Take time to find out what your audience knows before you train. Staff from one pilot site were disappointed at the results of
pre- and post-tests after training one of the law enforcement agencies in their community. They realized too late that the reason the officers had not reported a large increase in learning was because they came into the training already aware of many issues related to crime against persons with disabilities.
Cross training can fill in the gaps for stakeholders in this project. Victim services staff, who may have little experience providing services to persons with disabilities, can increase their skills and awareness. Staff in disability services, who may not be aware of how prevalent abuse is or what to do when it is reported, can learn how to recognize and respond sensitively to abuse and other crimes against persons with disabilities.
Make use of your advisory committee or collaborative partnership to begin cross training with your own staff, disability service agencies, law enforcement, medical staff, and other victim service agency staff and volunteers.
For the three pilot sites, the primary purposes of the trainings were to—
- Increase disability awareness/sensitivity.
- Learn how to provide more accessible and welcoming services to crime victims with disabilities.
- Share information about mandatory reporting requirements and responses to suspicions or disclosures of abuse.
Resistance can sometimes come from unexpected places. One pilot site found that 911 dispatchers were defensive and responded negatively to training about people-first language, which puts the person before his or her disability. The workers were concerned that their calls would be monitored for compliance. Break resistance down by being neutral, explaining the reasoning behind the particular issue, and making efforts to discover and address the concern behind the opposition.
Depending on the audience, professional training topics may include the following:
Engage your audience with a mixture of lectures, discussions, activities, case studies, and role playing.