Jason S. Miyares
Attorney General of Virginia

State of Virginia with VA SAKI (Sexual Assault Kit Initiative) with Dark Green Ribbon

Virginia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (VA SAKI)

Training

Trauma-Informed Sexual Assault Investigations

Presented by the Virginia Office of the Attorney General

The Virginia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) team at the Virginia Office of the Attorney General offers a free Trauma-Informed Sexual Assault Investigations training. This training is based on the curriculum developed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and is approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) for Partial In-service Credits (PIC) for law enforcement. It is also approved by the Virginia State Bar for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits for attorneys.

The training promotes best practices for responding to and investigating trauma-related crimes, primarily sexual assault. It focuses on trauma-informed, victim-centered, and offender-focused multidisciplinary responses, employing nationally recognized, research-supported methods.

This training is facilitated by the Virginia SAKI team and is available to law enforcement, Commonwealth's attorneys, victim advocates, forensic nurses, social workers, Title IX coordinators, dispatchers, emergency services, and other allied professionals. It can be customized into a partial four-hour session, a partial one-day session, or the full two-day course. The Virginia SAKI team is available to travel across the Commonwealth of Virginia to train your agency or jurisdiction.

Attendance Requirements:
A minimum of 10 participants is required for this training to proceed. If the minimum is not met, the session will be canceled or rescheduled for a later date.

Scheduling Information:

Please note that trainings will not be scheduled to begin on Mondays, regardless of the session length. To ensure effective use of resources, this in-person training is only available between Tuesdays and Fridays. Unfortunately, we do not offer a virtual version at this time.

Upcoming trainings:

If you're interested in hosting or attending a training in your area, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

City Training Dates Training Facility Contact Information
Stephens Church, VA January 16, 2025 King and Queen Public Library This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Virginia Beach February 27-28, 2025 Advanced Technology Center This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Newport News March 20-21, 2025 Newport News Training Section This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Orange, VA April 15, 2025 Orange County Sheriff's Office This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Orange, VA April 16, 2025 Orange County Sheriff's Office This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Chesterfield, VA May 20-21, 2025 Virginia State Police Headquarters This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Gloucester, VA June 25-26, 2025 Emergecy Management This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bristol, VA July 9-10, 2025 Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Hampton, VA August 6-7, 2025 Hampton Courthouse This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Fredericksburg, VA September 29-30, 2025 Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Quotes from previous trainees

"Very informative and thought provoking."

"Gave me ideas that I wasn’t aware of. The statistics presented were eye-opening. Course of conduct investigations will be brought back to my department."

"Learned a great deal on what I have been doing wrong while interviewing victims."

"I thought this training was very informative. I learned a lot and have better perspectives relating to trauma that I am excited to take back and practice in my career."

"Never realized the impact of trauma on people, nor the different types of trauma. Learned never to say never."

This project was supported by Grant No. 2020-AK-BX-0033 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.