Protocols

Training

Training is a crucial part of the protocol adoption process that ensures each agency and organization understands how the protocol affects it. You'll need to decide what training is needed, who should receive training (specific to each position in each agency), how much training is needed, and how the training can be evaluated.¹¹

Your training program can cover SART activation, community resources, victims' rights, legal requirements, medical responses, advocacy responses, investigative strategies and procedures, multicultural responses, court procedures, and victim support. These are just a few of the areas in which team members should receive training. Training in every area should include a balance between system requirements and victim-centered activities.

Here are a few tips about setting up a training program:

• To offset the cost, you may decide to seek grant funding.
• Service providers will need to be trained specific to their responsibilities as identified in the protocol.
• Make the training flexible enough to meet the varying knowledge and skill levels of all trainees.
• When you schedule trainings, make sure to accommodate variable work hours and shifts to ensure that all responders can attend.