OUR NEGATIVE SELF TALK
Written by: Julie Thomas, Director of Victim Services and Training I often encounter people in the course of my work who tell me “I am my own worst enemy”. It is so easy for us to believe the worst about ourselves, to put ourselves down, to litter our days’ thoughts with negative self-talk. Somewhere in our past we’ve been delivered the message that to say positive,…
Read MoreWelcome our new Hotline Advocate, Jana!
Welcome new Hotline Advocate, Jana Grafe! Jana will be answering hotline calls after business hours on the 24-hour statewide hotline. She will provide crisis intervention, emotional support, resources and more to those individuals who have been hurt or harmed by crime. Jana comes to VSS with a wealth of knowledge working as a Legal Assistant for the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office and many law firms.…
Read MoreNew King County Office location is up and running!
Victim Support Services is excited to add another satellite office for King County clients! Located in Pioneer Square, this office is in a convenient, central location for Seattle-area clients. The office is in the heart of Pioneer Square with an overlooking view of Centurylink Field, and is a short walk from the Seattle Courthouse. The space is shared with a variety of knowledgeable lawyers, each…
Read MoreSeptember Employee of the Month: Janet Quiroga
It is no surprise that once again, Janet Quiroga, Hotline Coordinator, has been voted in by her peers as Employee of the Month for September! Her peers and co-workers say that Janet is always so helpful and stays on top of things. Janet is also committed and dedicated to our fundraising events, the website, and most of all, the statewide hotline. Last month, when one…
Read MoreBECU People Helping People Awards
Victim Support Service is excited to announce that we have been selected as a finalist for the 2018 BECU People Helping People Awards! At minimum, our organization has been rewarded a $15,000 Community Benefit Award. Additionally, we are up for the following rewards: • $40,000 People’s Choice (popular vote by the community) • $30,000 Employees’ Choice (popular vote by BECU Employees) • $30,000 Past Recipient…
Read MoreThe Symptoms of Chronic Stress, Part 2
Written by: Julie Thomas, Director of Victim Services and Training What is stress anyway? Is it bad, is it good? Stress is simply the non-specific response of the body to anything in life which causes people to have to adjust or alter attention, behavior and/or demands of energy. It is a survival mechanism. Stress, when properly managed, is constructive because we have the stress hormones we need to meet challenges and…
Read MoreLeadership Snohomish County Signature Class of 2019
Victim Support Services is excited to announce that one of our Program Directors, Leslie McPherson, has been accepted into the Leadership Snohomish County Signature Class! Leadership Snohomish County is the local organization recognized for cultivating sustainable leadership. Since its founding in 1996, LSC has graduated talented, motivated professionals who are informed about local issues and ready to engage for the long term. The Signature Class…
Read MoreAugust Employee of the Month: Janet Quiroga
A huge congrats to Janet Quiroga for receiving August employee of the month! Janet was hired on as a Hotline Advocate in September of 2017 and months later, in June of 2018, Janet was promoted to Hotline Coordinator. As Hotline Coordinator, Janet plays a big part in day to day operations of the 24-hour hotline, monitoring calls, texts, mentoring hotline advocates, and helping train new…
Read MoreGrieving Youth Returning to School
Written by: Katy Percini, MA, LMFT, Mental Health Therapist Heading back to school after the summer break can be an exciting time for many students. For others, returning to school can cause anxiety, depression, and stress. When a child is grieving the death of a loved one, returning to school can be even more difficult. Most youth will experience the death of a family member…
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