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

Texas Victim Services Association

Newsletter
Winter 2025

In This Issue

Message from the Executive Director

President's Column

Welcome New Members

Update Your Profile

Membership Matters

Board Spotlight: Roman Sanchez

Professional Development and Training

Texas Victim Friendly Initiative

Texas Advanced Academy for Victim Assistance (TAAVA) Alumni Network

Save the Dates

Job Board

Board of Directors

By Jeni Pirtle, BA

As we near the end of this season and approach the next, I am thinking about my word of the moment: connection.

Writer, social worker, and renowned public speaker Brene Brown defines connection as “the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” 

Last week, I had the privilege of spending three days with the emerging leaders in the victim services profession who made up our Class of 2025 for the Texas Advanced Academy for Victim Assistance (TAAVA). While our next edition of the newsletter will feature their achievements in more detail, I came away from our time feeling inspired by the shared vision, commitment, and expertise among the students. Witnessing their camaraderie and the growth in students’ knowledge base and networks exemplified for me the importance of TVSA’s mission: support, education, and recognition for victim services providers. 

Victim services providers excel at connecting with the victims and communities they serve through the embodiment of compassion and non-judgment that Brene Brown describes. Although there are unfortunately fewer opportunities to do so, it is no less essential for providers to experience that type of whole-hearted connection with peers and colleagues across the profession. 

The opportunity for connection is what excites me most about the turning of seasons and the 2025 Biennial Training Conference to be held this spring, May 6th-9th, which will unite victim services professionals across geography and discipline. Reading the list of workshops that TVSA’s conference proposal review team recently selected, I am struck by the depth of experience and the breadth of practices represented. Few things are more fulfilling or energizing to me than getting to learn with and from people who love what they do and want to share how they do it!

This is an exciting time to be involved with TVSA! I hope you will join us on South Padre Island this May. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out any time to introduce yourself, offer feedback, or ask questions - we want to connect.

By Rose Luna, MSLC

2025 is in full swing for the Texas Victim Services Association (TVSA), bringing a dynamic start to the year with its signature programs. This quarter, we’re proud to showcase our hallmark initiatives, beginning with the Texas Advanced Academy for Victim Assistance (TAAVA) in February and culminating in the highly anticipated Biennial Training Conference in South Padre Island this May 6^th-9^th.

Under the capable leadership of Jeni Pirtle, TVSA is thriving. Jeni has seamlessly stepped into her role, driving the organization forward with a strong vision for growth, enhanced fund development, and deeper membership engagement. Her leadership is ensuring that TVSA remains a vital resource for victim service professionals across Texas.

The TVSA Board is committed to staying closely connected with our members and values your insights. We encourage you to share your feedback and ideas—your voice helps shape the future of our organization.

With registration open for the Biennial Training Conference and sponsorship opportunities available, now is the perfect time to get involved. Don’t miss this chance to network, learn, and collaborate with fellow professionals dedicated to serving crime victims.

Thank you for your dedication—we can’t wait to see you at the beach!

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

Is your TVSA profile up to date?

Keeping your profile updated ensures you receive all TVSA communications, including training events and notices. Follow this link to view and edit your TVSA profile: txvsa.org/Sys/Profile

By LeShae Haynes, BA, Membership Committee Chair

On behalf of your Regional Coordinators (Kristi Thompson, Region A; Roya Williamson, Region B; Jennifer Betts-Williams, Region C; LeShae Haynes, Region D; Ozzie Carrasco, Region E; and Brenda Fuentes, Regions F), we hope you all enjoyed the holidays and that this year is off to a great start for you all! We have been actively working to spread the word about TVSA and the outstanding support that TVSA provides to professionals in the victim services field to in turn better support crime victims and their families. We have also been working hard to prepare for our biennial conference in South Padre coming up in May and we are full steam ahead. Please join us in spreading the word about the professional development opportunities TVSA provides as well as our conference. We hope to see all of you at the conference in May!

For those that are newer to the field of victim services, don’t forget to check out the Texas Victim Assistance Training (TVAT) Academy, facilitated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Victim Services Division. It is a great fundamental academy that provides a wealth of knowledge. TDCJ is currently accepting applications through Friday, March 14, 2025.

Thank you for everything you do to support crime victims.

