Course curriculum

    1. All about the learning platform

    2. Access to the course

    3. Course Syllabus

    4. Welcome to the Course

    1. INFO: Key Terms

    2. Video: Understanding Bias in the Brain

    3. INFO: How do biases form?

    4. Check your understanding!

    5. VIDEO: Types of Biases

    6. INFO: Survivor Mold Bias

    7. INFO: Cognitive Fallacies

    8. Check Your Understanding!

    9. Journal Break!

    1. VIDEO: Building Awareness of Biases

    2. INFO: Building Awareness (text)

    3. VIDEO: Are you biased? I am.

    4. VIDEO: Beyond Awareness-- specific skills for managing biases

    5. INFO: Tips for Managing Biases

    6. Information: Tips for Healing Biases

    7. Journal Break!

    8. EXERCISE: Create your own plan

    9. Check Your Understanding!

    1. VIDEO: Microaggressions

    2. Article: Microaggressions in Victim Advocacy

    3. Check Your Understanding!

    4. Video: Eliminating Microaggressions

    5. EXERCISE: Practice with Microaggressions

    6. Check Your Undertanding!

    7. Journal Break!

    1. VIDEO: A Message From The Advocacy Academy

    2. INFO: Making it Right

    3. INFO: Self-Compassion

    4. VIDEO: A perfect apology in 3 steps

    5. INFO: About Apologies

    6. Journal Break!

    1. VIDEO: Summary

    2. Resource Guide

    3. Next Steps After Completion

    4. Feedback

About this course

  • $49.00
  • 39 lessons

Course Description

Even the most committed victim advocates carry implicit biases—automatic assumptions shaped by culture and experience. When unexamined, these biases can influence how we interpret survivors’ stories, assess credibility, and build trust. This interactive course explores how biases form, how they operate beneath awareness, and how they show up in advocacy practice. Participants will examine microaggressions—subtle, often unintentional behaviors or comments that communicate bias—and their impact on survivors from marginalized communities. Through case examples and guided reflection, learners will strengthen their ability to recognize bias in the moment, respond intentionally, interrupt harmful behavior, and take accountability when mistakes cause harm. Designed for victim advocates and helping professionals committed to ethical, equitable, and survivor-centered practice.


Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Explain how implicit biases form and describe how they can influence decision-making, communication, and perceptions of survivors in advocacy settings.
  2. Identify common examples of microaggressions in victim advocacy work and articulate their potential impact on survivors from marginalized communities.
  3. Demonstrate strategies for managing bias activation, including slowing down, increasing awareness, and responding intentionally rather than reactively.
  4. Apply accountability and repair strategies when harm occurs, including acknowledging impact, taking responsibility, and engaging in corrective action to rebuild trust.

Intended Audience

This course is designed for victim advocates, family advocates, and child advocates who respond to cases of power-based violence. While social workers, case managers, healthcare providers, educators, and therapists are welcome to take this course (and may gain a lot from it!), it is not specifically designed for them. All of the examples and case studies include scenarios related to domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and human trafficking. 

Learn about earning certificates!

FAQ

  • What can I expect from a "LIVE" course?

    Upon purchase, you will have access to a learning platform with a welcome message, a Zoom link, and some resources to review. On the date of the live course, you will log in to your Thinkific account and click the link to the Zoom meeting. There is no pre-work required, but some resources (articles, videos, etc.) might be available for you to enjoy ahead of time. Learners will have access to the platform and it's resources for 1 month after the live event.

  • What can I expect from an "on demand" course?

    Upon purchase, you will have access to a learning platform with videos, exercises, quizzes, and articles. Complete the course materials at your own place. Some learners will finish in one sitting, while others may take several days or weeks. Learners will have access for 90 days (3 months) from the time of purchase, unless they have purchased a subscription package, which allows ongoing access beyond 3 months.

  • I'm curious about the "custom" options. What are they?

    The Advocacy Academy can build a course tailored to the needs of your organization/ team. The course can be designed in many different ways: (1) In Thinkific (like an on demand course), (2) Live on Zoom, or (3) Live onsite at your company/ organization. Email [email protected] to set up a meeting to discuss.

  • Will I receive CEUs if I participate in a course?

    If you are looking for CEUs for credentialed advocates, NACP or D-SAACP are the accrediting bodies for that certification. On their websites, they indicate that you do not need pre-approval for CEU courses that you may take. Anything related to victim advocacy should count. The staff at The Advocacy Academy can help with any documentation that you need. If you are looking for social work, nursing, or any other kind of CEUs, please contact your accrediting body to find out the requirements. Typically, we able to provide the proper documentation needed for professionals across many disciplines to receive CEUs. It might just require a little leg work!

  • Can I enroll my entire team?

    Yes. If you have a large group of people to enroll, email [email protected] for assistance. You can just send a list with each person's name and email address. We can upload it to the system, rather than entering them one at a time.

  • How do I enroll in all of the courses at once?

    From our homepage, find the option titled "Ultimate Advocate Bundle." You can enroll in all of the on demand courses at a discounted rate, and you will receive a year of access, rather than the standard 30 days that usually comes with an on demand course.

  • I still have a question. What should I do?

    Email [email protected]

Access to On Demand Courses

Learners will have access to the course for 90 days

Unless otherwise specified, all courses offer 90 days of access. Generally speaking, The Advocacy Academy is happy to offer more time when a learner makes a request. 

Note: Learners who purchase the "Ultimate Advocate Bundle" will have access to their courses for 1 year.

Check out our other courses

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  • $49.00

    $49.00ON DEMAND: Creating Space (not solutions) for Grief

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Are you finding what you're looking for?

We offer LIVE trainings (on Zoom with an instructor) or On Demand (with no live instructor). Each course's title indicates if it is "LIVE" or "On Demand."

For Tax-Exempt Institutions

BEFORE you enroll, email [email protected] to request a special invoice. 

Understand Our Return Policy

  • Payments are non-refundable unless otherwise stated in our refund policy (see Terms and Conditions at the very bottom of this page).

  • Registrations cannot be transferred to another course or to another person unless otherwise stated in our transfer policy (see Terms and Conditions at the very bottom of this page).