Victim advocate training brings trainees from across Michigan
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ALPENA -- Victim advocates traveled to Alpena from across Michigan to participate in a two-day Victim Services Unit (VSU) training on Friday and Saturday and held at the Alpena Community College.
Victim advocates work with county sheriff's offices across the state and are trained by the Michigan Sheriff's Association (MSA). Victim advocates allow police, fire, and medical personnel to do their jobs without leaving the victim or the victim's family unattended.
Victim advocates offer comfort and help victims make appropriate referrals to agencies and services available to them, serve as a go-between for victims, and accompany victims to the hospital, police station, or shelter as needed.
Advocates respond to on-scene calls and talk to victims to establish needs. At a crime scene, advocates attempt to separate victims from the scene activity for investigative purposes while maintaining the link to officers for victim questions.
"Any type of crime where there's actually a victim or family of victims, those people have training to go and meet with them and provide a temporary service to them, so they get the help that they need," Alpena County Sheriff Erik Smith said.
Smith and Alcona County Sheriff Scott Stephenson sponsored the weekend training. Smith said that the training is intended for new victim advocates.
Diane Sims, the Alpena County Sheriff's Office VSU coordinator, said that attendees had come from everywhere, including Coldwater, located in the southwest side of Michigan, and Negaunee, which is in the Upper Peninsula near Marquette.
She said that the people at the training are working to become certified victim advocates in their various communities.
At the training, attendees heard from a variety of people, including a talk about fire from Alpena Fire Chief Andy Marceau, law enforcement drones and active violence incidents by Sgt. Mike Lash of the Alpena County Sheriff's Office.
Other sessions include a talk on emergency services, medical examiners, ethics, and the Law Enforcement Autism Awareness Program (LEAAP).
Saturday's sessions include trauma informed services, confidentiality, listening skills, funeral homes, death notifications, and more. Sessions are being conducted by local officials and experts including Funeral Director Jeff Faircloth of McWilliams Funeral Home and Larry LaCross, president of Catholic Human Services.
Smith said this is the first time they have held a VSU training in Northeast Michigan. He said that there's a chance they could host it again.
In Alpena County, victim advocates are all highly-trained volunteers. Most counties in the state have a VSU, and some counties have paid victim advocates.