DCJS Victims Services News:

SERVICE

Sharon Reed, Victims Services Program Specialist

What is Service? Merriam-Webster.com defines service as "a helpful act; a contribution to the welfare of others; a useful labor that does not produce a tangible commodity". But what is the real meaning of service? I believe service is a choice: a calling to help others obtain a sense of safety, well-being, and a better way of life.

Jenny Santi wrote in her article, “The Secret To Happiness Is Helping Others” for Time Magazine, “There is a Chinese saying that goes: ‘If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.’ For centuries, the greatest thinkers have suggested the same thing: Happiness is found in helping others.”

Studies have shown that serving others can benefit your own mental health and well-being. The benefits of serving others include reducing feelings of loneliness and stress, as well as enhancing a sense of community, increasing optimism, and increasing happiness.

I have worked in many roles serving victims during my 35-plus years of employment. During that time, I have been afforded many opportunities in the criminal justice field. As I considered these opportunities, my husband Steve Reed, would always ask, “If you took the money out of it, would you be happy in that position?” When I examined the opportunity in that light, my path was always clear. 

Service can become habitual. You feel good when you help someone out of a bad situation, walk them through a difficult process, or help them through the worst day of their life. It comes with an ebb and flow: the highs and the lows, the adrenaline rushes, and the emotional exhaustion. But you, the advocates, continue to assist with each case, each survivor, each victim.



As we honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month, remember the survivors of domestic violence you had the privilege to walk with during your time of service. They brought their own struggles and heartbreak; however, they also remember the success stories. Those who have moved on to a better life, a better partner, and a happy adventure because of the services, information, and guidance you provided. Thank you all for your selflessness, empathy, compassion, and your continued service.  

DCJS VICTIMS SERVICES STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Featuring Aria Chipley, Victims Services Program Specialist

Please share a little about your educational and professional background.

This journey began in Southeast Alaska, where I attended the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, AK. During my undergraduate internship, I worked in a high-risk sex offender management program in a correctional facility. After graduation, I transitioned into working with Batterer Intervention Program (BIP) offender intervention both in community and corrections. Additionally, I worked providing hospital accompaniment to victims/survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. After many winters with endless snow, I decided to relocate to the Carolinas. I worked in the courts providing services to victims of crime, and again as a facilitator for community BIP offender intervention programming. I returned to victims services by working as a domestic violence victim advocate, DSS Liaison, and finally as a domestic violence program coordinator at a nonprofit agency. Throughout these roles, I worked with grants and throughout the years, recognized that I wanted to know more. In pursuit of these goals, I decided to attend graduate school for Public Administration. I became one of two new Victims Services Program Specialists at DCJS and I completed my Master of Public Administration through Arkansas State University in May 2023. 

What is your role at DCJS?

I work as a Victims Services Program Specialist. I have the opportunity to work with victim-serving programs in the Northern Neck/I-95 Corridor region(s) of the Commonwealth, ensuring compliance across multiple grants and providing technical assistance. 

Why were you interested in working for Victims Services at DCJS?

I have worked in nonprofits providing direct services for many years, so general grant knowledge was familiar. It wasn’t until I began working more with grant reporting that I developed an interest in grant management. While completing my MPA, I relocated from the Carolinas to Richmond. I knew that I wanted to continue supporting victims, but I also wanted to further my knowledge and experience with grant work. I had experiences covering the spectrum regarding grant monitors, some amazing and others that I did not want to repeat. I knew that in keeping true to my passion for serving victims, I wanted to further my experience by supporting the staff at victim-serving agencies. Grant work is extensive, and I didn’t want to contribute additional burdens to programs ensuring compliance. Instead, I wanted to shift my focus to supporting the foundation of these agencies through compliance and technical assistance. I researched DJCS extensively to ensure that my goals and objectives for providing services aligned with those of DCJS. Nearly six months later, I’m happy to continue using this opportunity as a grant monitor to ensure victim-serving agencies have access to the resources and support they need to continue serving victims throughout the Commonwealth.  

What do you enjoy most about your work with DCJS?

Knowing that the learning never stops. In providing technical assistance, I work to treat every interaction as a new learning opportunity. Providing technical assistance not only helps the program, but it also helps the monitor improve their specific subject knowledge and can be utilized in future technical assistance requests to this program and others across the Commonwealth. I am able to learn more about the program itself, the work being done, and how to best incorporate feedback from the field to better serve and support victim-serving programs. 

What has been your proudest accomplishment at DCJS?

Grant reviews and site visits are the major ones, but I am thankful for the daily opportunities to talk with programs and provide same-day technical assistance. 

Prior to working at DCJS, what has been your most unusual or interesting job?

I grew up in a few states but call Southeast Alaska home. I lived in a very remote town, only accessible by boat or plane. The town was the entrance to a National Park. I worked alongside the National Park Service Rangers, and we would board a cruise ship for the day. We answered questions on the park, helped people spot wildlife (humpback whales, puffins, harbor seals, sea otters, sea lions, bears, and more!), discussed the glaciers, eagerly awaited potential glacial calving, and discussed environmental impacts.

Getting to/from the “office” was one of the most exciting parts. We took a boat and rode alongside the cruise ship (it slowed down, we sped up), where the ship staff opened a side “door,” and we climbed a ladder up to the ship and back down when leaving at the end of the day. 

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

That is an excellent question. Truly, I’m unable to remember. I do know that whatever it was – working in grants was not part of it. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

If you could only vacation in one place for the rest of your life, where would it be and why?

There are so many options! If I had to choose, I really loved Mendocino County, California. The weather was perfect, the waves incredible, and being surrounded by the giant Redwoods; it was magical.   

What would you title your autobiography?

I love music, so it needs to be a song title. “Learning to Fly” seems like the right fit.