NOVEMBER 7, 2016, WASHINGTON (NNS) – Approximately 170 Navy clinical counselors, family advocacy specialists and managers recently participated in a sexual assault specialized training that was newly developed by Navy Installations Command (NIC).
The training, held at Washington Navy Yard Oct. 31 – Nov. 4, educates counselors on how to provide services and support to victims of sexual assault. A second course will be held at Naval Station Everett in Everett, Wash., during the week of Nov. 14. The two courses allowed NIC to split 350 professional counselors between two sessions so that regions would be able to maintain sufficient manning while the training was conducted.
“The Navy’s Family Advocacy Program (FAP) is responsible for the planning, development and implementation of training and being able to lay out the framework and expectations in terms of services that we’re developing,” said Lolita Allen, FAP manager for NIC. “We want to certify that our clinicians are trained and prepared to provide those case management services required of them.”
With clinical counselors, supervisors and managers from across the Navy’s regions in attendance, the attendees had an opportunity to network and learn from others’ successes.
“I think the training has been very worthwhile. There is a lot experience in that room,” said Angela Perryman, FAP director for Navy Region Japan. “Sometimes these clients [sexual assault victim] have challenging issues for us to deal with and when you know that you can reach out to a counterpart in a different region or installation … that ability to network is great.”
Navy Installations Command is comprised of approximately 52,000 military and civilian personnel worldwide responsible for the operations, maintenance and quality of life programs to support the Navy’s fleet, Sailors and their families.