Do what you do best, and partner for the rest.

When victim services organizations collaborate with each other, each organization is able to expand their ability to more effectively serve victims. Successful collaborations take time, energy, and effort (and sometimes a lot of patience). This training will address how to identify when a collaboration is needed, how to choose potential partners and generate an action plan, and how to measure success.

The training is designed for managers who currently work in the victim services field. It will be delivered online over the course of 4 weeks, beginning on October 1. Each week, except for the introductory week, will include a 75-minute facilitated webinar. In addition to attending the webinar, you can expect to spend an additional hour per week completing written assignments, readings, or watching videos. CEUs will be awarded for this training. Please Note: Space is limited. Apply today to reserve your seat.

Cynthia Hedge
Michigan City, Indiana

Cynthia Hedge is the chief operating officer of the nonprofit Center for Creative Solutions. In addition, she consults with businesses and nonprofit agencies, assisting them with their strategic planning, board development, and staff training in areas such as creative problem solving, leadership, creativity, planning, team building, managing change, developing collaborations, and communication. Ms. Hedge has extensive experience in developing prosecutorial victim programs, supervising victim assistance staff, advocating for victims in her community and state, and forming and leading collaborative community projects to address victim issues. These efforts led to the building of a child advocacy center, creation of victim advocate programs, and the formation of multidisciplinary task forces working on elder and child abuse, domestic violence, juvenile gangs and delinquency, and alcohol and drug abuse. She was elected county prosecuting attorney after a long tenure as a deputy assistance staff, advocating for victims in her community and state, and forming and leading collaborative community projects to address victim issues. Ms. Hedge received her J.D. from the Valparaiso University School of Law, a graduate certificate and M.S. from the International Center for Studies in Creativity and Change Leadership, Buffalo State College (SUNY), and a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science from Indiana University.

Kiricka Yarbough Smith
Raleigh, North Carolina

Kiricka Yarbough Smith is an independent consultant with expertise in human trafficking, cultural diversity and cultural competency, collaboration, and the development of rapid response teams (RRT). As the human trafficking program manager at the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, she coordinated services for all victims of trafficking and provided training to 3,500 service providers and law enforcement officials throughout North Carolina. Ms. Smith served as the co-chair of the Pitt County Human Trafficking Task Force, a project funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance from 2008 to 2011. She is the chair of the North Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking and a member of Partners Against the Trafficking of Humans. Ms. Smith is certified in cultural diversity and cultural competency. She has trained law enforcement and service providers on collaboration, coordination, and building an agency’s capacity to serve all victims of trafficking. Ms. Smith also served as the lead for the development of RRTs in North Carolina, which provide culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed care in all aspects of victim care. She is a consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women and Futures Without Violence project, building collaboration to address trafficking in domestic violence and sexual assault cases. She partnered with the Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Carolina to develop and implement a domestic minor sex trafficking curriculum. Ms. Smith has a B.A. in Social Work from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, and a B.A. in Sociology from North Carolina State University.