DCJS Victims Services News

January 2022

Victims Services Manager's Message

DCJS Victims Services Manager, Kristina Vadas, shares a message for 2022.

United Nations’ Human Trafficking in Persons Protocol

Andrew Kinch, Victims Services Program Specialist

The year 2020 marked the 20^th anniversary of the United Nations’ (UN) Trafficking in Persons Protocol, which has been ratified by 178 member states and has been accompanied with legislation that criminalizes human trafficking in almost every nation.^[1] In an analysis of the first 20 years of the protocol,^[2] the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) noted a number of successes in responses to human trafficking, as well as trends and challenges in eradicating the crime, ultimately landing on six areas of importance that include:

Implementing Robust Data Collection
Reducing Vulnerability of Victims and Potential Victims
Incorporating Victim-centric Approaches in Protection Measures
Enhancing Accountability for Traffickers
Discouraging Demand
Increasing Anti-Trafficking Partnerships and Collaboration

These recommendations are mainly for the members of the UN and non-governmental organizations that act in efforts to combat trafficking on an international scale, but it is not only these actors that can impact this fight. With January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, it is important to recognize that there are steps we can all take to assist anti-trafficking efforts.

There were more than 10,000 reports of Child Sex Trafficking to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 2019.^[3] In 2020, they estimate that one of every six reported missing children in the U.S. and Puerto Rico was likely a victim of sex trafficking. NCMEC not only wants to educate the public on child sex trafficking crimes, but to also provide tools to prevent child sex trafficking, such as examples of risk factors and indicators to identify those most vulnerable. The NCMEC Child Trafficking overview page (https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/trafficking#redflags) also provides links to their web-based tip line, facts about warning signs, educational videos, and downloadable brochures, as well as details about resources and ways to connect with the experiences of survivors.

Another way to become involved is as simple as taking a picture with your phone and posting it. TraffickCam is a smartphone app, developed in St. Louis at Washington University in 2015, with the intention of identifying hotel rooms in which trafficking victims are photographed.^[4] This app creates a database of images to aid law enforcement in following the movements of traffickers from location to location, since victims’ appearances are not always recognizable for identification.^[5] Since its development, the app has been the focus of testing by St. Louis County Police and national organizations like NCMEC to pair traditional investigative methods with this Artificial Intelligence-based platform to crowdsource evidence.^[6] Beyond involving the public with data collection, the increased use of such tools further solidify partnerships between law enforcement and advocacy groups, and create more hostile environments for trafficking to persist.

With engagement from you and your communities to prevent or to stop human trafficking, the hope is to carry the message, from the UN’s Trafficking in Persons Protocol, that we are not only aware of the global human trafficking endemic that exists but we are willing to fight it locally and individually.

[1] “Submission on the Appraisal of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons (GPA) – 2021,” The Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons, November 2021. https://icat.un.org/sites/g/files/tmzbdl461/files/publications/icat_joint_submission_to_gpa_2021_final1.pdf

[2] “20^th Anniversary of the Trafficking in Persons Protocol; An Analytical Review,” The Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons, December 2020. https://icat.un.org/sites/g/files/tmzbdl461/files/publications/icat_analytical_paper_2020_final_0.pdf

[3] “January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month,” National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

[4] Scott, Katy, “Your Hotel Room Photos Could Help Catch Sex Traffickers,” CNN Freedom Project, CNN, 20 March 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/09/tech/traffickcam-sex-trafficking/index.html.

[5] Couch, Christina, “How Artificial Intelligence Can Stop Sex Trafficking,” NOVA, Public Broadcasting Service, 21 September 2016, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/sex-trafficking/.

[6] “Award Information: An Object-Centric Approach for Image Analysis to Combat Human Trafficking,” National Institute of Justice, 31 August 2018, https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/awards/2018-75-cx-0038

Introducing Our Newest DCJS Victims Services Team Members

Amber Stanwix, Sexual and Domestic Violence Program Professional Standards Program Coordinator

On September 23, 2021, the DCJS Victims Services Team welcomed Amber Stanwix, our new Sexual and Domestic Violence Program Professional Standards Program Coordinator. Amber joins us from Safe Harbor in Henrico County, where she was a Sexual and Domestic Violence Court Advocate for five years. Prior to that, she worked with the Virginia Department of Taxation in the Policy Development Division, and as a Paralegal Studies teacher at Bryant & Stratton College. Amber went to the State University of New York at Buffalo and studied History and Sociology as an undergraduate, and then obtained her Juris Doctor degree with a specialization in Family Law.

