Center.

Summary:

This session provides an overview of how civic, government, and business sectors can use OVC's Helping Victims of Mass Violence & Terrorism: Planning, Response, Recovery, and Resources Toolkit to develop a comprehensive victim assistance plan to respond to incidents of mass violence and terrorism. Lessons learned from past incidents indicate that with advanced planning (including establishing victim assistance protocols), and developing and maintaining multidisciplinary partnerships, communities are better prepared to engage a holistic approach to victim assistance to ensure that each victim's needs are met.

Summary:

Mass violence incidents require preparation and coordination across a wide range of organizations and stakeholders. As a victim assistance provider, you may be expected to respond and support victims in extraordinary circumstances. Some of these activities may be very similar to the work you do every day, but there will be differences, and your role may expand to providing leadership and support to more nontraditional critical activities. How can you and other victim service providers in your community be best prepared to be part of an effective response? What existing trainings and activities used by other agencies and emergency management planners would be most helpful for your preparation? This session covers proactive strategies for connecting with local resources and identifying resources that can help prepare victim assistance practitioners for their role in mass violence incident response and recovery.

Summary:

What does a community do when one day they experience a mass shooting and the next day the same community is hit with a devastating tornado? Preparing a comprehensive response to incidents of mass violence or terrorism includes planning for the possibility that an incident could occur when another community crisis is taking place, such as a natural disaster or health response. While all communities have natural disaster response plans and some are prepared for incidents of mass violence and terrorism, we seldom consider that a co-response (responding to two incidents at the same time) may be necessary. This session discusses some of the points of consideration when creating a co-response plan, including suggestions and challenges.

Summary:

Incidents of mass violence and terrorism present unique challenges to the communities in which they occur. These incidents require a coordinated, cross-sector approach among federal, state, local, and tribal governments; private entities; and nonprofit organizations to drive an effective response. This session will address how to create and maintain partnerships, address resource gaps, develop victim assistance protocols, and use the protocols after an incident of mass violence or terrorism.

Summary:

This session provides an indepth look at the Volunteer Management victim assistance protocol. Volunteers play a key role in our communities in the aftermath of crises, disasters, emergencies, and incidents of mass violence. Many government, nongovernmental, nonprofit, faith-based, and philanthropic agencies and organizations rely on volunteers to supplement their existing staff to increase their capacity to respond. Engaging volunteers in the response to a mass violence incident will enhance your ability to serve the needs of victims, survivors, and the community.

Volunteer Management is included in the Notification protocol, one of 13 victim assistance protocols in OVC's Helping Victims of Mass Violence & Terrorism: Planning, Response, Recovery, and Resources Toolkit. 

Summary:

This session provides an indepth look at the Notification victim assistance protocol. While the delivery of death notifications in a single homicide or in mass violence incidents are similar, there are also some unique aspects of mass fatalities that should be considered. This session looks at the factors related to delivering mass violence death notifications, the dynamics of death notification teams, training needs and how to integrate a trauma-informed approach.

Death Notification is included in the Notification protocol, one of 13 victim assistance protocols in OVC's Helping Victims of Mass Violence & Terrorism: Planning, Response, Recovery, and Resources Toolkit.

Summary:

The negative psychological effects of surviving a mass violence incident are second only to injury and death, and these types of incidents usually have a slower recovery trajectory. Everyone who is exposed is in some way touched by what happened and may not understand their reactions. The good news is that most distress reactions are quite common and dissipate over time with good social supports and coping skills. This webinar provides psychoeducational information to assist victims and survivors in understanding their reactions and how to best cope with them. It also helps providers to understand how powerful this information is in decreasing anxiety and fear of the development of mental illness.

Summary:

The second session builds on the details that were discussed in "Helping Victims of Mass Violence & Terrorism: The First 24 to 48 Hours – Part 1." This session provides an overview of the transition from short-term to long-term assistance; how to execute productive outreach plans; understanding immediate/acute, intermediate/transitional, and long-term needs of survivors; how to honor victims and survivors; and how to get involved in exercise planning.

Summary:

This session provides an overview of the complex process of managing donations. The process includes organizing, storing, and disbursing the funds, goods, and services received in response to incidents of mass violence or terrorism. Lessons learned from previous incidents consistently underscore that response and recovery efforts are more effective when there is a planned and comprehensive donation management strategy in place that focuses on both the immediate and longer term needs of victims, survivors, and the affected community.

Donation Management is one of 13 victim assistance protocols in OVC's Helping Victims of Mass Violence & Terrorism: Planning, Response, Recovery, and Resources Toolkit.

Summary:

The OVC TTAC Helping Victims of Mass Violence and Terrorism: Planning, Response, Recovery, and Resources Toolkit web training series continues with an indepth look at establishing a Hospitality Center. A Hospitality Center, also known as a safe haven, provides a secure environment where victims and survivors can find supportive services during the trial following a mass violence incident.

Summary:

This session provides an indepth look at establishing a Community Resiliency Center. A Community Resiliency Center offers service navigation, case management and behavioral health support to victims and survivors of a mass violence incident.

Summary:

This session provides an overview of the importance of communication in responding to incidents of mass violence and terrorism. Communication itself is an intervention tool, so it is important to consider how you are sharing information. When information is shared effectively it decreases anxiety and can provide those who are affected with a sense of being supported. When victims and the public know where to get more information, they are likely to be less anxious. Timely, accurate, and thoughtful information decreases opportunities for speculation and rumor and can help victims understand what has and is occurring, allowing them to begin to process the event and start the recovery process. Lessons learned from previous incidents consistently underscore that all response and recovery efforts are more effective when there is a planned and comprehensive communications management strategy that focuses on communication among all responders, with victims and survivors, and with the community during the response and recovery phases.

Communications is one of 13 victim assistance protocols in OVC's Helping Victims of Mass Violence & Terrorism: Planning, Response, Recovery, and Resources Toolkit.