Angelika Lewis-Bowling, a victim’s advocate for the Williamsburg City Police Department, has been selected as the narrator of the Kentucky Victim Assistance Academy (KVAA) scheduled to take place in September 2018.
The KVAA was created by the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet in collaboration with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and the Kentucky Coalition against Domestic Violence. It is a week-long training program designed to provide new advocates and allied professionals throughout the state with best practices, knowledge and concrete skills for serving victims of crime.
This academy is the first of its kind in the state of Kentucky to offer victim advocates an opportunity for extensive learning at the beginning of their career. Lewis-Bowling, along with her co-narrator, Christy Burch, will be the first narrators ever to hold the position to lead the academy and set the tone for future narrators.
Natalie Burikhanov of the Department of Justice and Public Safety said that Angelika Lewis-Bowling was an obvious fit for this role due to her extensive experience with victim advocacy, mentorship and networking, leadership training, and advocacy efforts outside of her professional role.
As an advocate in a rural area, Angelika understands the intersection of victimization with so many issues, including trauma, substance abuse, poverty, incarceration, and adverse childhood experiences.
Angelika makes a positive impact on her community by utilizing traditional and nontraditional services for victims of crime, and she works with a wide variety of community members to curate and facilitate creative solutions. KVAA students will benefit greatly from Angie’s knowledge and expertise in the area of victim advocacy.
