Feb 04 2017 59 mins
WHO NEEDS AN ADVOCATE AND HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM ONE? The word “advocate” is all over the place – we advocate for justice, we want an advocate when we go to court – we even see advocacy in the titles of college courses! But what is advocacy, what is an advocate, and why does it matter? Mai Fernandez has been executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime since 2010 and has extensive experience with victim-related work not only at the local level, but also nationally. She’s been a national media-spokesperson on crime victims’ rights, and has managed programs that serve victims of child abuse, sex trafficking, and gang violence. Her credentials include serving as the Assistant District Attorney for New York County, helping victims navigate the criminal justice system and pleading their cases before the court. Ms. Fernandez will join us to shed some light on victim advocacy - what we mean by the term, what it encompasses, why it is needed, how available it is, how costly it is, how it helps, and how it is different for different situations. Call in with your comments to 646-378-0430, or post your comments and questions in the chat room. Live at 11 AM Pacific time, or go to the website anytime to listen to all our archived programs at www.blogtalkradio.com/3women3ways.