Training Course Catalogue

Courses can be customized to meet the needs of the audience or New York State Agency. Customization can include length of time, number of presentations, and intersecting concepts. Customized courses can be one-time workshops, or a series of trainings that build on previous learnings. These can also be created to meet specific requests and needs. Trainings can be done in-person or virtually.

This catalogue is organized by audience. Most trainings are offered virtually, but can be offered in-person upon request.

A list of upcoming trainings can be found on our Upcoming Trainings Page.

To schedule a virtual or in-person training for your organization, or to inquire about course customization, email [email protected].

Courses with an * indicate that they are part of a contract OPDV has with another state agency

Gender-Based Violence 101

Training | 1 hour | Open to All Audiences | Offered monthly and upon request

Course Description: Understanding Gender-Based Violence, including Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence, is essential for everyone, regardless of your profession or relationship status. This interactive training provides participants with foundational knowledge to recognize and respond to gender-based violence in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive manner. By attending, participants will gain practical skills to support survivors and connect them with resources.

See Upcoming GBV 101 Dates

Domestic Violence 101

Training | 1.5 hours, half-day or full day | Ideal for professional stakeholders, open to all audiences | Offered quarterly and upon request

Course Description: Understanding domestic violence and its various tactics of abuse is essential for everyone, regardless of your profession or relationship status. This interactive training provides participants with foundational knowledge to recognize and respond to domestic violence, including emotional, financial, and technology-assisted abuse, in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive manner. By attending, participants will gain practical skills to support survivors and connect them with resources, ultimately contributing to the prevention and intervention efforts against domestic violence.

At the end of this training participants will be able to:

• Identify different tactics of domestic violence.
• Effectively support survivors of domestic violence and assist them in accessing resources for safety and healing.
• Contribute to prevention and intervention efforts against domestic violence in their respective roles and communities.

See Upcoming DV 101 Dates

Sexual Violence 101

Training | 1.5 hours | Ideal for professional stakeholders, open to all audiences | Offered quarterly and upon request

Course Description: Understanding sexual violence and its various forms is essential for individuals across all sectors. This interactive training provides participants with foundational knowledge to recognize and respond to sexual violence, including sexual assault, reproductive coercion, and sexual harassment, in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive manner. By attending, participants will gain practical skills to support survivors, challenge rape culture, promote consent, and connect survivors with resources, contributing to efforts to prevent and address sexual violence.

At the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Define and recognize different forms of sexual violence, including sexual assault, reproductive coercion, and sexual harassment.
• Promote consent, challenge rape culture, and support survivors in accessing resources for healing and justice.
• Contribute to prevention efforts and advocacy initiatives aimed at addressing sexual violence in their communities and workplaces.

See Upcoming SV 101 Dates

Impacts of Trauma on Gender-Based Violence Survivors

Training | 1 hour | Open to All Audiences | Available upon request

Course Customization:

Experiencing trauma, including that caused by domestic and gender-based violence, can have profound and wide-ranging impacts on survivors. This training focuses on various forms of trauma that community members may experience so participants can better understand and respond to survivors’ needs in ways that are safer, supportive and more equitable. Participants will learn practical signs of compassion fatigue and ways to minimize its impacts while providing trauma-informed services.

This 1-hour webinar will better equip participants to:

• Define gender-based violence, domestic violence, and trauma
• Identify the potential impacts of trauma on survivors’ behavior and engagement
• Respond in trauma-informed ways that enhance interactions with survivors
• Recognize and prevent compassion fatigue

Recognizing and Responding to Teen Dating Abuse

Training | 90-minutes | Anyone working with teens | Offered upon request

Course Description: Understanding and effectively responding to teen dating abuse is crucial as it impacts this population in unique ways, often with significant barriers to accessing support. This training provides participants with insights into the prevalence of teen dating abuse, common risk factors, and the impact on adolescents. Attendees will learn practical skills to apply survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices to support teens in building resilience and protective factors against dating abuse.

At the end of this training participants will be able to:

• Recognize the prevalence and dynamics of teen dating abuse and its intersection with childhood trauma.
• Implement survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices when responding to teen dating abuse.
• Develop strategies to support teens in building resilience and protective factors against dating abuse.
• Identify available resources and support networks to assist teens impacted by dating abuse.

Gender-Based Violence and Older Adults

Presentation | 75 minutes | Anyone working with older adults | Offered Upon Request

Course Description: Understanding and effectively responding to gender-based violence with older adults is crucial as it impacts this population in unique ways, often with significant barriers to accessing support. This training provides participants with insights into the prevalence of domestic violence, common risk factors, and the impact on older adults. Participants will gain a foundational knowledge to recognize and respond to gender-based violence in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive manner. By attending, participants will gain practical skills to support survivors and connect them with resources.

Gender-Based Violence and Developmental Disabilities Series:

Intersections of Gender-Based Violence and Developmental Disabilities: Recognize, Respond, Refer

Training | Various Options**| Developmental Disability Providers, Gender-Based Violence Providers. No prior experience needed

Course Description: People with developmental disabilities experience gender-based violence at disproportionate rates compared with those who do not have disabilities due to many factors. This training will teach participants how to recognize the intersection of developmental disabilities and gender-based violence, including social risk factors, rates of victimization, unique tactics of abuse, and signs of domestic and sexual violence. Participants will learn how to respond to survivors with developmental disabilities in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive way. Participants will explore cross-system collaborative opportunities to increase access and referral across different sectors.

