Our worst-case scenario of an individual targeting our communities in the most unexpected ways has become an increasing reality. What do we know about those that commit mass violence? What do survivors need, both short and long term? How can we best plan and prepare for these kinds of nightmare scenarios happening in our communities? This session will discuss the current trends and research regarding the prevalence of mass casualty events and those that perpetrate these crimes. The presenters will utilize case examples of what has worked and what lessons they have learned in responding to mass violence events in Virginia. Most significantly, they will ensure that communities know what services and resources are available following a criminal mass casualty event or critical incident to best support survivors. Lastly, they will identify strategies that promote resilience and recovery.

Speakers

Dawn Bush has been working in the field of criminal justice and human services for over 15 years. She began her career working within the Hampton City jail as an Addictions and Recovery Program Director in the Drug and Alcohol Therapeutic Unit. While in this role, she was active on the Board for Reentry, working to ensure community safety through education and preparedness. Dawn also served victims of intimate partner violence and helped them navigate the criminal justice system in Chesapeake for 5 years as a Victim Advocate. Dawn is currently employed with the Department of Criminal Justice Services as the Victims Crisis Assistance & Response Team (VCART) Outreach & Training Specialist. Dawn’s focus since stepping into this role has been to train localities about state resources available after traumatic incidents, promote victim centered & trauma informed care, and assist with developing recovery plans. Dawn is recognized as a National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) nationally credentialed advocate and became a NOVA certified trainer in 2019. She earned a B.S. in Human Services and a Master’s Degree in Counseling. Dawn has responded and provided essential assistance to survivors of several critical incidents, to include the mass shooting in Virginia Beach on 5/31.

Julia Fuller-Wilson is the State Crisis Response Coordinator at the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Julia has almost 30 years of experience in the field of victim services. Julia currently manages and coordinates state crisis response efforts to victims following criminal mass casualty events. She is a member of the Virginia State Crisis Response Team and the Disaster Behavioral Health Team and is certified as a National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA) trainer for Crisis Response. She has responded to the 5th Annual Remembrance of Virginia Tech, the Smith Mountain Lake shootings, the Charlottesville Unite the Right aftermath, the Virginia Beach mass shooting, and the UVA and Chesapeake Walmart mass violence events, amongst others.

Julia received a B.S. in Sociology and Psychology from Charleston Southern University and a master’s in social work, with a concentration in Social Work Administration and Policy Practice, from Virginia Commonwealth University.