The mission of TVSA is support, education, and recognition for victim service providers.

Texas Victim Services Association

Newsletter
Winter 2022

Happy New Year from TVSA!

 

In This Issue

Message from the Executive Director

President's Column

Membership Matters 

Board Spotlight

Advanced Academy Returns to In-Person Format in 2022

TVSA Seeks Interns

TVSA Sponsor Feature

Board of Directors

Welcome New Members

Volunteer Spotlight

Job Board

Amazon Smile

Save the Dates

Board of Directors

President
Rose Luna, MSLC
Austin

Secretary
Jessica Serrano, MPA
Plano

Treasurer
Suzanne Bradford, BBA, CPA
Lockhart

Past President
Brooke King, MA
Austin

Region A Coordinator
Vacant

Region B Coordinator
Julie Jesperson, BA
Austin

Region C Coordinator
Jennifer Sterling, LCSW
Arlington

Region D Coordinator
Stacey Manigold, MS

Region E Coordinator
John Dominguez, BA
El Paso

Region F Coordinator
Angela Luna, BA, NACP
Corpus Christi

At-large Member
Mary Breaux, PhD
Huntsville

At-large Member
Lacy Hensley, LMSW, MA
Fort Worth

At-large Member
Amanda Elkanick Oder, BS
Austin

At-large Member
Sarina Rios-Scamardo, MSW
Edinburg

Ex Officio
Executive Director
N
atacha Peláez-Wagner, M.Ed.
Austin


We welcome the following new members who have joined TVSA in the last quarter:

Emily Allen, Houston

Lisa Barrera-Odom, Houston

Hannah-Bea Bickford, Kyle

Rhonda Cooper, Richmond

Kendra Marsteller, San Marcos

A.D. Valor Technical Cleaning:

Chris Fordyce

Tevin Richardson

Stephanie Torres


Volunteer Spotlight

Kathy Broussard came to TVSA in early 2020 as our technology coordinator. The timing of our meeting was providential, as we entered into the remote operations pandemic era and had to move all our programs, services, and administrative operations to virtual platforms. With these specific talents and skills from her degree in computer systems management and her 20+ years career as a device engineer in the semiconductor industry, Kathy has moved TVSA seamlessly into holding all of our board and committee meetings virtually, our 2021 Texas Advanced Academy for Victim Assistance online, and, the biggest challenge of all, our Biennial Training Conference last summer, held virtually over four days and including an online exhibit hall, online yoga session for self-care, and multiple plenary sessions and panels, along with 32 workshops.

Kathy’s commitment to victim services is such that she couples her indirect service through her work with TVSA to benefit the professionals who work with victims, while also working with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and Lakeway/Bee Cave police departments as a victim services volunteer, on call for direct service to victims almost year ‘round. In 2019 alone she logged 374 calls under the auspices of the sheriff’s office.

Kathy’s efforts on behalf of crime victims have not gone unnoticed. She has twice been named Volunteer of the Year at the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and in 2018 she was awarded the Volunteer for Victims Award for Outstanding Service to Victims of Crime by the federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).

When asked why she joined TVSA in a volunteer staff capacity Kathy remarked, “As a boots-on the-ground victim advocate volunteer for the county sheriff and local police departments I quickly learned I needed a different set of skills- 'soft' skills. I had to learn more about victim advocacy, I wanted to help more. About a year ago I crossed paths with TVSA. TVSA members rely heavily on the internet to network and share information utilizing social media platforms, virtual conferencing, and/or webinars. Working and volunteering with TVSA I am able to utilize my technical background or- 'hard' skills. How gratifying to be able to make a real difference in the lives both of people in need and the organizations who help those in need."

Did You Know?

TVSA has a new and improved job board on our website! We have retooled the job board to make it easier for employers to submit job postings. Employers wishing to post a victim services position opening can fill out a form online to submit their posting to TVSA. Please send us your available job listings!

Victim services professionals engaged in job searches can view postings as well, with links to the human resources departments of pertinent agencies and/or applications directly for the listed positions. The job board is available at this link: http://www.txvsa.org/Active-Job-Postings

Supporting TVSA Through AmazonSmile

Now when you shop on Amazon, your purchases will support TVSA! Through AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of every eligible purchase to TVSA. 

How to shop and spread the word:

1. Visit Amazon through TVSA's unique link: https://smile.amazon.com/ch-74-2889588

2. Share TVSA's unique link on social media.

Shoppers that use the generic smile.amazon.com link are asked to select one of over a million organizations to support. Be sure to use and share our unique link, so shoppers can skip the selection process and give to TVSA!

TVSA Regional Meeting Series

All meetings in this series are virtual events.

LAW ENFORCEMENT-BASED VICTIM SERVICES

January 27 2022, 12:00PM

PROSECUTION-BASED VICTIM SERVICES

March 31 2022, 12:00PM

POST-CONVICTION VICTIM SERVICES

July 14 2022

JUVENILE SYSTEM VICTIM SERVICES

September 22 2022

Upcoming Events

TEXAS ADVANCED ACADEMY FOR VICTIM ASSISTANCE IN MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP (TAAVA)

February 23-25 2022

Williamson County Law Enforcement Training Center, Hutto

TVSA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

May 6 2022 12:00PM

Virtual

TVSA VICTIMOLOGY RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

October 27-28 2022



 

Message from the Executive Director

By Natacha Peláez-Wagner, M.Ed.