**This training can be offered as a full day, in 3 separate parts, or a condensed 2 to 3-hour version

Know the Signs, Know Your Rights: Support for Survivors with Developmental Disabilities

Training | 2 hours | Developmental Disability Providers, Gender-Based Violence Providers. People with Developmental Disabilities. | Available Upon Request

Course Description: People with developmental disabilities experience higher rates of violence and often face barriers to getting the help they need. This training will help participants recognize the signs of gender-based violence, understand their rights as survivors, and learn about the resources available to support them.

Intersectionality: Impact of Intersectional Identities on Survivors with Developmental Disabilities

Training | 2 hours | Developmental Disability Providers, Gender-Based Violence Providers. Anyone interacting with Survivors with Developmental Disabilities | Available Upon Request

Course Description: The training will explore how different parts of a survivor’s identity can affect their experience of gender-based violence. Participants will learn strategies to make all survivors feel welcome and provide them with the support they need, regardless of their identities.

Supporting Survivors with Developmental Disabilities and their Support Systems

Training | 2 hours | Developmental Disability Providers, Gender-Based Violence Providers. Anyone interacting with Survivors with Developmental Disabilities. | Available Upon Request

Course Description: The training will focus on how to respond to abuse in a way that centers the survivor’s needs, understands their trauma, and respects the different parts of their identity that shape their experiences; and learn how to handle challenges when support systems are resistant to gender-based violence prevention education and services.

Understanding Augmented and Alternative Communications Methods for Survivors with Developmental Disabilities

Training | 2 hours | Developmental Disability Providers, Gender-Based Violence Providers. Anyone interacting with Survivors with Developmental Disabilities. | Available Upon Request

Course Description: The training will teach participants about the different ways survivors with developmental disabilities may communicate and learn ways to encourage accessibility and help everyone feel included through their agency’s communication efforts.

LGBTQIA+ Series

Gender-Based Violence in LGBTQIA+ Communities

Training or Presentation | 1-hour | Open to All Audiences. | Offered in June and October and Available Upon Request

Course Description: Understanding gender-based violence within LGBTQI+ communities is crucial, as survivors in these communities often face unique challenges and barriers when seeking support. This interactive training provides participants with foundational knowledge to recognize and respond to gender-based violence, including domestic and sexual violence, in LGBTQI+ communities in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive manner. By attending, participants will gain practical skills to support survivors, address power and control dynamics in LGBTQI+ relationships, and connect survivors with resources, ultimately contributing to creating safer and more inclusive spaces for all individuals.

At the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the unique dynamics of power and control in LGBTQI+ relationships and how they contribute to gender-based violence.
• Implement survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices when supporting survivors of gender-based violence in LGBTQI+ communities.
• Identify and address barriers to accessing services faced by survivors in LGBTQI+ communities and connect them with appropriate resources.

Gender-Based Violence in LGBTQIA+ Communities: Domestic Violence and Stalking

Training | 1-hour | Open to All | Offered in June and October and Available Upon Request

Course Description: Gender-based violence does not discriminate, but survivors in the LGBTQI+ community have unique experiences as they face abuse and try to receive services. This 1-hour, interactive training is a basic introduction to gender-based violence, including domestic violence and stalking, in LGBTQI+ communities. It aims to give participants a broad understanding of the unique ways power and control dynamics play out in LGBTQI+ relationships, its impact on survivors, and ways to support survivors and help them access resources.

Gender-Based Violence in LGBTQIA+ Communities: Sexual Violence and Sex Trafficking

Training | 1-hour | Open to All | Offered in June and October and Available Upon Request

Course Description: Gender-based violence does not discriminate, but survivors in the LGBTQI+ community have unique experiences as they face abuse and try to receive services. This 1-hour, interactive training is a basic introduction to gender-based violence, including sexual violence and trafficking, in LGBTQI+ communities. It aims to give participants a broad understanding of the unique ways power and control dynamics play out in LGBTQI+ relationships, its impact on survivors, and ways to support survivors and help them access resources.

Engaging LGBTQIA+ Survivors Experiencing Gender-Based Violence

Training | 1-hour | LGBTQ+ Providers, Gender-Based Violence Providers. | Offered in June and October and Available Upon Request

Course Description: When working with LGBTQI+ survivors who have experienced gender-based violence and other forms of trauma, it is important to have the right tools and skills to help them heal & build resilience.

Creating Inclusive Workplaces

Training | 1.5-hour | Open to All | Offered in June and October and Available Upon Request

Course Description: Creating and maintaining an LGBTQI+ inclusive workplace culture is essential for fostering a supportive environment for all employees. This course equips participants with practical tools and strategies, rooted in survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices, to build capacity and sustain an inclusive workplace. By learning from the experiences and recommendations of LGBTQI+ Pilot Cohort programs, attendees will leave empowered to enact meaningful change within their organizations.