Regional Coordinator Updates:

Region A Coordinator, Kristi Thompson, (Panhandle-Amarillo/Lubbock/ Wichita Falls), KThompson@lubbockcounty.gov: Region A is rocking along!  We have increased membership in the region and hope that this small increase initiates momentum. 

Region B Coordinator, Roya Williamson, (Central-Austin /Waco/San Antonio), rwilliamson@sanmarcostx.gov.

Region C Coordinator, Jen-Betts Williams, (Northeast-Dallas/ Fort Worth/Tyler), jbettswilliams@theturningpoint.org

Region D Coordinator, LeShae Haynes,(Southeast-Beaumont/Houston/College Station), leshae.haynes@fortbendcountytx.gov: In region D I am currently reaching out to victim service providers to share information about TVSA. If you are located in Region D or know of any emerging organizations that might not be familiar with TVSA, please feel free to send their information my way, and I would be happy to contact them. I am also very excited to see many of you at our upcoming conference! Early registration is already open and I hope to see you all there! 

Region E Coordinator, Ozzie Carrasco, (West-El Paso/Midland/San Angelo), ocarrasco@crmtx.org.

Region F Coordinator, Brenda Fuentes, (South-Corpus Christi/Laredo/McAllen), brenda.fuentes@da.co.hidalgo.tx.us

Not sure what region you are in? Check out our regional map and lists to see where your county lies in our TVSA regions! TVSA Regions

We welcome Roman Sanchez to the board as an at-large member in San Antonio, Texas.

Roman started his victim services journey in August 2021 a social work intern at the Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office in the Victim Services Unit. Roman was subsequently hired as a victim advocate from February 2022 to December 2024. In this role, he served as part of the Crisis Response Team that supported the victims of the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

In December 2024, Roman was accepted into the National Advocate Credentialing Program, where he earned the distinction of becoming a Credentialed Advocate (CA) with a Comprehensive Victim Intervention Specialist designation. He will graduate this May with a master’s degree in Victim Services Management from Sam Houston State University, where he has been a student since August 2023. Currently the Regional Victim Services Coordinator for South Texas in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Victim Services Division, Roman is passionate about advocating for all crime victims and looks forward to what the future holds for his journey in the victim services sector.

TVSA is dear to Roman’s heart, he says, “because this organization upholds how victim service professionals should be out in the field, provides different outlets to utilize our skills as individuals and as part of a collective when together at the training conference and other events.” In Roman’s words, “TVSA is not just an organization that continues to thrive year after year, but is also a loving family that is spread out of members from all over the state of Texas. As it continues to grow, so do the love, the knowledge, and the determination for members to continue growing in our networks with one another and in our ability to provide these services to victims and their communities.

One of Roman’s mentors in the victim services sector saw how passionate he is about this field and encouraged him to consider TVSA board service so he can continue to be a voice and light for victims through this avenue of service. “I know that my momentum is just starting as I continue my journey in victim services. I want to continue the fight for advocacy and victims’ rights as long as I can.” Of his board service, Roman says, “To serve on the board of this amazing organization means that I am able to use my skills, knowledge, and love of victim advocacy toward helping make TVSA fruitful in the present and the future.”

2025 is a busy year at TVSA in training and professional development!

We start out the year with our annual Texas Advanced Academy for Victim Assistance, presenting our curriculum in trauma-informed leadership and management to students from across our state! Our 2025 TAAVA will be held on February 26-28.

We have also held the first continuing education training of our virtual quarterly series for TAAVA alumni in January, with three more in the planning stages for March, June, and September.

Our largest effort in professional development and training this year is our Biennial Training Conference, scheduled for May 6-9, 2025, at the Holiday Inn Beach Resort on South Padre Island. Planning and preparation are fast underway! We have confirmed our three-hour preconference ethics session for the afternoon of May 6^th. The pre-conference ethics session is a standard offering of all our conferences and includes interactive exercises using TVSA’s Code of Ethics for Texas victim service providers as a foundation.
Our conference proposal review team has completed its review and selection of our workshops that form a primary part of our training program in four tracks: Trauma-Informed Approaches to Service Delivery, Cross-Sector Collaborations and Partnerships in Victim Services, Research and Promising Practices, and Leadership and Management in Victim Services. We are also presently underway with securing and confirming our opening and closing plenary presentations.

