It is our pleasure to announce that Victim Support Europe and ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre are organising a webinar on Watchful Waiting Screening and early interventions after traumatic events. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, 1 March 2022, 14:00-16:00 CET.

 

The interactive webinar will promote the sharing of participants' experiences, combined with presentations of several experts. 

 

In this webinar, we will discuss when watchful waiting is appropriate and how it can be put into practice. What should be done immediately after an event, and what needs waiting. Which conditions have to be met and how does it relate to quality criteria of psychosocial support: need-centeredness, safety, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness and equity.

 

We will focus on the theoretical background of watchful waiting and on finding the balance between waiting and intervening in practice.

 

We will also explore the effect of the type of incident (e.g., natural disasters vs. a terrorist attack).

The webinar will follow the path from theory to practice. Firstly, Noortje Jansen (ARQ Dutch National Psychotrauma Centre) will talk briefly about the evidence behind watchful waiting and early interventions at shocking events and she will point out what international guidelines regarding disasters, crises and psychosocial support say about that. Secondly, an ARQ trainer will show how we take this theory into a training for (public health) professionals with a focus on the first response during and right after a critical event. Lastly, Andrea Walraven-Thissen (Critical incident manager) will explain why it is so important to improve the first response, during and right after terrorist attacks. Collateral damage can be limited, if we use the so called “golden hour” more effectively. Ms Walraven will explain that the “less is more”-approach in the first hours can provide the basis for the watchful waiting interventions, which will be built in the aftermath of terrorist attacks. Furthermore, she will explain how crisis intervention-techniques can be used to limit secondary damage for everyone involved; both first responders and civilians can become victims of terrorism.

 

To learn from each other, in the second half of the webinar participants will have the opportunity to discuss case studies they want to share or refer. Participants will be asked to describe the type of incident, the situation/context, and the dilemma with respect to watchful waiting.

If you wish to participate, kindly register for the event by clicking "Start Course" and by completing a short form via the following link.

 

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Speakers

Andrea Walraven-Thissen specializes in incident management during and after critical incidents. She structures and organizes the first hours as a first responder and is an expert in psychosocial triage. She has a background in psychiatric nursing and has been working under blue lights for 25 years. She trains and supervises teams in many countries and has written several books on the subject. Within EUCVT Andrea has been advising on how to improve the first response, during and right after terrorist attacks.

Noortje Jansen is a policy advisor/researcher at ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre the Netherlands. Her main interest is public mental health and psychosocial support during and after critical incidents and crises. Currently, she is, among other things, involved in the revision of the Dutch multidisciplinary guideline for psychosocial support in disasters and crises. She participates in the Dutch integrated health monitor which maps the short, middle and long-term effects of the corona pandemic on the health of Dutch civilians in general and that of vulnerable groups and individuals in particular. For the EUCVT, she was involved in de production of the Annex of the European Handbook.

 

 

We are happy to announce the upcoming Webinar on the VSE Hub – Getting to Know the Hub Community. This online event will take place on 17 November 2021, 10:00-12:00 (Brussels time). 

This webinar is a continuation of the first webinar of the hub, Coming together and re-connecting, which promoted the sharing of the victim support work that is being done by member organisations. We learnt more about each other’s current activities, projects, and innovations, but also about challenges and how to overcome these. It was a great success and therefore we are keen to replicate this positive experience.

 

This 'Getting to Know the Hub Community' webinar will provide another great opportunity for you to share your work, activities and projects.

 

During the webinar, the following organisations will be presenting their work:

• Victim and Witness Support Service Croatia
• EMDR Europe
• Victim Support NZ
• SPAVO Cyprus
• Victim Support Sweden
• Victim Support Scotland
• Victim Support Agency Malta
• European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR)

   

Looking forward to your participation.

If you wish to participate, please register for the event (by clicking "Start Course").

*Onboarding available to VSE board members only*

This event is aimed at new board members and existing board members seeking an update on activities.

The event consists of two sessions.

The first session of the event (10:00-11:00) will give an overview of VSE structure, ways of working, decision-making processes and board responsibilities.

In the second session (11:05-12:00), we will provide an introduction to EU, covering EU institutions, structures as well as legislative and non-legislative processes.

Please note that a short 5-minute break is scheduled between the two sessions. 

You can find the documents for this event under "Course Materials".

Given the current circumstances at Twitter, we received the information that the workshop “Campaigning on Twitter” is cancelled. As you have already marked this date in your agenda, we would like to proceed as planned and gather to discuss – a different topic – the 2024 European Elections!

In May 2024, the European Parliament will be directly elected for the tenth time. After the Conference on the Future of Europe, it is the next big test for supranational democracy. The European Union has a real power to change lives for the better, to improve the situation of all victims across the Member States and beyond. How can the European Union make a difference?