At the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify key components of survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices in LGBTQI+ inclusion.
• Implement strategies to sustain an inclusive workplace culture.
• Utilize practices to address challenges and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Engage with experiences and recommendations from LGBTQI+ Pilot Cohort programs to inform organizational change efforts.

Engaging LGBTQIA+ Older Adults

Training | 2-hours | LGBTQ+ Providers, Gender-Based Violence Providers. Anyone Working with Older Adults | Available Upon Request

Course Description: When working with LGBTQI+ survivors who are older adults who have experienced gender-based violence and other forms of trauma, it is important to have the right tools and skills to help them heal & build resilience. This training will engage participants in a case study that applies skills that are focused on being survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive.

Tech-Facilitated Abuse Series

Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence 101

Training | 1.5 Hours | Open to All | Offered Monthly and Upon Request

Course Description: This training will help participants better understand, identify, and respond to technology abuses and online harms. This training will teach participants how to define and recognize technology-facilitated gender-based violence, understand what technology-facilitated gender-based violence can look like, and understand how to respond to reports and cases involving technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

See Upcoming TFGBV 101 Dates

Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: Sextortion 101

Training | 1.5 hours | Open to All | Offered Monthly and Upon Request

Course Description: This training will help participants understand what sextortion is and how to support victims of sextortion. This training will teach participants how to define and recognize sextortion, understand how sextortion impacts youth, how to define and recognize artificial intelligence and deepfakes, understand how artificial intelligence can be used to cause harm like sextortion, and where to find resources available in NYS for victims and survivors.

See Upcoming Sextortion 101 Dates

Gender-Based Violence and the Misuse of Artificial Intelligence

Training | 1.5 hours | Open to All | Offered Monthly and Upon Request

Course Description: This training will help participants understand how artificial intelligence (also known as AI) can be misused to cause harm. This training will teach participants how to define and recognize AI and AI-created deepfakes, to understand what chatbots and AI companions are and the potential dangers they pose, and to understand how AI-created deepfakes can be used specifically to cause harm, including how they are used against victims in sextortion schemes.

See Upcoming Misuse of A.I. Dates

These trainings are offered via Human Services Learning Center (HSLC). Dates, times, and registration can be found through HSLC only. Please contact your supervisor to register. If your organization does not have a profile on HSLC, or if you would like to schedule a virtual or in-person training for your organization, contact [email protected]

Gender-Based Violence Awareness Training for Social Services District Staff*

Training | 4-hours | All line staff, supervisors, and administrators; any district staff person responsible for administering TANF is required to take this training | Offered 3 times per year via HSLC

Course Description: This 4-hour virtual training, developed in conjunction with the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), will educate participants in defining what domestic violence is, as well as recognizing how domestic violence may impact a survivor/victim’s ability to move towards self-sufficiency. Participants will learn what social service districts’ responsibilities are in identifying domestic violence and incorporating local and community resources for survivors. The course deliveries will address social service laws, which are relevant to the work role(s) and duties of the targeted trainees. These regulations may include the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, the Family Violence Option, and State and Federal policies assuring safe access to child support services for survivors of domestic violence.

Gender-Based Violence Awareness Training for Homeless Shelter Staff*

Training |2-hours | Homeless Shelter Staff | Offered Monthly via HSLC

Course Description: This virtual course is designed to provide homeless shelter staff with a fundamental knowledge base on the issues of domestic violence. The training is designed to be learner-focused, performance-based, and highly interactive. Attendees are provided with information on identifying domestic violence, activities to enhance sensitivity and knowledge on effective interventions, case planning, and service delivery in cases where domestic violence is an issue. Training deliveries include exercises designed to increase participants’ awareness of the struggles that individuals face trying to gain safety and stability for their children and themselves

Intersections of Domestic Violence and Child Support*

Training | 2.5 hours | Child Support Workers and Supervisors | Available anytime via HSLC

Course Description: This 2.5-hour training raises awareness about the widespread impact of domestic violence and its intersection with child support. Participants will learn how to: identify indicators of domestic violence; Understand safety concerns and challenges for survivors seeking child support; Incorporate survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices; Identify resources available throughout New York State.

Domestic Violence and Financial Abuse*

Training | 3-hours | All staff working in Fraud Investigations | Offered Monthly via HSLC

Course Description: This half-day training for Fraud Investigators focuses on the ways that abusive partners can coerce victims into committing fraud and control finances to leverage power and control over their victims. Basic domestic violence awareness will be reviewed to frame the learning for participants.

Domestic Violence Liaison Training Institute*

Training | 5-part series | All Domestic Violence Liaisons (DVLs), any other staff responsible for domestic violence waivers, and their supervisors. | Offered 3x per year via HSLC (typically March, June/July, Oct/Nov)

Course Description: This five-part virtual series, developed and hosted in conjunction with the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), is targeted to Domestic Violence Liaisons and will help prepare them to work with domestic violence survivors to assess their needs for Temporary Assistance (TA), grant waivers, and send appropriate referrals to service providers.