The list of conference workshops is available here: Conference Workshops.

Early conference registration is now underway through March 23^rd. Registration and additional conference information is available at TVSA 2025 Biennial Conference Registration. 

Early registrants can take advantage of reduced conference rates, with the deepest discount available to TVSA members. Not a member yet? Join TVSA

Continuing education hours are available for LPCs, LMFTs and Social Work. TCOLE hours are pending confirmation.

Our call for exhibitors is also open and available to any non-profit or governmental agency wishing to share information and resources about their services, or any for-profit vendors that provide goods or services for victim services providers. For more information, please go to TVSA Call for Exhibitors

We also have sponsorship opportunities available; sponsors at the bronze level and above have an exhibit space included as part of their sponsorship benefits. Sponsorship information is available at TVSA Call for Sponsors

We are pleased to see a good representation of registrants from across our state already and look forward to seeing many more of you in attendance in May!

TAAVA Alumni Network Meeting

March 19, 2025

Virtual

TVSA 2025 Biennial Training Conference

May 6-9, 2025

Holiday Inn Beach Resort, South Padre Island

TAAVA Alumni Network Meeting

June 18, 2025

Virtual

TAAVA Alumni Network Meeting

September 17, 2025

Virtual

Did You Know?

TVSA has a 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

We are extremely pleased to continue our Texas Victim Friendly Initiative (TVFI) program, for our sixth consecutive year!

The TVFI program is a quality improvement program designed as an agency-led, TVSA facilitated and supported a one-year project aimed at assisting victim service organizations to become more trauma-informed (victim friendly) in their services to crime victims.

This year we are working with four sites representing two public law-enforcement agencies in urban and suburban jurisdictions and two community-based non-profits in east and west Texas. The sites have completed their organizational steps to participate in the program, including a baseline organizational self-assessment and staff survey, and development of an action plan, with their respective priorities for improvement to become more trauma-informed. Many of the action plan steps involve new or enhanced operational policies and procedures, training, and even some physical plant improvements. TVSA conducts ongoing checks with the sites on their progress and is available with technical assistance and support as requested.

One site, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, is unique this year in that their project team lead, Marycarmen Wisner, the office’s Victim Assistance Coordinator, participated in one of our TVFI pilot sites in the first year of the program’s implementation. “During my time with the Manor Police Department, I saw firsthand the transformative impact of the Texas Victim Friendly Initiative (TVFI), a project that helped the agency become more victim-centered and trauma-informed in its approach to serving crime victims. Although I was not the one who initially applied for it, I immediately recognized its potential to make a significant difference. When I transitioned to the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, I knew this was a project my new agency should pursue. I am confident its benefits will help strengthen our commitment to victims and make our services even more accessible and supportive.”

For more information on the TVFI program, please email tvfi@txvsa.org.

One of the benefits of completing our annual Texas Advanced Academy for Victim Assistance (TAAVA) in management and leadership is becoming a part of our academy alumni network! Every class of TAAVA alumni since the inception of our advanced academy in 2016 is added to our alumni network, affording them the option to participate in quarterly continuing education trainings we offer exclusively to our academy alumni.

The trainings are held virtually over a lunch hour time block and are presented with two components. The first hour is a training in a topic related to leading and managing in a victim services setting. The second component, our featured alumni segment, is presented by a TAAVA alumnus/alumna from a victim services organization with regional or statewide services, allowing our alumni to learn about referral and partnership resources available to them locally of which they may not be aware, thus providing them networking opportunities with professional peers.

Training topics are selected from alumni feedback. Our most recent quarterly meeting was presented by Natacha Peláez-Wagner of TVSA, who trained on Beyond Vision and Mission: Setting Organizational Values, a topic requested by alumni. Our featured alumna, Jennifer Greene, TAAVA class of 2021, presented on the Sexual Assault Family Violence Instructor Course of the Texas Municipal Police Association where she serves as program manager.

Our next TAAVA ANW meetings are scheduled for March 19, June 18, and September 17. We encourage all TAAVA alumni to continue attending our meetings, which also provide CEUs in social work, LPC and LMFT.

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.

Copyright © 2025 Texas Victim Services Association. All rights reserved.

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