The new year brings a whole host of exciting events and opportunities for TVSA to share with our victim services professionals across the state! Elsewhere in this newsletter, you will hear about our upcoming 2022 Texas Advanced Academy for Victim Assistance in management and leadership (TAAVA), which we are planning to bring to you in a return to in-person training this year. You are also introduced to our newest offering, our series on systems-based victim services, in our president’s and membership columns. Our Save the Dates list also provides you the dates for the return of our biennial Victimology Research Symposium this fall, after the 2020 COVID shutdown cancellation.

But, we have one more cause for celebration in 2022. TVSA is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year! A quarter century, “silver” anniversary is always a milestone for any organization, but ever more so in the non-profit, grassroots sector. Many nonprofits, for myriad reasons, simply cannot sustain themselves for the long-term. TVSA has had, and will continue to have, its peaks and valleys in its financial strength and what it can offer its members and other professionals at any given time, but we are resilient and remain steadfastly committed to always being a leader in providing outstanding current training, education and networking events and opportunities for growth to support high quality service delivery to crime victims across Texas.

So this year, while we provide you with training events such as the system based series, the academy and the symposium, we also want to celebrate our longevity and all those who have helped make it so through these 25 years! And while we are still in a virtual operations mode for the most part, we plan to leverage our digital platforms to celebrate virtually! Our newsletter, website and social media sites will showcase our history of growth and achievements in the months to come.

We ask for your help to this end! Do you have photos from the past to share with us? An anecdote of a particular moment with TVSA? A quote of what TVSA has meant to you, professionally or personally? Anything else from your past association with TVSA? We are collecting valuable nuggets for compiling and sharing this year! Please send your items to info@txvsa.org, subject line: 25th anniversary. Thank you!

President's Column

By Rose Luna, MSLC

I hope you have all enjoyed quality time with your friends, family, and fur babies this holiday season. As we embark on a new year, I am reminded of the core values and purpose of TVSA and the amazing work of our members. I have set out in my role as board president to champion systems-based advocacy in Texas.  In the spirit of collaboration and partnership with community-based advocates and local partners, our focus on systems-based advocacy this year will reveal the heroic efforts occurring across the state as well as gaps and disparities. Overall, it will set a path forward for discussion, improvements, and new collaborations as the state realizes the shared goal of providing comprehensive wraparound services to victims of crime. 

Our initial step in that direction is to host a series of statewide discussions dedicated to the various aspects of system-based victim services. Each meeting will cover a statewide component/speaker and also include space to highlight local system-based advocates to lead discussions. The year 2022 will feature the following schedule:

Systems-based advocacy: A focus on Law Enforcement Victim Services - January 27, 2022 at 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm CT

Systems-based advocacy: A focus on Prosecution Victim Services - March 31, 2022 at 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Systems-based advocacy: A focus on Post-Conviction Victim Services - July 14, 2022 at 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Systems-based advocacy: A focus on Juvenile System Victim Services - September, 22, 2022 at 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

For more information on the first meeting on law enforcement victim services, or to register, please go to Law Enforcement Victim Services Registration

Our goal is to collect the rich information derived from discussions and share back in a report to membership.  We look forward to joining you at these meetings and working together to ensure Texas continues the innovative work in crime victim services. 

By Brooke King, M.A., Membership Committee Chair

On behalf of the regional coordinators (Julie Jesperson - Region B; Jennifer Sterling – Region C, Stacy Manigold - Region D, John Dominguez - Region E, and Angela Luna- Region F) and myself we hope you had a happy holiday and were able to relax, recharge, and spend time with friends and family! We still have an open regional coordinator position in Region A (Panhandle—Amarillo/Lubbock/Wichita Falls); so if you’re interesting in joining our committee as Region A coordinator please reach out to myself and Natacha!

We hope you have been able to attend a regional meeting in the past, but if you have not we encourage you to attend our regional meetings this year, featuring our board president’s initiative on systems-based victim services. Our first meeting on January 27th will feature victim services in the law enforcement setting. More information on the full series can be found in our president’s column in this newsletter.

We are excited about this learning opportunity that will bring us together as a state and provide you time for peer learning and sharing within your region around system advocacy. Registration for the meetings will be free for TVSA members; nonmembers will have a registration fee for their first one, which will include a one-year membership to TVSA, with all membership benefits, including free registration for the rest of the regional meeting series in 2022. For information or to register for the first meeting in the series on law enforcement victim services, go to Law Enforcement Victim Services Registration

We hope you have a wonderful new year and we look forward to connecting with you at an upcoming meeting!

Board Spotlight

Dr. Mary Breaux joined the TVSA board of directors in 2021. She is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Victim Studies and Director of the Crime Victims’ Institute at Sam Houston State University. In these capacities she brings nearly 20 years of practical experience working with Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in areas such as community relations/engagement (Adult Protective Services), case management (Child Protective Services), training, and human resources serving victims directly and indirectly. Her research focus is child and elder maltreatment, academic student community engagement, and community social diversity. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to book chapters.