• Part 1 is 2.5 hours.
• Part 2 is 5 hours split into two 2.5-hour sessions.
• Part 3 is 2.5 hours.
• Part 4 is 3 hours.
• Part 5 is 3 hours

At the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Inform victims of domestic violence of their rights, responsibilities, and options under the Family Violence Option.
• Document an assertation of domestic violence
• Assess the safety and risk for the victim and/or family in participating with Public Assistance program requirements.
• Determine when waivers are necessary to be granted from Public Assistance program requirements.
• Identify types and length of waivers that may be granted.
• Reassess to modify, terminate, or extend waivers as needed
• Assess the need for services and support to make referrals.
• Maintain a list of community services and develop a relationship with local domestic violence service providers.
• Coordinate services for domestic violence referrals with district staff, including Public Assistance, Employment, Child Support, and Services, and community-based service providers.
• Provide emergency safety planning as needed.
• Identify policies and procedures related to record keeping and tracking referrals to the DVL.

Impacts of Gender-Based Violence and Trauma on Customers*

Presentation | 1-Hour | Child Support and Public Assistance Workers and Supervisors | Available anytime on HSLC

Course Description: Experiencing trauma, including that caused by domestic and gender-based violence, can deeply affect a survivor’s ability to engage effectively and safely with child support services. The child support system’s inherent challenges—such as balancing the needs of custodial and noncustodial parents—require a thoughtful, trauma-informed approach to ensure equitable and supportive service. This training focuses on various forms of trauma that customers may experience, so staff can better understand and respond to survivors’ needs in ways that are safer and more equitable. Participants will learn practical signs of compassion fatigue and ways to minimize its impacts while providing trauma-informed services.

This 1-hour webinar training is divided into 2 segments that you may view at your own pace. It will better equip child support workers and other local district staff, such as DVLs who may serve child support customers, to:

• Define gender-based violence, domestic violence, and trauma
• Identify the potential impacts of trauma on survivors’ behavior and engagement
• Respond in trauma-informed ways that enhance interactions with child support customers
• Recognize and prevent compassion fatigue

*This training is for child welfare organizations, family court professionals, coordinated community response teams, and any other system that intersects with these systems.

Safe and Together™ 1-hour Briefing

Training |1-hour | Open to All Audiences | Available Upon Request

Course Description: This training project is mandated through Chapter 280 of the Laws of 2002 for child protective services caseworkers.

The Safe & Together Model™ child welfare work is a perpetrator pattern-based, child centered, survivor strengths approach to working with domestic violence. It embraces a whole family approach that supports a more comprehensive assessment of risk, safety and protective factors. Safe & Together provides tools for informed case assessment, interviewing, documentation, and case planning with a focus on domestic violence. The behavioral focus highlights the how of the work, offering practical and concrete changes in child welfare practice. The training provides participants with information about creating a domestic violence-informed child welfare system, the principles and components of the Safe & Together Model, and the framework behind competency-building in child welfare around domestic violence.

This training replaces the former mandated Domestic Violence for Child Protective Workers training as well as the recommended Domestic Violence for Child Welfare Workers training.

Safe and Together™ 1-Day Overview

Training | 8-Hours | Any system working with perpetrators or survivors | Available Upon Request or Routinely via HSLC*

*This training has a fee of approximately $40 per person, unless taken on HSLC for child welfare organizations. For child welfare organizations, register through your supervisor or contact [email protected]. For any other audience who is able to pay, contact [email protected].

Course Description: This training project is mandated through Chapter 280 of the Laws of 2002 for child protective services caseworkers.

The Safe & Together Model™ child welfare work is a perpetrator pattern-based, child-centered, survivor strengths approach to working with domestic violence. It embraces a whole family approach that supports a more comprehensive assessment of risk, safety, and protective factors. Safe & Together provides tools for informed case assessment, interviewing, documentation, and case planning with a focus on domestic violence. The behavioral focus highlights the how of the work, offering practical and concrete changes in child welfare practice. The training provides participants with information about creating a domestic violence-informed child welfare system, the principles and components of the Safe & Together Model, and the framework behind competency-building in child welfare around domestic violence.

This training replaces the former mandated Domestic Violence for Child Protective Workers training as well as the recommended Domestic Violence for Child Welfare Workers training.

Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace: Full Day Domestic Violence Agency Liaison (DVAL) Training*

Training | Full Day | NYS Domestic Violence Agency Liaisons | Quarterly

This training expands on the foundational learnings in Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace: 1-hour training. It equips Domestic Violence Agency Liaisons with additional knowledge and tools needed to comply with the model policy and implement survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices in addressing domestic and gender-based violence in the workplace.

At the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Navigate the requirements outlined in Executive Order 17,
• Ensure staff awareness of policies, provision of resources, and accountability for policy violations, fostering a workplace culture that prioritizes support and safety for all employees
• Understand the essential knowledge and tools to implement survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices in addressing domestic and gender-based violence in the workplace.
• Identify and communicate agency gender-based violence policies effectively.
• Provide appropriate resources and referrals to employees in need.
• Establish a workplace culture informed by gender-based violence awareness.
• Ensure compliance with policy standards and hold accountable those who violate.

