A Crisis Response Team is a group of individuals trained to provide trauma mitigation and education in the aftermath of a critical incident, either small-scale or mass-casualty, scaling the response to the need, from one individual to thousands (i.e., the “Walking Worried”).

NOVA CRT training participants have a minimum of twenty-four hours of skill-based, field-tested training. These teams could be state coordinated (e.g. out of a state attorney general’s office) or local teams (e.g., a school district). Most teams have extensive training and experience in the widest range of traumatic events, from shootings to natural disasters.

In over twenty-six years of providing crisis response training, service and management consultation, NOVA has trained over ten thousand people to provide basic crisis response services. While NOVA’s Basic Community Crisis Response Team training is twenty-four hours, there is an extended forty-hour program that some prefer. There is also an Advanced CRT program that is twenty-four hours. All official NOVA training has to be provided by a NOVA-approved trainer.

NOVA-trained responders represent a wide range of contexts and vocations. NOVA CRT training is used by tribal communities, mental health professionals, first responders, school counselors, human resource departments and victim advocates, just to name a few.

A more precise question is, how are NOVA-trained individuals deployed? With thousands of trained responders all over North America as well as other parts of the world, NOVA-trained crisis responders are likely present in many mass-casualty crises around the nation. NOVA-trained responders are commonly involved in one of three ways:

In their professional response roles (first responder, public official, etc.), using skills from the NOVA training by responding with the state or local NOVA-trained Crisis Response Team and/or by official deploymet from the NOVA headquarters. NOVA only deploys with an official invitation from an authorized individuals.  Most invitations are referred back to a state or local team with expressed support for mutual aid if needed.  Some national deployments, because of the scale, scope, media exposure or expertise specifically requested, are coordinated through NOVA’s national office.  While the level of need dictates the response, the National Crisis Responder Credentialing Program is often on the first-call list.

There must be enough participants registered to cover the costs for NOVA, usually ranging between 10-15 trainees. Interested in hosting a Regional Training?  Please read below for the steps to do so!

• Finds a site to hold the training for hopefully no cost to NOVA;
• Provides equipment to conduct the training (power point lcd, easel(s) and chart paper plus markers;
• Helps to advertise the training in local area;
• Provides information about local hotels, at least for trainer(s);
• Provides a place where materials can be shipped;
• Assists trainer(s) to get to training site;
• Provides coffee and/or some refreshments during training, if possible,
• Provides information on local restaurants for lunch.
• People would register through NOVA, and it would be posted on the NOVA website; NOVA would provide 4 tuition scholarships to you as the local host.( Manual is extra at $83 each).
• For all others, registration fee for 3-day NOVA training is $325 for NOVA members or $375 for non-members plus $83 for the CRT manual.
• There would need to be about 15 people registered in order for the training to proceed; we make the assessment three weeks before the training date.  We like to advertise the regional training about 3-4 months in advance

To order a manual, please complete this form and submit it to NOVA via email at crt@trynova.org, fax to 703-535-5500 or mail 510 King Street, Suite 424, Alexandria VA 22314.