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Dr. Norm Wright, Chairman of the Board In the first year of Victim Chaplain & Counselor Association of America, we were blessed to meet many special people. Dr. Norm Wright is one those people, and VCCAA is happy to announce his new position as Chairman of the Board. Dr. Wright brings years of experience in the field of counseling and trauma to VCCAA. His training with VCCAA will be primarily in the area of "Children and Grief", "Recovering From the Losses of Life" and "Trauma and Crisis Counseling". He is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist and was former director of the Graduate Department of Marriage, Family and Child Counseling at Biola University, as well as an associate professor of Christian Education and Director of the Graduate Department of Christian Education at the Talbot School of Theology. He has conducted lectureships at several seminaries and is an adjunct professor in the Doctor of Ministry degree program at Trinity Evangelical Seminary in Deerfield, Illinois, Western Seminary and Talbot School of Theology. He has taught graduate school for over thirty years and is now Director of Christian Marriage Enrichment. He was in private practice for over 30 years, has received two honorary doctorates and is the author of more than 60 books. Dr. Wright's book "Crisis Counseling" is a must for every person serving as a responder in a crisis situation. His seminars will
be a tremendous asset to the training schedule of VCCAA.
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Currently there are military chaplains, hospital chaplains, police chaplains, industrial chaplains, prison/jail chaplains, retirement center chaplains, and many other types of chaplains, but, until now, there has not been a Chaplaincy program specifically designed to meet the unique needs of those who have been victimized. Victim Chaplains will work directly with Police Departments and other agencies ministering to the victims of crime and their families, as well as other disasters such as the terrorist attacks in New York. Victim Chaplains will be trained to deal specifically with individuals and families who have been traumatized by victimization. One crime victim was reported saying to a counselor, “Most everyone that was involved in the crime received the necessary assistance to help them cope with what happened. The offender got ministered to by a jail and prison chaplain; the offenders family received counseling and assistance; the officers who were at the scene were debriefed by a Police Chaplain and their families were offered counseling. Then I asked my husband, what about us?” There are several recommendations from a recent state crime victim focus study that is relevant to Victim Chaplaincy training. The first is to develop a standardized curriculum for the Chaplaincy services to be provided. Next is to establish a minimum guideline for qualifications of Victim Chaplains. Then, there is the need to develop a certification process and minimum standards for Victim Chaplaincy training. Victim Relief Ministries working with the Faith Based Counselor Training Institute has already developed this type of distinctive curriculum and has been providing pilot training for the past two years to those interested in serving and assisting in victim emergencies. “We have constructed our training to deal with the most relevant issues directly impacting the victims of violent crime and disaster,” says Dr. Michael K. Haynes. “Learning police department protocol and procedure from the perspective of Chaplaincy is at the forefront of the proposed curriculum. Our objective is to try to prevent Victim Chaplains from going through an unnecessary learning curve with the departments they serve. The faith community has always been perceived almost as a step-child when it comes to dealing with professional law enforcement and care giving agencies. Until recently, we were seldom given the opportunity to function in or through state and local government entities. However, the mobilization of the faith community has proven extremely beneficial in addressing the needs of those who have been traumatized by crime,” Haynes continues. “The reason that most agencies have not been open to collaborate or partner with faith-based organizations is not so much because of the church and state misunderstanding, but rather, the simple reason is that many people who work in these agencies perceive the faith community as ignorant concerning the problems that arise from working with at risk populations. While these fears may be somewhat founded, the Victim Chaplaincy training is an intensive educational process that will all but eliminate this reasoning and make available the extensive resources of the religious community. This is why exposure to the relevant issues through proper credible training is vital to the success of the program.” ©
Copyright 2002 - 2005 by Victim Chaplain & Counselor Association of America. |
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MISSION The mission of the VCCAA is to train, support, and provide resources to Chaplain's in order to equip them for the sensitive area of serving and assisting the needs of victims through law enforcement agencies; and to prepare them as Victim Chaplains to be spiritual shepherds to the hurting by presenting divine truth and serving as a reminder of God by their presence. PURPOSE GOALS |
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