Victim Support Program United Federation of Teachers

Jan 1, 2002 4:34 PM

Serving New York City public school staff with

• help in the aftermath of school crime
• violence prevention training to stay safe

Have you been the victim of assault, robbery, harassment or some other school-related crime?
If you have, are you:

• Feeling vulnerable, anxious, fearful, angry or depressed?
• Confused about procedures and forms?
• Frustrated by the paperwork involved in securing your medical benefits, claiming line-of-duty injury, or dealing with law enforcement or other agencies?
• Apprehensive about returning to work?

Call the Victim Support Program.The Victim Support Program was established in 1989 by the United Federation of Teachers and the New York City Board of Education to provide comprehensive, practical assistance and psychological support to teachers and other school personnel following crimes and violent incidents in school.Our goal is to help you cope with the aftermath of a criminal incident. We will support you as you strive for recovery after what we know is often a professionally and personally traumatic event.Housed at the UFT and staffed by your colleagues who understand your school environment and both the pressures and satisfactions of your job, the Victim Support Program is the only one of its kind in the country. Services include:

• Individual and group counseling conducted by licensed psychologists and social workers, specially trained and experienced in working with people who are suffering trauma.
• Help with forms and procedures.
• Assistance in dealing with the police department and other criminal justice agencies.
• Support as we accompany you to court or the Board’s Medical Bureau.
• Visits to schools following violent incidents to deal with "ripple effect" trauma.

Can you spot the warning signs of trouble?
Do you have the tools to avoid and defuse violent situations in school?

Helping staff who have been victims of school crime is only part of the program’s mission. Through Violence Prevention Training staffers learn ways to stay safe. They acquire psychological strategies and techniques for effectively handling school situations that have the potential for violence.Trained facilitators conduct workshops in schools and UFT borough offices. They help participants:

• Understand the dynamics of violence, aggression, hostility and acting-out behaviors.
• Develop safe strategies for interactions with violence-prone individuals.
• Learn practical techniques for defusing potential violence and aggression.

Facilitators have done workshops in hundreds of schools throughout the city. Response from participants has been positive and enthusiastic. As one teacher noted, "The course focused on the real anxieties that teachers have. It gave me helpful techniques and life-saving skills."

Call us. We can help!
(212) 598-6853
Monday - Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. • Assistance is free and strictly confidential.

The Victim Support Program is sponsored by the United Federation of Teachers and the New York City Department of Education.