Are you aware that the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) requires you to have either a
depending on the number of employees you have? WAC 296-800-130 clearly identifies this requirement.
If you have 11 or more employees on the same shift in the same location, you must establish a safety committee, which consists of representatives elected by employees as…
Terminating an employee is usually at the top of a manager's "Things I Hate to Do" list. Many sexual assault programs have a "family" feel to them, and it's tough to come to a parting of the ways within a close-knit organization. Nonetheless, no one benefits when you continue to hold onto an employee who is not fulfilling job requirements, who is too burned-out to function, or whose toxic attitude is damaging the organization as a whole. When the time comes to say goodbye, there are some…
When you have a staff member who has a negative attitude and doesn't really seem to care about the work, the first thing that comes to mind is "burnout." However, it is important to distinguish whether the attitude and behavior is a result of vicarious trauma — the changes in a person's inner experience that come about because of handling an overload of other people's traumatic experiences — or burnout, which is dissatisfaction with the job itself. In either case, it is important to assess…
Have you ever wondered whether it was okay to include a portion of someone else's work on your website, in your training curriculum, in a community presentation, or in a publication? Have you had concerns about protecting work that your organization has developed? These are important issues, and a little basic knowledge about intellectual property rights will be helpful to any manager in the nonprofit field. As a manager, you will want to ensure that you inform others about policies and laws…
As a Community Sexual Assault Program manager, you are subject to a formal evaluation process by your supervisor, whether that is the Board, an Executive Director (if you do not also fill that role), or someone else. However, most of us really want to know how we are doing at our jobs — and for managers, that means getting feedback from those who are supervised as well as those who supervise us. How do you get feedback from your staff in an appropriate manner without having them feel like…
The annual performance review can be an excellent opportunity to work individually with staff members to enhance their skills and abilities as well as their job satisfaction. Some managers (and some employees) dread performance reviews, seeing them as the venue for telling unwelcome truths. Done properly, however, these meetings can enhance your relationships with staff and volunteers.
Service providers from all disciplines — medical and mental health, law enforcement, the courts, education, child welfare, and advocacy — can offer trauma-informed services to those they serve. Trauma-informed services approach people from the standpoint of the question "What has happened to you?" rather than "What is wrong with you?" It is important to note that providing trauma-informed services does not mean service providers must determine exactly what has happened to an individual.…
Those in the non-profit field work hard to keep or expand funding sources in order to offer more to their community. Expanding primary prevention services can benefit the whole community though! Here are some highlights of funding sources out there and tips for writing those funding requests!
Sexual assault program managers are drawn to the coaching model of supervision because it is in line with the values we have in our field. The coaching approach is attractive because:
When we coach, we listen more than we talk, we facilitate rather than control, and we work with staff members to come up with…
Each member of your Board of Directors has accepted crucial responsibilities for the welfare of your agency, and needs training of the highest possible quality to carry out those responsibilities. The Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) Accreditation Standards state:
Each member of the governing board or advisory committee for a sexual assault program must have orientation and training specific to their role.
The suggestions below are relevant…
Some highlights of this issue:
In 1997, Washington State developed its first sexual violence prevention plan. The plan focused on changing the conditions that cause sexual violence. In 2008, the state began the process of revising the plan. Like the 1997 plan, this new plan emphasizes meaningful change rather than symptoms. Both plans view community development as a lever for change.
The Washington State Department of Health and the…
WCSAP provides technical assistance on nonprofit management and organizational development issues to WCSAP member programs, other allied organizations, and statewide sexual assault coalitions across the nation. WCSAP strives to build the capacity of organizations to operate effectively to prevent sexual violence and to serve all victims. We provide specific technical assistance to help Community Sexual Assault Programs in Washington State to meet the accreditation requirements of the Office…
Community Sexual Assault Programs (CSAPs) in Washington State receive their funding through the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA). Every four years, each CSAP undergoes a rigorous accreditation process, whereby they are audited by an outside agency to ensure that sexual assault survivors have access to quality services across the state.
OCVA is responsible…
Limited Release of Information Forms - These forms were created by Julie Field, founder of The Confidentiality Institute and the Safety Net Project, National Network of Domestic Violence. (2008, last revised 2010). They can be downloaded and modified to include your agency information.
