"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall - think of it, ALWAYS!"

- Mahatma Gandhi

"Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being."

- Mahatma Gandhi

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"Remember,

to hate, to be violent, is demeaning.

It means you're afraid of the other side of the coin -

to love and be loved."

          - James Baldwin

           (1924-1987), writer

Executive Director:

    Kathy Manis Findley, CVAP-A, CTS

Certified Victim Assistance Professional - Advanced Practice

Certified Trauma Specialist, Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists

Graduate, U.S. Department of Justice National Victim Assistance Academy

Professional Certificate in Victim Assistance - Advanced Level, Washburn

University, Joint Center on Violence and Victim Studies

Three-year Pastoral Care Residency, Baptist Health Medical Center

Post-graduate study in Violence and Victim Studies, Washburn University

Child Forensic Interview Training, American Prosecutors Research Institute's

National Child Protection Training Center

Victim Services Experience:

• Recipient of American Society of Victimology 2007 Ed Stout Award for the development and practice of victim services
  

• Recipient of 2006 Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award for individuals who have demonstrated through their daily living, the promotion of Dr. King’s vision for humanity.
  

• Recipient of Women's PeacePower Foundation's 2006 Woman of Peace Award
  

• Past President, Crime Victims Assistance Association of Arkansas
  

• Director of Victim Support and Prevention Programs, Family Service Agency, North Little Rock, Arkansas, 1998-2002
  

• Faculty, National College of District Attorney's National Conference on Domestic Violence
  

• Recipient of Arkansas Attorney General's 2002 Larry Dunklin Award for Outstanding Advocacy and Service to Victims of Crime
  

• Commisioner and Vice-Chair, City of Little Rock Commission on Children, Youth and Families
  

• Past President of Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault
  

• Past Chairperson of Little Rock Commission on Domestic Violence
  

• Advisory Committee Member, Pulaski County Prosecutor's Abused
  

• Women Active Response Emergency Program  (A.W.A.R.E.)
  

• Member of Rape and Domestic Violence Committees, Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence
  

• Sexual Abuse Management Team, 6th Judicial District Juvenile Court
  

• Arkansas Sexual Abuse Policy Team
  

• Multidisciplinary Child Abuse Team, Pulaski County
  

• Steering Committee Member, Arkansas Victim Assistance Academy
  

• Member , Arkansas Task Group on Women's Health           
  

• Author, The Survivor's Voice: Healing the Invisible Wounds of  Violence and Abuse, Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc.
  

• Author, Voices of Our Sisters, Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc.
  

Violence Prevention and Intervention Coordinator

Angela McGraw, CVAP A

Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas

U.S. Department of Justice National Victim Assistance Academy

Pulaski Technical College, North Little Rock, Arkansas

Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina, Kansas

Other Training:

• Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas Board Member Retreat, Salina, KS – 1999
  

• Sexual Assault Advocate Education Course, Salina, KS – 28 hour course – 1999
  

• “Meeting The Challenge” Effective Strategies for Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood Environments, Salina, KS – 8 hour course – 2001
  

• Color of Violence Conference, Chicago, IL 3/15 – 3/17/2002
  

• National Domestic Violence Conference, Chicago, IL 3/2003
  

• Mayor’s Domestic Violence Community Assembly, Chicago, IL 3/2003
  

• Basic Advocacy, Little Rock, AR 12/10/2002
  

• Dynamics of Domestic Violence, Little Rock, AR 2/18/2003
  

• Making the Most of Supportive Housing, Little Rock, AR 7/23/2003
  

• Financial Literacy Training, Little Rock, AR 8/13/2003
  

• Legal Advocacy, Little Rock, AR 10/23/2003
  

• Arkansas Homeless Conference, Little Rock, AR 9/24 – 9/26/2003
  

• Professionalization of Victim Services: Application to Arkansas, Little Rock, AR 11/20/2003
  

Work Experience:

Women & Children First, Little Rock, AR

Transitional Housing Coordinator, 2002-2004

Family Advocate, 2001-2003

Salina Regional Health Center, Salina, KS

Patient Financial Services Representative, 1998-2001

Unit Clerk, 1997-1998

Certified Telemetry Technician, 1996-1997

Certified Nurses Assistant, 1997

Our Staff

"I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides.

Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

                      - Elie Wiesel

If we can help you, please contact us:

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Healing and Hope: Beginning Again After Sexual Violence

Home Should Be a Safe Place

VINE: Victim Information and Notification Every Day

POETRY - Expressions of Healing and Hope: The Voices of Transformation

ART - Expressions of Healing and Hope: The Images of Transformation

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Child Sexual Abuse

Latino Victim Advocacy and Outreach Specialist

Lisette Yang

Education and Special Training

• Major: Engineering, Finance and Technical Wnting
  

• Universidad de Guadalajalaja Diplomado Electronic Graphic Editing, 1994
  

• Instituto de Arte Bribiesca  (University of Guadalajara Affiliate)
  

• Major: Graphic Design and Advertising, 1991
  

• Diversity & Team Building Training, Certificate of Achievement, 2004                 University of Arkansas at Little Rock
  

• Healing Racism Institute, Little Rock
  

French Language

• Instituto Harvard 2000, completed 8/12 courses, 1992-1995
  

English Language

• UALR Clearance Test, Certificate of Completion 1998
  

• Proulex Institute (University of Guadalajara), Certificate of Completion 1992
  

• Instituto Cultural Mexico Norteamericano de Cultural, Guadalajara, Mexico, Certificate of Completion 1989
  

• Anglo Mexicano de Cultura (British Institute), Guadalajara, Mexico, Certificate of Completion 1985
  

Other Training:

• Spanish Interpreter/Translator & Latino Consultant
  

• Educate Arkansas teachers and students about Latino culture for the 'Bringing Mexico to Arkansas" program under the Arkansas Global Programs Organization, and the Division of International and Second Language Studies
  

• Customize workshops for various organizations and corporations to define Hispanic/Latino Culture in order to embrace diversity in the workplace
  

• Served as Latino culture consultant as well as participant for the Healing Racism Institute as part of the Racial and Cultural and Diversity Commission
  

• Served as bilingual campaign executive during fundraising season by conducting presentations for corporations/organizations and their personnel and served as quality control supervisor by developing a tracking system to ensure accurate and speedy data entry
  

• Provided simultaneous Spanish/English translations for corporations, hospitals and the court system
  

• Co-founder of the 'Amigos, Friends Learning Together' program at Chicot Elementary School within the LRSD in order to provide assistance to Latino children and to help them achieve academic goals by strengthening student retention and to increase higher graduation rates among them
  

Information about our newest staff members, Sabra Miller and Karina Velasco, will be online soon.

Community Advocacy Coordinator

    Kerry Michael Sernel, MSW

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Minor in Social Welfare, University of Alabama

Master of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Victim Services Experience

• Services Coordinator, HAVEN in Lee County, Sanford, NC 1997-2000
  

• Board Member, North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1998-2000
  

• Project Coordinator, Court Advocacy Training Project, North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2000-2001
  

• Victim Support Specialist, Family Service Agency Sexual Assault Center, October 2001 – February 2002
  

• Coordinator of Volunteer Services and Education, FSA Sexual Assault Center, February 2001 – present
  

Specialized Education/Training

• Conference on Domestic Violence and Law Enforcement, Clinton, NC (September 1997)
  

• Working with Men Who Batter, Hickory, NC (February 1998)
  

• Project Esperanza: Working with Battered Immigrant Women, Raleigh, NC (April 1998)
  

• Batterers Intervention Conference, Fayetteville, NC (November 1998)
  

• Tactics of Men Who Batter (Duluth Model Training), Raleigh, NC (December 1998)
  

• dentifying the Sexual Offender, Huntsville, AL (March 1999)
  

• North Carolina Council for Women Conference (May 1999)
  

• Working with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Clients, Chapel Hill, NC (May 2000)
  

• North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence Conference, Chapel Hill, NC (May 2000)
  

• North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence Grantwriting Workshop, Durham, NC (April 2001)
  

• Family Service Agency Sexual Assault Center Volunteer Crisis Advocacy Training, Little Rock, AR (October 2001)
  

• Child Development and Individual Family Functioning, Little Rock, AR (October 2001)
  

• Sexual Victimization of People with Developmental Disabilities, Little Rock, AR (March 2002)
  

• Dealing with Inappropriate Sexual Behavior in People with Developmental
  

• Disabilities, Little Rock, AR (March 2002)
  

• Working with Clients with Borderline Personality Disorder, Little Rock, AR (March 2002)
  

• Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence - Arkansas Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Laws, Little Rock, AR (March 2002)
  

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