MANCHESTER, KY (December 21, 2021) - The Clay County Attorney’s Office is excited to announce the addition of its very first Victim Advocate (“VA”). The VA functions to initiate contact with victims of various crimes, make them aware of their rights, and assist them with navigating through the court process.
Services may include crisis intervention, emergency assistance, referral to other agencies and community services, and assistance with applying for victim related benefits and reimbursement of expenses. The appointment of a VA was made possible by the obtaining of a grant to be administered through the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.
Clay County Attorney Joe White says, “The addition of a Victim Advocate to our staff greatly enhances our means to address the many needs that victims have and allows us to take a much greater hands-on approach to the various cases we routinely see involving victims. For example, a victim of domestic violence will now have their very own contact at the county attorney’s office to provide information about their court scheduling information, their rights as victims, and the availability of various services in the community that can assist them with programs such as grief counseling, trauma related counseling, and even the obtaining of victims related benefits.
The bottom line is that it just puts us in a much better position to help victims, and that’s a win not only for our office, but for Clay County.”
Appointed to the position of Victim Advocate is Victoria Gipson who has her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of the Cumberlands and over four years of experience working as a pretrial officer in the court system.
You may reach Victoria at 606-598-5110.
