Research indicates that trauma resulting from exposure to violence is widespread, impacting victims and perpetrators, service and treatment providers, law enforcement officials and many others. Localities should ensure they engage and support victims and survivors of violence with trauma-informed services and make them available to first responders and community violence intervention and prevention staff as well.
DOJ resources can help support the delivery of trauma-informed services and provision of interventions and services to those experiencing violence, as well as the workforce encountering violence. Key resources are identified below, followed by links to additional resources.
Key Resources
Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence
This program provides funding to communities to develop coordinated and comprehensive community-based approaches to help children and their families who are exposed to violence build resilience, restore their safety, heal their social and emotional wounds and prevent future violence and delinquency.
Office of Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center
The OVC TTAC has a vast array of resources to help build the capacity of victim assistance organizations across the country. The OVC TTAC can provide live interaction with subject matter experts when appropriate.
Health Alliance for Violence Intervention
This network builds and connects violence intervention programs and promotes equity for victims of violence. Some of these resources are available for CVIPI grant recipients, while others are available to the broader field.
Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative
The Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative provides funding to support evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs. The Bureau of Justice Assistance CVIPI webpage provides access to a variety of resources for planning, implementing, supporting, and assessing community-based violence intervention and prevention efforts, including strategies to address trauma.
Additional Resources
Grant Funding
Advancing the Use of Technology to Assist Victims of Crime
This program funds applications that demonstrate innovative strategies to create, expand, or enhance the use of technology to interact directly with crime victims; or provide information, referrals, crisis assistance and long-term help.
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program Program is a formula award administered to each state and territory, based on their population and violent crime. The award is divided between state (60%) and direct to local (40%) units of government. JAG funding is administered by a state agency. JAG funds are extremely flexible and can be used to support a variety of approaches to reduce community gun violence. Localities should contact their State Administering Agency or the National Criminal Justice Association.
Training & Technical Assistance
Developing and Supporting Trauma-Informed Policing Approaches Training
This training is available to PSN grantees. It provides concrete information on how jurisdictions have responded effectively to trauma-related issues, including understanding the impact of trauma on officers and community, integrating trauma-informed care into a law enforcement agency, and supporting officer mental health and self-care.
National Public Safety Partnership
The National Public Safety Partnership is a network of communities who have committed to implementing evidence-informed approaches to reducing violence and enhancing public safety. It is a DOJ-wide program that connects communities with peers and experts to receive coordinated training and technical assistance. Many of these resources are for grantees, but there are many more resources, through the National Public Safety Partnership Clearinghouse available to all. The Clearinghouse includes resources on addressing the needs of victims, first responders, and communities who have to confront violence.
Bureau of Justice Assistance - National Training and Technical Assistance Center
The BJA National Training and Technical Assistance Center connects justice agencies with national experts to help reduce violent and drug-related crime. NTTAC provides no-cost training and specialized guidance matched to the needs of the requesting agency. NTTAC has a TTA catalog that allows users to identify upcoming trainings, asynchronous trainings, and published materials to inform their approaches to providing trauma-informed services to victims, first responders, and communities. Jurisdictions interested in implementing strategies outlined in the Roadmap may also contact NTTAC to request TTA from the Police Executive Research Forum. In collaboration with BJA and a cadre of subject matter experts, PERF will coordinate no-cost TTA services designed to enhance jurisdictions’ capacity to reduce community gun violence and promote community trust.
Project Safe Neighborhoods Training & Technical Assistance
The PSN TTA website includes resources for grantees as well as those available to all localities working to reduce violence. PSN specifically incorporates the resources of the National Center for Victims of Crime, which advocates for victims’ rights, trains professionals who work with victims, and serves as a trusted source of information on victims’ issues. Through PSN, NCVC can provide services in the areas of assessments of victim services provided; trauma-informed law enforcement responses to victims of violent crime; victimization and trauma essentials and best practices; vicarious trauma training for law enforcement and first responders; developing a crime victim assistance program for victims of violent crime; and understanding trauma resulting from various crimes, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and human trafficking.
Guides, Reports and Webinars
Trauma-Informed Interview and Investigation Techniques for Law Enforcement
In this webinar, Dr. Justin Ramsdell, a forensic psychologist and law enforcement trainer, provides a detailed overview of the importance of traumatic victimization in a violent crime, skills for recognizing when victimization becomes traumatic, knowledge of how trauma can affect a victim, and practical techniques law enforcement can incorporate into their investigation and interview protocols.
This toolkit was developed to provide tools and resources specifically tailored to first responders who need the knowledge and skills necessary for their organizations to address vicarious trauma needs.
Pathways Toward Collective Healing
This document outlines work done in five communities across the country, providing examples of tools developed and implemented as well as lessons learned. The work focuses on creating a victim-centered, trauma-informed, collaborative response that meets the needs of those most vulnerable amid violence and traumatic events.
In collaboration with the National Center for Victims of Crime, this webinar reviews how law enforcement agencies are using trauma-informed approaches to intervene, mitigate and counteract the effects of intimidation and retaliation in local, state and federal jurisdictions.
In this spotlight, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department discusses their Homicide Support Group program and the lessons they have learned from it.
Enhancing Law Enforcement Responses to Children Exposed to Violence and Childhood Trauma
This collection of resources developed in partnership with the IACP, and the Childhood Violence Trauma Center at the Yale School of Medicine is designed to help increase the capacity of law enforcement to identify and respond to children exposed to violence and childhood trauma.
Transformative Guidance on Victim Services Funding for Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs
This toolkit provides resources to those who want to improve health care services to victims and survivors of community violence.
Achieving Excellence: Model Standards for Serving Victims of Crime
This resource provides guidelines and suggestions to help victim service practitioners and program administrators improve the quality and consistency of their response to crime victims.
First, Do No Harm: The Neurobiology of Trauma and Trauma Informed Investigations
This is a multimedia presentation on the principles of the neurobiology of trauma and effective principles and practices to support trauma-informed investigations.
This COPS Office toolkit produced in partnership with local police departments, is a field-friendly resource for guidance on how to implement an effective Homicide Support Group in jurisdictions. HSGs provide structure for localities to provide support to secondary crime victims, to improve their cooperation, increase clearance rates, and enhance community trust and safety.