Andrea Sumter, Sexual and Domestic Violence Program Professional Standards Site Visit Consultant

Andrea Sumter came to DCJS in September 2021 from Richmond Victim Witness Services, where she was Victim Witness Supervisor in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. She has an extensive history providing direct services to victims, including working as a Claims Examiner with the Virginia Victims Fund. Andrea has Masters in Criminology/Criminal Justice from Virginia State University and a BA in Criminal Justice from Virginia Union University.

Gleibys Gonzalez, Sexual Assault Forensic Services Coordinator

Gleibys Gonzalez joined DCJS in June 2021 as the Sexual Assault Forensic Services Coordinator. She was born in Havana, Cuba and immigrated to the US as a child. Gleibys worked for Legal Aid Charlottesville, Virginia, and also volunteered at domestic violence shelters in Staunton and Charlottesville. She left Legal Aid to attend American University, Washington College of Law, where she served on the Journal of Gender, Social Policy and the Law and was co-president of the Women’s Law Association. She received her Juris Doctor degree in 2002. After graduating law school, Gleibys spent several years at home caring and advocating for her son, who was diagnosed with autism. In 2008, she went to work at the Baha’i Office of Public Affairs in Washington, DC, where she served as the Representative for the Advancement of Women (AOW). As the AOW representative, Gleibys worked in collaboration with other NGOs to advance treaties, legislation, and policies that focused on women’s rights, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Violence Against Women Act, and the International Violence Against Women Act. In 2015, Gleibys began working with the Sexual Assault Resource Agency in Charlottesville, as an emergency room advocate for survivors of sexual violence. Later, she joined SARA full time as the Adult Advocate and Advocacy Supervisor. As the Advocacy Supervisor, Gleibys supervised a team of advocates working with children and families, survivors from the rural counties, and incarcerated populations. Gleibys is a very busy mom of two, and a passionate advocate for ending gender based violence.

Stalking Awareness Month Resources

Stalking Awareness Month Video

Learn more about the prevalence of stalking and the impact it has on victims' lives.

Stalking Awareness Fact Sheet

This downloadable fact sheet contains statistics and resources related to stalking.

Stalking Fact Sheet

Breathwork for Personal Care

Erin Osiol, Victims Services Program Specialist

I want you to notice your breath, right now in this moment.

Does it feel flowing and easeful?
Is it clipped and tight?
Can you feel your lower belly rising and falling?
Does it feel like the breath is up in your chest?
Are you breathing through your mouth or your nose?
Are you holding your breath?

Most of us don’t give our breath a second thought – it occurs naturally and only when it becomes labored or restricted do we even think about it. But how we breath, and the attention and intention provided to our breath has the potential to improve our mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. This intentional and conscious breathing is often called breathwork and has gained popularity in recent years as a technique to promote both deep relaxation and feeling energized.

Hardly a new fad, breathwork has gained popularity over the last several years as more and more people add it to their wellness and self-care regimen. “There are so many studies that show deep breathing is one easy, accessible practice that can help to balance the mind and body, and reduce the stress response,” says Mark Hyman, M.D., a 13-time New York Times best-selling author and the head of strategy and innovation at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. “Breathwork has been shown to increase parasympathetic activity, heart rate variability, physiological flexibility, [and] is one of the greatest tools I have in my medical toolbox to help individuals manage stress, [which] has become an epidemic in our society.” (Harpers Bazaar, 2/15/21)

So the next time you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, try to harness your breath for your own benefit, such as practicing Dr. Andrew Weil’s 4-7-8 Breathing, or what he calls Relaxing Breath. The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight. This is one breath.
Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Now notice how you feel. Relaxed? Less stressed? Now you can put it in your self-care toolbox.

Want to learn more? Try Googling “breathwork near me” to find local resources and trained facilitators if you’d like to take it a step further. And these great books on breathwork are worth checking out:

Breath – The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
The Power of Breathwork: Simple Practices to Promote Wellness by Jennifer Patterson
A Practical Guide to Breathwork: A Remedy for the Modern Human Condition by Jesse Coomer

Wellness Resources

Future Tripping Podcast–

If you are feeling overwhelmed, this podcast might be beneficial. Laura van Dernoot Lipsky of the Trauma Stewardship Institute discusses practical strategies to build resilience when feeling overloaded and overburdened.

Future Tripping Podcast

The OneMind Podcast–Meditation Coach Morgan Dix guides listeners through mindfulness and meditation practices.

The OneMind Podcast

Sleep Meditation Music–Jason Stephenson offers relaxing YouTube videos and guided meditation videos to help viewers relax and calm their minds.

