Preparing for Disasters: NOVA Crisis Response Training Program

A National Crisis Response Team training program will be offered in the Valley in January and February as a preparation for disasters such as floods, major crimes, and hurricanes. The Basic National Organization of Victim Assistance (NOVA) Training prepares participants to help groups of affected people cope with their immediate emotional reactions when a crisis strikes their community. Those who should attend include law enforcement officers; public safety, fire, EMS, and first responders personnel; public and private school counselors and principals; school nurses; special education instructors; mental health professionals; disaster relief leaders; victim advocates; counselors; and clergy and ministers. The course comes with a nationally-recognized certification (www.trynova.org). The NOVA training program will be held in Harlingen at Valley Baptist Medical Center, on five Tuesdays (January 26, Feb. 2, Feb. 9, Feb. 16, and Feb. 23) from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The 40-hour training equips leaders to plan for longer-term emotional support and assists teams to begin the process of developing their own community-based crisis response program. The training covers the techniques of providing crisis intervention. It gives participants the fundamentals on crisis and trauma, and how these are filtered through the victim's age and culture, so that basic techniques can be adapted to meet the needs of different groups. The five-day course also combines key elements of NOVA's victim advocacy and victim counselor training courses, helping to promote rights and services for victims of crime and crisis. Instructors for the program will be led by Dr. Bobby Smith, Texas State NOVA Training Director and Director of Chaplaincy Relations for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. For information on registration and fees for the program -- which is being offered at a 50 percent discount by Valley Baptist and the Baptist General Convention of T