With her diverse educational background, experience, and commitment to serving victims directly and indirectly, Dr. Breaux’s service on the TVSA board enhances our work in many ways. Last year, she served on our Biennial Conference program committee, securing outstanding workshop presenters for a variety of victim services topics. This year, she will be co-chairing our Biennial Victimology Research Symposium, leveraging her expertise and networks to ensure an outstanding training event once again.

In expressing her commitment to her service at TVSA Dr. Breaux stated, “Board service is providing meaningful contributions and support to fulfill a board’s vision and mission. Being a board member means that the board has placed its full faith in my leadership as a member of its governing body and it’s my duty to contribute my services accordingly. I serve on the TVSA board because I believe in the vision and mission. I have a passion for assisting victim-centered organizations to promote a better understanding of victimization. It is critically important for victim service organizations to network and share information for the greater good of our society, and especially victims.

Advanced Academy Returns to In-Person Format in 2022 

By Natacha Peláez-Wagner, M.Ed.

We at TVSA are very excited as we prepare to return the Texas Advanced Academy for Victim Assistance (TAAVA) in management and leadership to its original in-person format in February, 2022.

Our fifth annual TAAVA was held virtually in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While its intensive curriculum is usually delivered over 2 ½ days, the online academy was held once a week over seven weeks, to account for students’ other work and personal time demands when attending remotely from their homes or offices. With a return to an in-person format, students will once again receive the opportunity for peer relationship building and more interactive exercises and networking than were possible over a virtual format.

Our advanced curriculum will once again present modules designed for victim services professionals who are either in management and leadership already, or aspiring to move into such roles as part of their career paths. The classes begin with the what of leadership and management in a trauma-based profession and move into the how of leading and managing in these agencies and organizations. Modules offered include leadership vision and the Office for Victims of Crime Model Standards, program management, working with volunteers and interns, funding for victim assistance programs, emotional intelligence, communication skills for leaders and managers, ethics in victim services management and supervision, and trauma-informed supervision and resilience.

The 2022 TAAVA is scheduled for February 23-25 at the Williamson County Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutto. Class size will be limited and will once again be by application. The application process is now open at TAAVA 2022 Application

Should public health considerations preclude TVSA’s ability to hold an in-person academy, backup dates for a weekly virtual academy will run from March 23 through May 4. Admission to the in-person academy will automatically be transferred to the virtual schedule if the need arises.

TVSA Seeks Interns 

TVSA is presently seeking interns from central Texas area colleges and universities for the spring, summer, and fall 2022 semesters. Internships are unpaid. Past interns have been undergraduates majoring in criminal justice, sociology and communications. We seek motivated students with an interest in crime victim services and/or the non-profit sectors. Interested students may send a resume and email indicating your interest to: info@txvsa.org

TVSA Sponsor Feature

AAA Scene Cleaners

As a grassroots non-profit organization TVSA relies in large part on the support of our members and sponsors to be able to provide the programs and services we offer our victim services professionals in Texas. In this issue we spotlight one of our 2021 sponsors, biohazard cleaning company AAA Scene Cleaners:

Founded in 2004 by Warren Muncy, a retired professional firefighter, the company’s motto is, “Service with Compassion is our Purpose”. His career as a first responder led Mr. Muncy to a new line of work, one that still allowed him to serve those in need at a time of crisis. The company responds to crime and trauma scenes and has numerous professional certifications and licenses. All technicians in the company are professional firefighters or family members. These firefighters have been through an extensive background check and are CJIS compliant, a level of security that one must have to be able to process the confidential information obtained through a 911 call. In addition, the technicians also follow HIPPA guidelines.

AAA’s service area encompasses from the Texas state line south to the Killeen/Temple area, west to Kaufman County and east to the Brownwood area. Additionally, the company is committed to its volunteer efforts of supporting those professionals working in services to victims experiencing trauma. They have been involved in assisting the Denton County LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Team with their onboarding of new volunteers and counselors. In 2022, they will be assisting with several more LOSS Team organizations with the same training assistance. They are willing to work with other groups to tailor assistance to whatever their needs may be.

“We enjoy and welcome meetings with the departments and groups we serve”, said Mr. Muncy. “I want you to meet with us, ask any questions you may have about us or the services we deliver, and provide me an opportunity to earn your trust. This is huge to me. People support people, so allow me the opportunity to get to know you and your groups so I can better serve your and your clients’ needs.

AAA Scene Cleaners accepts insurance, both homeowners and auto if applicable. They also accept Crime Victims Compensation (CVC funds) as appropriate. Their website can be visited at https://www.aaascenecleaners.com



 

THE TEXAS VICTIM SERVICES ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY. Please forward articles, announcements, shout outs, job openings, training information, reviews, information and other items of interest to info@txvsa.org. Be sure and let us know if your email changes.

Texas Victim Services Association is very grateful for the support of its sponsors, members, friends and colleagues. TVSA does not specifically endorse or recommend any referral resources or vendors over others.


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