Sleep Meditation Videos

New Mobile App to Help Victims of

Mass Violence

Julia Fuller-Wilson, State Crisis Response Coordinator and Federal VAWA Grant Administrator

The National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center at the Medical University of South Carolina has developed a new app, Transcend, which provides crucial resources and support to victims of mass violence. The project was funded by the Office for Victims of Crime.

Following a mass violence event, victims often struggle with managing feelings of fear, anxiety, stress, and sadness. It can be hard for survivors to even get out of bed or find happiness in doing the activities that they used to enjoy. These are all normal responses following a traumatic event, but they can interrupt someone’s daily ability to function. This led to the development of Transcend. It provides activities and resources for coping and tools that can assist in recovery.

Though the app was developed to help victims of mass violence, the tool can also be helpful to victims of other violent crimes as well.

You can download the app for free:

Download the app: iOS devices

Download the app: Android devices

Arlington SART: Making Real Change through Evaluation

Jennifer Kline, Improving Criminal Justice Responses Program Coordinator

Many teams cringe when I mention “evaluation,” but depending where your team is, evaluation can be as simple as doing system mapping from each response entry point, to more complex data collection. There is no single best approach that is perfect for all community Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs). It’s important to decide what questions you want answered and the methods of how to collect and analyze the data that will provide useful information to help identify the barriers and gaps in the system of response.

The Arlington SART, coordinated by Lindsay Brooker, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, has a two-pronged approach to evaluation – qualitative and quantitative data collection. They do qualitative analysis through an annual system review. Team members nominate closed cases they want to see reviewed by the team. All the professionals who were involved in the case are invited to the review. They present the case from the report, including listening to 911 calls, all the way through to prosecution, if there is one. They write up a report with recommendations that are presented to the SART and Coordinated Community Response Leadership Teams.

Their quantitative data collection has been more of a challenge, but they’ve been dedicated to their approach because they know that it will give them a more comprehensive picture in order to make changes and improvements that benefit survivors of sexual violence.

When they first started to look at how each organization on the SART collected data, they found that there was little consistency in what data was being collected and how it was collected. Candice Lopez, Project PEACE Coordinator, said that it has taken three years to get each organization to collect the data in a consistent manner. Some of the questions they want to explore are: Are SART organizations promoting each other, so that survivors are being connected to the services that meet their needs? What variables effect time spans between incidents and reports? Are all the victims who are eligible for a forensic exam getting one? Did the relationship between the offender and the victim effect the report entry point? Where are sexual assaults occurring in the community?

The qualitative and quantitative data they have collected thus far has allowed them to identify and address gaps in service delivery. The Arlington SART is now collecting and sharing data across their continuum and with the community, increasing transparency and allowing SART partners to be more trauma informed as they enhance and develop new initiatives.

If you are interested in learning more about evaluating your SART’s response, please contact Jennifer Kline at jennifer.kline@dcjs.virginia.gov.

Upcoming DCJS

Victims Services Trainings

February 3, 2022 –

"Victims Services Quarterly Conversations"

February 8, 2022 –

"Strangulation: Identification, Investigation, and Strategic Prosecution: Strangulation Identification and Investigation"

February 10, 2022 –

"Strangulation: Identification, Investigation, and Strategic Prosecution: Strangulation Common Defenses and How to Overcome Them"

February 11, 2022 –

"A.R.C. Storytelling: Moving Your Audience from Attention to Action: Part 1"

February 18, 2022 –

"A.R.C. Storytelling: Moving Your Audience from Attention to Action: Part 2"

February 21, 2022 –

"Disability Justice is Key to Supporting Victims and Survivors"

February 28, 2022 –

"An Introduction to Autistic Culture and Neurodiversity"

February 28, 2022 – March 2, 2022

"NOVA Basic Community Crisis Response Training"

Click Here To Learn More or To Register

Grant Opportunities for Stalking Services

Andi Martin, Sexual Assault & Intimate Partner Violence Program Coordinator

The impact of stalking on victims must not be understated. Stalking victims suffer much higher rates of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and social dysfunction than people in the general population (Blauuw, 2002). Additionally, many stalking victims take on the financial expense of moving houses, changing jobs, and buying new cars or cell phones, among other things, in attempts to escape their stalker’s behavior. It is not surprising that victim services agencies are challenged with meeting the many needs of stalking survivors. Here is a list of grant opportunities that are available to direct service providers in their aim to serve victims of stalking.

Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program

The Culturally Specific Program supports the development of innovative culturally specific strategies and projects to enhance access to services and resources for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Eligible applicants are community-based programs whose primary purpose is providing culturally specific services.

Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program

The Campus Program strengthens the response of institutions of higher education to the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking on campuses, and enhances collaboration among campuses, local law enforcement, and victim advocacy organizations. Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education.

Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Assistance Program

The Rural Program enhances the safety of rural victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, and supports projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural areas. Eligible applicants are states, territories, Indian tribes, local governments, and nonprofit entities, including tribal nonprofit organizations.

Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault Program

The Transitional Housing Program funds organizations to assist victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who are in need of transitional housing, short-term housing assistance, and related supportive services. Eligible applicants are states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and other organizations with a documented history of effective work concerning sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

Victims Services Staff Spotlight

Featuring Tierra Smith, VSTOP and VSDVVF Program Coordinator

Share a little about your educational and professional background.

I am a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia. As a pioneer in my family, I was the first to attend college and obtained a Bachelor of Social Work degree with honors from Mary Baldwin University (College) in Staunton, Virginia, with a minor in sociology. I engaged in work within the healthcare setting as an advocate for a few years, and following this in 2015, I obtained my Master of Social Work degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a concentration in Community and Policy Practice. Throughout my professional and academic careers, I have been afforded the opportunity to work within the academic setting, state government, local sexual and domestic violence nonprofit organizations, the federal government, the healthcare setting, as well as fulfill roles dedicated to grant program management and grant coordination within various sectors. My professional experiences have also been enhanced as I serve as an avid volunteer, mentor to undergraduate and graduate students, Board member of a local nonprofit, and college ambassador among other roles. I have been with the state government for over five years.

What is your role at DCJS Victims Services Section?

My tenure with DCJS started in April 2018 as a Victims Services Program Specialist (Grant Monitor). In September 2020, I became the VSTOP and VSDVVF Grant Program Coordinator. The primary purpose of this position is to provide oversight and management of state and federal grant programs and projects. I do this by engaging in grant program coordination, providing technical assistance, training, and grant planning among other tasks.

Why were you interested in working for Victims Services at DCJS?

My passion for victims work was driven by the experiences of those close to me as well as professional opportunities. As an undergraduate student, I engaged in micro, mezzo, and macro social work to optimize the victim services offered by my undergraduate institution, but also a local victim service provider. In addition, a significant portion of my undergraduate studies and research projects allowed me to understand more about the gaps within the larger system which fueled my desire to further dedicate my career to victims work. I also quickly realized that within each of my professional job opportunities, I was working with individuals and families in need of victim services. Joining the Victims Services Team at DCJS was highly interesting to me as it was a state-government opportunity, which I also desired to do this work full time within the government setting. In addition, DCJS would allow me the opportunity to engage in macro level social work, as well as optimize large-scale change specifically within victim services.

What do you enjoy most about your work at DCJS?

I truly appreciate the diversity of the team. We have a strong team with individuals who possess a great deal of versatility in knowledge, skillset, and interests. In addition, this is the first professional opportunity in which I have been afforded mentorship and leadership by several MSWs, which is truly a treasure within macro practice. I also admire that my colleagues are “people first!” I have a team that encourages and supports me as a professional, but more importantly as a person!

What has been your proudest accomplishment at DCJS?

I feel that my proudest accomplishment was receiving the DCJS Teamwork Award for 2019. Despite being the recipient, I truly felt that it was a team award. I have always been known as "Tenacious T" within our team; however, since I have been at DCJS I have manifested into a person and professional that is greater than I had imagined. I truly believe that in some ways "OUR TEAM makes ME better.” Our manager and team trust my abilities, push my boundaries, and afford me the opportunities to be TENACIOUS. We would not be the team that we are if we were not FIRST amazing on our own! Receiving this award reminded me that I am appreciated, respected, and valued by my agency!

Prior to working at DCJS, what is the most unusual or interesting job you have had?

The most interesting job I had was as a Birthday Party Hostess for an arcade. What made the job interesting was that as a 16-year-old I thought the biggest struggle would be screaming kids, but it was actually dealing with their parents. HA!

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a child I went through phases of wanting the typical dream job: being a singer, actress, or athlete. My dad is a barber and insisted that I would grow up, go to cosmetology school, and take over his shop when I became of age. He is still very proud of MY career choice today!

If you could only vacation one place for the rest of your life, where would it be and why?

This is a tough one as I desire to travel, but I am not well traveled. I would pick St. Lucia as my destination of choice. Aside from it being absolutely beautiful and historically having an amazing mix of cultures, this destination offers a lot from beaches to mountains and everything in between. I feel I would never get bored!

What would you title the autobiography of your life?

“More than meets the eye…”