Victim/Witness Services

Victim/Witness Services for Coconino County is a community-oriented, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides crisis intervention, victim assistance, witness advocacy, crime prevention education, and victim compensation to assist in alleviating the emotional, physical and financial needs of victims while promoting the constitutional rights of victims.

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Vision

We envision Victim/Witness Services for Coconino County as a leader in providing responsive, relevant, high-quality advocacy for victims of crime in Coconino County.

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What is Victim/Witness Services?

Victim/Witness Services is a non-profit organization that oversees various services and programs providing outreach, advocacy and support services to the victims of crimes in Coconino County. All services are offered free of charge and without discrimination based upon race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or religion. Services are available to victims in all of Coconino County, regardless of whether they have chosen to report the crime. All conversations with advocates and request for services are strictly confidential, unless the advocate is given permission to discuss the case with outside agencies or persons.

What services do we provide?

Victim/Witness advocates are available 24 hours a day to provide immediate crisis intervention to victims of crime. We are paged to respond by law enforcement agencies, emergency service providers, or at the request of non-reporting victims. An advocate can offer ongoing support and education throughout the criminal justice process, upholding victims' rights, providing court escort, transportation to and from court, child care, social service referrals, witness preparation, follow-up support, and information on crime victim compensation programs and benefits.

How long has Victim/Witness Services been serving the community?

Founded in 1984, Victim/Witness Services was originally formed as the Impact Crisis Team and functioned solely as an advocacy program. Since then, the organization has grown to include 10 outreach and support programs. Victim/Witness Services helps hundreds of victims and witnesses each year through crises and the criminal justice process in its entirety.
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Meet Our Staff

	Patti Bigwood Executive Director pbigwood@coconino.az.gov
Patti Bigwood is the Executive Director for Victim Witness Services for Coconino County. Patti holds a Masters Degree in Sociology from Northern Arizona University. Patti has long been involved with advocating for victims of domestic violence, specifically as it relates to legal reform in family law. Patti is also on the adjunct faculty staff at NAU and CCC where she teaches Sociology and Criminal Justice. back to top
	Kyle Somerville Administrative Assistant ksomerville@coconino.az.gov
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	David Obergfell Associate Director for Advocacy Services dobergfell@coconino.az.gov
David Obergfell is the Associate Director for Advocacy Services. David is a Credentialed Advocate through the National Organization for Victim Assistance. David has been working in the crisis response field since 2000, providing mental health and suicide prevention services, as well as services to adult and child victims of sexual assault and abuse. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Northern Arizona University in 2001 and is currently working toward a Masters degree in Forensic Psychology. back to top
	Deborah Fresquez Domestic Violence Victim Advocate dfresquez@coconino.az.gov
Deborah retired as a certified officer with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office in 1994. Since 2004, she has volunteered with CASA, as a court appointed special advocate. She is currently on the board of the Family Advocacy Center. She is also currently the Co-Chair of the County Coordinated Response Team (CCRT) to Domestic Violence. Deborah facilitates the Domestic Violence Impact Panel for Coconino County. Deborah has a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Psychology. She is currently working towards her Master’s certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies. back to top
	Jennifer Nichols Victim Advocate Volunteer Program Coordinator jnichols@coconino.az.gov Se habla español
As the Victim Advocate Volunteer Coordinator, Jennifer Nichols is responsible for recruiting, interviewing and training Victim Advocate Volunteers and Interns. Jennifer graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a Master of Arts in the Teaching of Languages with emphases in English as a second language and Spanish. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English as well as Spanish with a minor in Women's Studies. Before coming to Victim Witness, she was a graduate assistant for the Women's Studies Program at USM and taught ESL classes for adult learners in the Hattiesburg School District. back to top
	Jennifer Wytaske Victim Advocate II jwytaske@coconino.az.gov Se habla español
Jennifer Wytaske is the Victim Advocate II for Victim/Witness Services for Coconino County. As Victim Advocate II, she works with victims of felony crimes. Jennifer graduated Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Spanish. She spent time studying abroad in Spain and will also be providing services to Spanish speaking victims. Jennifer volunteered with the agency for a little over two years during her time studying at NAU and continues to be an active member of the Flagstaff community. back to top
	Amber Rheaume Sexual Violence Victim Advocate arheaume@coconino.az.gov Se habla español
Amber Rheaume is the Sexual Violence Victim Advocate for Victim/Witness Services for Coconino County, working with victims of sex crimes. She currently sits on the Silent Witness Board and the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence Legislative Activities Committee. Amber holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, both from Northern Arizona University. She also has a minor in Spanish and provides services to Spanish speaking victims of felony crimes. Before working with Victim/Witness she volunteered for two years and completed and internship with the organization. back to top
	Kim Lopez Victim Compensation Program Coordinator klopez@coconino.az.gov
Kim Lopez is the Victim Compensation Program Coordinator. Kim holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix while she also holds a real estate license for the state of Arizona. Kim also runs her own Bookkeeping/ Accounting Business in the Flagstaff area. Kim has over nine years experience in marketing, business administration, accounting and sales. Kim is a native to Flagstaff and looks forward to many more years in the community. back to top
	Hollie Vargas Victim Advocate I hvargas@coconino.az.gov
Hollie Vargas is the Victim Advocate I for Coconino County. Hollie graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelors of Science in criminology. As a returning graduate student she began an internship at Victim/Witness Services in January, which opportunely turned into a full time advocate position. Prior to returning to school Hollie worked as a rock climbing instructor at Vertical Relief Rock Climbing Center here in Flagstaff. As a fan of adventure and a good challenge Hollie is very excited to begin her journey at Victim/Witness Services. back to top

This page was last updated on: 05/07/2008