Registration: Registration for this offering can be found on the New York State Management Learning System (SLMS). Please see your agency Training Director or email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Gender-Based Violence for Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Coordinators*

Training | 6.5 Hours | NYS Agency EAP Coordinators | Offered Annually to Each Region

Course Description: In April 2022, Governor Hochul signed Executive Order 17, requiring the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence to review and update the state's gender-based violence in the workplace policy. All NYS agencies are required to revise and adopt an updated policy specific to their agency, using this model policy. This will significantly impact the role that EAP coordinators play in working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence. OPDV is providing a mandatory customized training to coordinators that will review the NYS Gender-Based Violence in the Workplace model policy, specific EAP Coordinators responsibilities, how to recognize gender-based violence, how to respond, and how to refer someone for applicable services. This training will also provide resources, hands-on skills practice, and implementation to help EAP coordinators effectively work with survivors to keep all New York State employees safe.

Please email [email protected] to request this training.

Gender-Based Violence for Supervisors and Human Resources

Training | 1-hour | NYS Agency Supervisors, Human Resources Professionals, and Domestic Violence Agency Liaisons; open to all NYS staff | Available Upon Request*

Course Description: We all have some responsibility for creating workplaces that have the capacity to respond to our employees’ needs and where employees are comfortable talking about domestic or gender-based violence. To continue NYS’s leadership in addressing domestic and gender-based violence, Governor Hochul signed Executive Order 17 in April 2022, requiring the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence to update the state’s Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Model Policy. This training equips supervisors and human resources staff with the essential knowledge and tools needed to comply with the model policy and implement survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices in addressing domestic and gender-based violence in the workplace.

Gender-Based Violence Workplace Webinar for Bidders

Training or Presentation| Length | Employers who Bid on NYS Contracts | Offered Monthly January 2025-March 2025 and available upon request

Course Description: Employers who seek to do business with New York State as a bidder for competitive contracts must implement a Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace policy. Bidders must submit a certification with their bid that their policy is in place in accordance with State Finance Law §139-m and that it meets the minimum standards. The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence will speak about these requirements, how gender-based violence impacts the workplace, and answer questions from participants.

3-Tiered Lunch and Learn Series:

Training Series | 3 separate 1-hour deliveries | Open to All Audiences | Available Upon Request

• Tier 1: Understanding Gender-Based Violence
• Tier 2: Recognizing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence
• Tier 3: Referrals and Skills Practice

Course Description: This 3-tier interactive webinar series is a basic introduction to domestic violence that is tailored to each unique audience. Participants will gain an understanding of Domestic Violence, learn how to recognize and respond to gender-based violence, how to make appropriate referrals, and have the opportunity for skill-building. Trainees will get information on tactics of abuse, prevalence, and considerations for different populations. It aims to provide an overview of recognizing domestic violence, supporting survivors, and helping them access resources. It will explore the challenges for survivors in leaving and being safe.

The training will include:

• Definition and tactics
• Domestic Violence Statistics
• Intersections and Intersectionalities
• Signs for recognizing/identifying domestic violence
• Understanding the impact
• The challenges of leaving
• Understanding victim safety
• How to recognize someone may be experiencing DV
• How to respond to victims and survivors
• Providing empathy and support
• Skills building for conversations around DV
• Resources and referrals for DV

Forensic Custody Evaluator Certification Series

Training Series | 24 Hour Certification and a Bi-Annual 12 Hour Re-Certification | Current Forensic Custody Evaluators | Certification Offered 2x per year, Re-certification offered 2x per year

Course Description: Pursuant to section 240(1) (a-3) of the Domestic Relations Law and section 575(3)(o) of the Executive Law, beginning December 23, 2023, New York State courts will only be able to appoint FCEs who have received a certificate of completion of a training program related to domestic violence and child abuse in the past two years. This certificate of completion of training will come from OPDV and NYSCADV. All modules listed below must be completed to be certified. To learn more about the New York State Forensic Custody Evaluator Certification and register for training, email [email protected].

• Orientation Webinar
• Essential Knowledge for FCEs in Cases Involving Domestic Violence
• Safe and Together™ and the Impact of Abuse on Children
• Skills Implementation: Applying What You Learned
• Family Court and Case Law
• Panel: Survivors’ Experiences
• Panel: Learnings from Family Court Attorneys
• Recognizing Implicit Bias
• Domestic Violence-Informed Assessments, Interviews, and Documentation
• The Intersection of Domestic Violence and Family Court

Orders of Protection: A Survivor Centered, Trauma-Informed and Culturally Responsive Approach

Presentation | 1-hour | Judges, Court Staff, Attorneys, Advocates, Community Partners | Available Upon Request

This presentation, designed for Judges, Court staff, attorneys, advocates, and community partners, provides an overview of the process for seeking an order of protection in both Criminal and Family Court and what relief can be included in an order of protection. It also includes a focus on barriers and threats faced by survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). This presentation also provides insight into risk factors for violations of orders of protection that should be considered when working with GBV survivors.

Gender-Based Violence Survivors’ Rights

Presentation | 1-Hour | Anyone working with Survivors | Available Upon Request

This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of gender-based violence (GBV) survivors’ rights under New York State Law in the following contexts: Fair Treatment Standards for Crime Victims; sexual assault victims’ rights when interacting with law enforcement and under the Public Health Law; housing, employment, and public accommodations rights under The Human Rights Law; utility, wireless, telecommunication, and cable & satellite service contract opt-out rights; address confidentiality and privilege rights; and private rights of action.

