IN THE TRENCHES

Resources to Help Charities Prevent Violence

Critical Incident and Violence Intervention League. Intended for employees of the National Institutes of Health,

ALSO SEE: Keeping Workers Safe

this Web site includes helpful information for supervisors on the topic of violence on the job. Specifically, it provides advice on how to recognize warning signs, how to conduct proper pre-employment screening, and what to do in the aftermath of a violent incident.

National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence. This Web site provides articles and other resources for employers whose workers have been subjected to physical abuse at home.

National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. The coalition offers a list of programs nationwide that advocate for victims of violence and harassment directed at gay people and those with HIV/AIDS, or who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, or police misconduct.

National Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children Association. This list of criminal-background-check resources, compiled by the association, includes links to Web sites and phone numbers for governmental agencies in each state from which criminal-background information on employees can be obtained.

Nonprofit Risk Management Center. This site's "Workplace Safety Toolkit" offers resources specifically geared to nonprofit organizations on how to prevent and deal with all types of crises that occur on the job, including violence. On the home page, look under "Tools," then "Mission Controls" for helpful free fact sheets, such as the "Threatening Call Checklist and Record Sheet." Helpful center publications such as the "Staff Screening Tool Kit" ($30) and "Managing Facility Risk: 10 Steps to Safety" ($15) may be purchased online.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This government agency, commonly known as OSHA, provides statistics showing what kinds of workers are most at risk of violence, as well as free documents that help organizations set up violence-prevention plans. Social-service and health charities should see "Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Service Workers," which provides information on how to conduct security assessments and set up employee training.

U.S. Department of Justice. The document "Violence in the Workplace, 1993-99" offers the most current and comprehensive statistics available from the Department of Justice on the extent of crime that occurs on the job. It describes the different types of crime that happens while people are at their jobs, their frequency of occurrences, the characteristics of victims and offenders, and the professions that are most at risk.

Workplace Solutions. This charity in Red Hook, N.Y., helps organizations conduct security-risk assessments, create safety plans, and train employees in communication skills that can keep conflicts from escalating.