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In 2016, Helms was named the executive director of Homicide Survivors, a nonprofit organization meeting the needs of families of murder victims. She previously worked at the County Attorney鈥檚 Office for 12 years.

The Star spoke to Helms about why she made the switch back to the County Attorney鈥檚 Office and her plans for the Victim Services Division.

Q: How did your role as executive director of Homicide Survivors prepare you for your role as director of Victim Services?

A: 鈥淢y story is kind of a circular journey. When I first started in the victim services field 13 years ago, I actually started at the County Attorney鈥檚 Office. I coordinated the volunteer program, worked as an advocate, coordinated the Victim Compensation Program and worked with Homicide Survivors through that time.

鈥淭hen, about 1陆 years ago, the former director left, so I moved over to Homicide Survivors. I had been working in the victim services field all of that time and then working as the director of Homicide Survivors gave me the insight to the administrative role I now have at Victim Services.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really a combination of the work that I鈥檇 previously done at the Pima County Attorney鈥檚 Office compiled with the director position at Homicide Survivors that gave me all of the skills, information and experience that I need to now work as director of the Victim Services Division.鈥�

Q: What got you into the victim services field?

A: 鈥淲hen I graduated from the University of 蜜柚直播, I wasn鈥檛 really sure what I wanted to do like a lot of college graduates. My first job outside of college was working at Child and Family Resources as a case manager. I worked with families who were having a tough time and who needed resources.

鈥淚 really loved it. I just found that being able to offer help was really fulfilling to me and I felt like because I was able to, I should. That was really important. It was so nice to see growth and change when people got information that maybe they didn鈥檛 have before. It was just so fulfilling to see that change in people and know that I could help.

鈥淚 then got my master鈥檚 in counseling because my supervisor at the time had a master鈥檚 in counseling. I knew that was sort of the direction I wanted to go. Through that program at the University of Phoenix, I realized that the direct therapeutic services, sort of sitting down one-on-one on a couch, wasn鈥檛 really as fulfilling to me.

鈥淚 was still in the social services field and when the position opened up at the County Attorney鈥檚 Office I thought that it sounded really interesting, especially with the volunteer program and crisis response. I got the job there and that was my first exposure to crime victims, which was really powerful. I鈥檝e been working with crime victims ever since.鈥�

Q: What are you most excited about moving forward as director of the Victim Services Division?

A: 鈥淭he Victim Services Division has an amazing reputation not only in the state, but also around the country and even the world. For over 40 years now, the Victim Services Division has responded all over the world to provide services or training for other advocates. For example, we just had a team of staff and volunteers who responded to Las Vegas after the shooting.

鈥淭o be a director of an organization that has that stellar reputation is a lot of responsibility, but I think it鈥檚 also an opportunity to continue to uphold that reputation, to work with some of the best of the best. We鈥檙e so fortunate in Pima County that we have such an extensive program for crime victims and to be able to work in collaboration with all of the advocates and other community organizations in 蜜柚直播.

鈥淚t鈥檚 such an amazing network of victim services providers and I鈥檓 really looking forward to being able to continue to build those collaborations to provide the best services to victims and maintain that reputation.鈥�

Q: As director, what projects do you hope to work on in the future?

A: 鈥淰ictim Services has traditionally been and is currently involved in a lot of initiatives that I鈥檓 excited to be able to continue to work on and expand upon.

鈥淥ne is a lethality assessment that currently some law enforcement jurisdictions utilize at the scene of a crime, asking questions of domestic violence victims to determine how lethal their situation is. Victim Services is currently involved in a collaboration to enhance and expand that. 蜜柚直播 Supreme Court right now is determining whether or not this is a form that can be utilized all over 蜜柚直播 statewide, so I鈥檓 really excited about that possibility because it鈥檚 going to save lives. The County Attorney鈥檚 Office years ago worked with a small number of law enforcement agencies to implement this project working with the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence and brought it here to Pima County. It鈥檚 also a collaboration with Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse.

鈥淚t has saved lives and I think it could save even more, so I鈥檓 really excited about the possibilities of that collaboration and that initiative.鈥�

Q: Is there anything the general public should know about Victim Services?

A: 鈥淚 think that for those of us who have been fortunate enough to not have experienced a victimization, it鈥檚 nice to know that there鈥檚 something out there that鈥檚 making our community stronger. And to know that if, God forbid, anything did happen, that there鈥檚 something there for you. That there are people that can be supportive right after the moment that it鈥檚 occurred and can walk with you through the criminal justice system and to know that you鈥檙e not alone. We have a strong team of advocates willing and ready to provide that emotional support and information that鈥檚 going to get you through.

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Q: Does it ever take an emotional toll working with victims and survivors?

A: 鈥淚t absolutely does. Everybody has a different way to do the work to make sure that they鈥檙e not going to take on what we call vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue. It鈥檚 important to be able to have a level of self-awareness to know when you鈥檙e feeling like you鈥檙e taking on those emotions.

鈥淔ortunately, one of the benefits of working with a team of advocates, is that you always have someone that you can talk to and say 鈥業鈥檓 having a really rough time,鈥� and have people there to support you. It鈥檚 important to have that level of awareness, and after doing it for so many years, having an understanding of what your boundaries are 鈥� to know when you鈥檙e starting to take it on and knowing how to take care of yourself. We really encourage our advocates to do what they need to do to take care of themselves.

鈥淚n Pima County, there鈥檚 an awesome wellness program that really offers a lot for employees to take advantage of, so they can take care of themselves when they鈥檙e taking care of so many other people.鈥