Learning Objectives:

• Connecting survivors to services
• Terminating or separating survivors from contracts​
• Protecting survivors from discrimination

Understanding Coercive Control: Addressing Safety and Accountability in the Court System

Training | 1.5 Hours | Judiciary | Available Upon Request

This dynamic and evidence-informed training is designed to enhance family court judges’ understanding of coercive control within the broader context of gender-based and domestic violence (GBV/DV). Grounded in current research and real-world case examples, the course highlights the nuanced tactics of coercive control—many of which fall outside the realm of physical violence or criminal behavior—yet carry significant implications for survivor and child safety.

Judges will explore the prevalence and disproportionate gendered nature of GBV/DV, unpack the devastating long-term impacts of coercive control on children, and understand how abuse often persists post-separation through litigation and manipulation of the legal system. Through engaging content, including expert-led discussion, behavioral analysis, and survivor-informed narratives (e.g., Emma Katz’s work), the training provides practical insight into recognizing trauma responses and the often-misunderstood behaviors of survivors and their children.

Additionally, the course addresses the challenges of maintaining neutrality in DV cases, clarifies the difference between being domestic violence-informed and biased, and emphasizes the critical importance of context when evaluating custody and co-parenting arrangements. Judges will be introduced to key content from the New York State Judges’ Guide and evidence-based studies that support child-centered, safety-focused decision-making—especially in cases where coercive control is present.

Learning Objectives:

• Deepen judicial understanding of coercive control as a pattern of behavior that endangers victims and children
• Recognize how abuse tactics influence family dynamics and legal proceedings
• Improve decision-making that supports survivor and child safety, even in complex or subtle DV cases
• Apply a trauma-informed, domestic violence-informed lens without compromising judicial objectivity

Domestic Violence for Court Roster Mediators

Training | Full Day | Court Roster Mediators| Required Yearly

Court Roster Mediators are mandated to take this training yearly. Participants receive essential knowledge, skills, and strategies for understanding, recognizing, and responding to domestic violence for family court roster-appointed mediators.

Learning Objectives:

• Define domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence, and differentiate between power and control dynamics and high-conflict behaviors.
• Describe the tactics of coercive control used by perpetrators and identify the impacts of domestic violence and coercive control on survivors and children.
• Discuss and implement strategies for screening/assessing for and asking about domestic violence in mediation settings, following best practices and standards of conduct.
• Identify behavioral indicators of domestic violence and coercive control in both perpetrators and victims during mediation sessions.
• Recognize the components of survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices.
• Describe and practice strategies to implement when domestic violence is suspected to decrease the risk of harm, including ending mediation safely and assisting with emergency safety planning (e.g., safety during an incident, when preparing to leave, technology safety, emotional safety).
• Make appropriate referrals to domestic and sexual violence services and supports.

Gender-Based Violence for Medical Professionals

Training Workshop | 3 hours | Any Medical Professional | Available Upon Request

This training is designed to introduce medical professionals to gender-based violence, help them to recognize indicators of domestic abuse and coercive control, respond appropriately and effectively, and refer patients to appropriate services and supports. Participants will learn about the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the three pillars of OPDV’s work; being trauma informed, survivor centered and culturally responsive in their response to patients. Participants will get an overview of Gender-Based Violence including domestic and sexual violence. Participants will also learn about research-based indicators of lethality in domestic violence cases and how to identify and respond to strangulation and traumatic brain injury. The training will cover the impact of gender-based violence on patient health and provide participants with the opportunity to apply and practice skills learned during the session to scenarios.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand and recognize indicators of gender-based violence.
• Learn about OPDV's three pillars of being survivor-centered, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed.
• Recognize characteristics of coercive control & reproductive coercion.
• Understand the healthcare provider's role in supporting victims and survivors using OPDV's three Pillars.
• Be able to advise and refer patients to Gender-Based violence services and supports.
• Understand the origin and uses of Lethality Assessments and identify the presence of lethality indicators.
• Identify strangulation as a lethality indicator when treating and advising victims of gender-based violence.
• Understand the lethality of strangulation in domestic violence cases.
• Know the severity and prevalence of strangulations and traumatic brain injuries in incidents of domestic and gender-based violence.

Gender-Based Violence for Physician Assistant Students

Training and Workshop | 1.5 Hours | PA Students | As Requested

This training is designed to introduce medical students to gender-based violence, helping them to recognize indicators of domestic abuse while working with survivors. Introducing the patterns of coercive control, how to respond to disclosures as physician assistants, and responding appropriately and effectively. This course will guide and teach physician assistant students how to refer patients to appropriate services and supports. Participants will learn about the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the three pillars of OPDV’s work; being trauma informed, survivor centered and culturally responsive in their response to patients. Participants will be broken into groups to review the dynamics of staying vs. leaving for IPV. Participants will get an overview of Gender-Based Violence, including domestic and sexual violence. Participants will also learn about research-based indicators of lethality in domestic violence cases and how to identify and respond to strangulation and traumatic brain injury. The training will cover the impact of gender-based violence on patient health and provide participants with the opportunity to apply and practice skills learned during the session to scenarios.