• Enforce existing European laws in Member States.
• Develop sufficient and coherent EU funding to support the implementation of rights and services.
• Support partnerships and support coordination across policies, European bodies, between States, NGOs, practitioners and victims' themselves.
• Deepen and broaden knowledge through data collection and research.
• Directly support capacity building of individuals, organisations, and State authorities to better deliver high quality services and rights in a victim-sensitive manner.

Join us for this info event focusing on the launch of European elections 2024 strategy! You will be the first to hear about the new strategy of the European Parliament, discuss how you could influence the democratic debate and will be able to exchange your plans for the elections with the network!

The event will take place on 30 November 2022, from 12 to 1 pm CET. If you wish to participate, please register for the event (by clicking "Start Course").

We are excited to announce the first webinar of the VSE Hub. This event will be on Thursday, September 30th, from 10:00 to 12:00 CET. The theme of this event is Coming together and re-connecting.

COVID restrictions have made it a difficult 18 months to connect and have space to talk about our work and listen to others. We know these opportunities to learn from each other are one of the most valuable aspects of our network which is why we want to create this moment where we can all talk and hear about the amazing work you are all doing.  A moment to come together as a community hearing from new and seasoned VSE members alike. 

During the round-table event, you will have a chance to showcase your activities, projects, challenges and successes and explore how we may be supportive of each other’s work. We hope the event will also act as inspiration to others, and to that end several short videos of inspirational activities/projects will be presented. 

If you wish to participate, please register for the event (by clicking "Start Course").

 

 

As the war in Ukraine rages on and many Ukrainian citizens have been forced to flee their homes, people all over Europe are working around…

Workshop: Best practices for setting up online prevention- and awareness-raising campaigns
Hosted by: Julie Bellinkx, Head of Unit – Responsible for PR, campaigns, training at  AMBER Alert Europe Foundation
When? 7 March 2023

Though it sometimes seems simple and straightforward, setting up a successful online prevention- and awareness-raising campaign can be a complex endeavor. There are many factors to take into consideration: who is the target audience, how can I reach the target audience, how can I make sure that the campaign hits its target, which format works best, what is the best timing, what concept is out-of-the-box enough to generate attention but still appropriate and suitable?

During this workshop, Julie will be talking about her experience in setting up online prevention- and awareness-raising campaigns. She will highlight which factors to take into consideration when you are planning to launch an online prevention- and awareness-raising campaign and have it effectively unfold before the target audience.

The event will take place on 7 March 2023, from 11am to 12:30 pm CET. If you wish to participate, please register for the event (by clicking "Start Course").

On the 13th of October, the members of the Victims’ Rights Communicators Network have an opportunity to attend an online workshop on the power of Google Ad Grants to boost non-profit organisations conducted by Lore Van Besien, the founder and manager of AdSpecialist. Lore has been Account Manager at Google since 2007, at the AdWords (now Google Ads) department in Dublin. There she become a true expert in all  Google Ads formats and Google Analytics. 

Did you know that all Victim Support organisations can apply for a free advertising budget of $10.000 per month to advertise on Google's search engine?

This programme is called 'Google Ad Grants' and during this workshop, we will show you how you can use it to better reach your advertising goals as an organisation. Together with an expert, we'll have a look at the application process, so you have all the tools at hand to get your organization approved.

But that's just the beginning! Next, we show you how you can set up your first campaign, using a real-life example from Victim Support Europe. Finally, you will learn how to interpret the campaign’s outcome to find valuable opportunities for improvement and to unlock the hidden potential to amplify your organisation's reach.

Do not miss this opportunity to kick-start a game-changing campaign for your organisation!

If you wish to participate, please register for the event (by clicking "Start Course").

In light of some key upcoming European Commission's calls for project proposals, VSE is organising a Workshop with its members to discuss these opportunities, assess their relevance with respect to our respective priorities and objectives and explore ways to cooperate and collaborate.

We propose for this Workshop to take place on Friday 17 February, from 10:30am to 12:30pm. This will be an initial discussion that we will follow up with further meetings (also considering that new calls will soon be published) in the upcoming weeks and months. Although we hope you will be able to attend this important workshop, you will still have the chance to provide your input via email and arrange separate meetings if needed.

Please find below a document summarising the upcoming calls with some relevant information and links (to check for further information), as well as a timeline for their submission. For those who are not yet familiar with the calls, we would encourage you to check the file before the meeting.

Attention all Victims’ Rights Communicators! Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn about new tools and techniques for effective communication. Join us for a two-part workshop that will equip you with the skills and knowledge to make a real impact in your field.

We'll be exploring the power of positivity and human storytelling. You'll discover how to infuse your messaging with optimism and hope, while still shining a light on important human rights issues. We will also discuss how to craft compelling stories that resonate with your audience and inspire action.

In the second part of the workshop, we'll be diving into the tools and techniques that will help you be more efficient and creative in your daily work. From social media management to content creation, we'll explore the latest technologies and strategies that can help you reach your goals more effectively.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to enhance your skills and connect with other communicators. If you wish to participate, please register for the event (by clicking "Start Course"). Register now to secure your spot!