Participants will learn about:

• Prevalence and Impact of Gender-Based Violence, Domestic and Sexual Violence.
• Know the severity and prevalence of strangulations and traumatic brain injuries in incidents of domestic and gender-based violence.
• Dynamics of Power and Control.
• Intersectionalities.
• Recognize, Respond, and Refer to Gender-Based Violence to patients in a provider role.
• Lethality Factors, Strangulation, and TBI’s.
• Case-Study Overview.

Gender-Based Violence for Doctoral Psychology Students

Training and Workshop | 1.5 Hours | Doc Psych Students | As Requested

This training is designed to introduce psychology students to gender-based violence, help them to recognize indicators of domestic abuse and coercive control, respond appropriately and effectively, and refer patients to appropriate services and supports. Participants will get an overview of Gender-Based Violence, including domestic and sexual violence. The training will cover the impact of gender-based violence on patient health and provide participants with the opportunity to apply and practice skills learned during the session to scenarios.

Participants will learn about:

• Prevalence and Impact of Gender-Based Violence, Domestic and Sexual Violence.
• Recognize characteristics of coercive control & reproductive coercion.
• Responding to survivors in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive way.
• Understand the healthcare provider's role in supporting victims and survivors.
• Be able to advise and refer patients to Gender-Based violence services and supports.

Customizable Training

If there is a topic that you would like your staff trained on, please reach out to us. We will work with you to build an individualized training that suits your agency’s needs. Please reach out to [email protected] for customized law enforcement or public safety-related trainings.

Advanced Gender-Based Violence Intervention and Supervision Training

Presentation | 1 Hour | Probation Officers | Available Upon Request

This training is intended for experienced probation officers, preferably those who supervise a domestic violence or sexual violence case load. We review Gender-Based Violence, discuss constantly changing and dangerous tactics of abuse such as stalking, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and strangulation. The importance of probation officers being aware of and utilizing Danger and Lethality Assessments, the DVSI-R, and the DIR is also discussed. Updates and reminders of protective orders and other legal safeguards that probation officers should be aware o,f as well as steps to working with a Community Coordinated Response (CCR) in their capacity as probation officers.

AI & Tech-Facilitated Abuse

Training | 1.5 Hours | Open to All Audiences | Available Upon Request

This training will broaden participants’ understanding of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in perpetrating it. Participation will gain an understanding of what constitutes technology-facilitated abuse, including cyberstalking, image-based abuse, and online harassment, investigate AI technologies and tools that lead to the creation of things like deepfakes and AI content, and receive a set of resources and tools to combat technology-facilitated abuse.

Domestic Incident Report and Lethality Assessment

Presentation | 1 Hour | Law Enforcement | Available Upon Request

This presentation is designed to educate law enforcement on the lethality indicators present in the Domestic Incident Report. It will detail where the questions relating to lethality can be found, why they are considered risk factors of lethality, and what officers should do if a victim answers “yes” to any of the questions. This presentation will also touch on the importance of the domestic incident report and resources and services that law enforcement can direct victims to.

EMS Response to Gender-Based Violence, Strangulations, and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

Training | 1 Hour | EMT and medical professionals | Available Upon Request

This training is intended for EMS or other emergency services or medical professionals. In this training, we review Gender-Based Violence and the prevalence of strangulation in domestic violence incidents. This reviews definitions of strangulation and the differences between the common phrase “they choked me”. We discuss signs and symptoms EMS should be aware of, and the dangers of strangulation and the connection between strangulation and Traumatic Brain Injuries. We ask EMS professionals to consider how to evaluate these incidents, imaging options to help in assessment, and the “Three R’s” of recognize, respond, and refer.

Gender-Based Violence on College Campuses

Presentation | 1 Hour | College Campus Safety Professionals and Administration | Available Upon Request

This training discusses Gender-Based Violence and tactics of abuse that can impact college students and their relationships as they begin their college careers. We focus on statistics, high risk times to be aware of for new students, consent, and a review of OPDV’s three pillars of being survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive. This can be tailored to specific colleges and universities or regions of NYS.

Hearing Cases Involving Cybercrime and Technology Abuse: A Victim-Centered Approach to Justice

Presentation | 90 Minutes | Judges and Judicial Staff | Available Upon Request

‘Hearing Cases Involving Cybercrime and Technology Abuse: A Victim Centered Approach to Justice’, presented by the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sanctuary for Families, Inc, aims to teach judges and judicial staff about the nature of technology abuse, the intersection of technology abuse with domestic, sexual, and gender based violence, the impact technology abuse has on victims, and how to hear cases involving these crimes in a victim centered way.

Identifying Technology Abuse and Responding to Calls Involving Cybercrime: Responding to Calls in a Victim-Centered Way.

Presentation | 2 Hours | Telecommunication Professionals | Available Upon Request

This presentation will help participants better understand how to identify different forms of technology abuse, develop protocols for handling technology-related incidents, including procedures for interacting with callers and documenting relevant information, understand relevant laws and legal frameworks for cybercrimes, enhance trauma-informed communication skills and survivor centered responses, and develop strategies for collaborating with law enforcement and other responders to coordinate a timely and appropriate response to technology-related emergencies

OPDV’s Three Pillars- College Public Safety

Presentation | 1 Hour | College Campus Safety Professionals and Administration | Available Upon Request

This training dives into OPDV’s three-pillar approach of being survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive with specific focus on college campuses. Intended for an audience of campus public safety professionals, law enforcement, Title IX coordinators, as well as any college administration that interacts with students.

Prosecuting Cases Involving Cybercrimes and Technology Abuse: A Victim-Centered Approach to Prosecution

Presentation | 2 Hours | Prosecutors | Available Upon Request

This presentation will help participants better understand how to identify different forms of technology abuse, understand relevant laws and legal frameworks for cybercrimes, learn effective techniques in trial preparation, learn objections to common defenses in these cases, learn to address technology abuse in orders of protection, learn about digital evidence collection and preserving chain of custody in technology-related cases, enhance trauma-informed communication skills and survivor centered responses, and develop strategies for collaborating with other agencies and community organizations to prosecute cases of technology abuse.

Responding to Cybercrimes and Technology Abuse: A Victim-Centered Approach to Investigation

Presentation | 2 Hours | Law Enforcement | Available Upon Request

This 2 hour presentation will help participants better understand how to identify different forms of technology abuse, understand relevant laws and legal frameworks for cybercrimes, learn effective techniques for collecting digital evidence and preserving chain of custody in technology-related cases, enhance trauma-informed communication skills and survivor centered responses, and develop strategies for collaborating with other agencies and community organizations to respond to and investigate cases of technology abuse.

Tech-Facilitated Abuse (TFGBV) 101 and Law Enforcement Response

Presentation | 1 Hour | Public Safety Professionals | Available Upon Request

This presentation will serve as a "101" education on technology-facilitated gender-based violence. It will cover technology-facilitated domestic violence (TFDV), technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV), and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on gender-based violence, specifically surrounding sextortion, deepfakes, and image-based sexual abuse. The presentation will also touch on how to use existing laws to hold abusers accountable, what populations are more likely to be victimized, and what populations are more likely to perpetrate technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

The Dangers of Stalking and Recognizing Lethality Risk in Gender-Based Violence

Presentation | 1 Hour | Public Safety Professionals | Available Upon Request

This training goes in-depth into understanding stalking and Gender-Based Violence. We discuss the form of GBV and the prevalence of it, as well as the changing landscape of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence and the overlap with stalking behaviors. This training discusses how stalking should be assessed and why it should be seen as a lethality threat by law enforcement, advocates, community supervision, and any other professionals working with victims. Tools are introduced, as well as other resources and ideas to safety plan with victims of stalking.

Victim Advocates Training- Law Enforcement

Presentation | 1 Hour | Law Enforcement Advocates | Available Upon Request

This training provides a basis of Gender-Based Violence and tactics of abuse for advocates working specifically with Law Enforcement (police department-based advocates, court advocates, etc.) This training helps to provide best practices for being an advocate with law enforcement and helping advocates understand training that law enforcement receives, such as how to utilize a Domestic Incident Report (DIR). We further discuss danger and lethality assessments, identifying high-risk cases, ad confidentiality.

Coordinated Community Response

Presentation | 1.5 to 2 hours | Multi-Disciplinary Communities Interested in Exploring CCR| Available Upon Request

Course Description: This presentation is perfect for any community that would like to explore creating or expanding a Coordinated Community Response and wants to build community buy-in. This presentation, which can be modified in length based on need, provides attendees with an understanding of what Coordinated Community Response is, the goals of the various types of CCR, and how they work together. Presenters will work with local community stakeholders to identify the community’s stage of readiness, strengths and challenges to developing or expanding a Coordinated Community Response. Case scenarios will be used to demonstrate how to navigate case decisions as a multi-disciplinary team

Mapping for Coordinated Community Response (CCR) Systems

Training or Presentation | 1 to 1.5 hours | Multi-Disciplinary Communities Interested In or Beginning CCR | Available Upon Request

Course Description: This presentation is perfect for any community that would like to explore creating or expanding a Coordinated Community Response and wants to learn how to utilize mapping. This presentation, which can be modified in length based on need, provides attendees with an understanding of what mapping is, how to implement it as part of establishing a CCR, and how to use the insights gleaned from mapping in structuring a CCR. Sample maps will be used to illustrate how the process applies across multiple systems.

Can I Tell You That? Confidentiality Considerations for Coordinated Community Responses

Presentation | 1 hour | Multi-Disciplinary Teams working on Domestic Violence Cases| Available Upon Request

This presentation reviews the various confidentiality and information sharing laws and regulations for each of the various systems typically involved in a multi-disciplinary team that collaboratively reviews and responds to specific domestic or sexual violence cases, such as a Domestic Violence High-Risk Team (DVHRT). It gives special attention to the specific privilege of Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis programs, and the implications of these laws and regulations on information sharing in a coordinated response. Participants will receive tools and resources to guide information sharing protocols, including templates and examples of Memoranda of Understanding. Participants will have the opportunity to apply learning to scenarios.