Resume
And Letters Of Recommendation
Resume
Vicki Assegued, M.A.
Master’s Degree in Restorative Justice & Conflict Resolution
vicki@cruzio.com (831) 818-0533
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE & CONFLICT RESOLUTION WORK
Program Developer/Director, Restorative Justice Program, UCSC 2015 - present
Design, develop and direct Restorative Justice Program at University of California Santa Cruz.
Consultant, Santa Clara County Probation Department 2014
After observing Victim Awareness Classes for juvenile offenders, I developed a report focused on enhancement of the classes, and prepared and delivered multiple trainings for the facilitators and Probation staff to improve effectiveness of the classes.
Program Developer/Director, Family Reentry Meetings Program for Youth 2011-2015
Collaborating with government and non-profit agencies on the Evidence Based Practices Project to offer Family Reentry Meetings for teens coming out of incarceration/placement and returning to the home and community. The Reentry Meetings bring together the teen with his/her family, or other support people, to work on the reconciling and building of strong relationships and developing an effective, detailed transition plan for successful re-entry. Developed the program and delivered the training for community volunteers.
Program Developer/Director, Family Reentry Meetings Program for Adults 2010-2012
Collaborated with government and non-profit agencies on the Recidivism Reduction Through Research-based Rehabilitation and Reentry Program grant to offer Family Reentry Meetings for high-risk, young adults being released from incarceration. The Meetings brought together the incarcerated person with his family to work on the reconciling and building of strong relationships and developing an effective, detailed transition plan for successful re-entry, leading to lowered recidivism, safer neighborhoods and healthier individuals, families and communities. Developed and delivered the training for community volunteers.
Program Coordinator, Neighborhood Accountability Board Program 2008-2015
Teamed up with the Juvenile Probation Department, to co-coordinate this Restorative Justice/Victim Offender Dialogue Program, by taking on a portion of their caseload, training and managing a volunteer pool, and co-facilitating meetings.
Program Director, Parent-Teen Mediation and Reentry Program 2007-2015
Partnered with Juvenile Probation in 2007 to create this program. Designed program model, conducted initial outreach, provide ongoing training and management of volunteer mediators, and co-facilitate parent-teen mediation and reentry sessions including pre-release and post-release from Juvenile Hall. Teach families communication & conflict resolution skills and support them to develop mutual understanding, collaboration, healthy relationships and the development of an agreement to live by. Monitor, survey, report on and evaluate program/cases for funders and for Probation.
Private Practice 2000-present
Provide trainings in Restorative Justice, Family Reentry Meetings, Parent Teen Mediation, Conflict Resolution, Anger Management and Communication Skill Building for probation departments/justice systems, schools, non-profit and government agencies, community volunteers, work place, families, congregations, and others. Offer facilitation and mediation services for a wide variety of clients. Provide anger management coaching to individuals and groups.
Program Coordinator, Community Mediation Program 2004-2007
Tasks included case development, coaching clients in conflict resolution & communication skills, mediating, conducting outreach efforts in the community, and managing a pool of volunteers, which included: selecting volunteer mediators appropriate to cases, coaching/following up with volunteers after mediations, and providing training and on-going consultation to volunteers.
Program Developer/Director, Victim Offender Dialogue Program 2001-2015
Presented the Juvenile Probation Department with the idea to start a Victim Offender Dialogue Program and partnered with them in 2001 to fund, develop and implement it. Work closely with victims, offenders, their families, and community members, successfully facilitating hundreds of restorative justice dialogues and follow-up. Connect teens to local non-profit agencies for meaningful volunteer opportunities. Cases include misdemeanors and felonies. The program is offered as a diversion as well as for teens on Probation or in placement. Manage volunteers & interns and provide their ongoing training. Monitor, survey, report and evaluate program/cases for Probation.
Program Coordinator, Watsonville High School Peer Mediation Team 1999-2001
Selected, trained and managed a team of student/peer mediators, oversaw mediations, and debriefed with students following mediations. Provided ongoing training and support. Managed university interns who volunteered with the program.
Music Instructor for At-Risk Youth 1997-1999
Developed and taught music program to at-risk youth at alternative junior high/high schools through the County Office of Education and taught wards at the California Youth Authority.
TEACHING AND FACILITATION
EXAMPLES OF TRAININGS MS. ASSEGUED HAS DEVELOPED AND PRESENTED
-Restorative Justice on the University Campus: Various trainings and conference presentations;
-Family Reentry Meetings: Facilitator Training for staff & volunteers of Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center;
-Victim Offender Dialogue Program: Facilitator Training for staff & volunteers of Monterey County VORP;
-Restorative Justice in the Schools: Training for “Positive Behavior Specialists” from 17 middle and high schools in the
Miami-Dade County School District;
-Conflict Resolution & Communication Skills Staff Training: Homeless Services Center of Santa Cruz County
-Youth Advocate Program/Communication Skills for Working with At-Risk Youth: Training for university students volunteering with Walnut Avenue Women’s Center;
-Victim Awareness Class Facilitator’s Training: Santa Clara County Probation Department
-Parent Teen Mediation: Mediator Training for staff and volunteers of Conflict Resolution Center;
-Effective Communication Skills for Teachers Resolving Conflicts with Parents: Training for teachers/staff of Early Childhood Education;
-Mindful Communication and Mindful Meditation: Daylong retreats in Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara;
-Gemma Reentry Program for Women in Transition: Developed and presented a nine-week course for incarcerated women preparing for reentry, focused on Conflict Resolution, Communication Skills & Anger Management;
-Watsonville High School Conflict Resolution Team: Training in peer mediation for high school students;
-Victim Awareness & Sensitivity/Interviewing Techniques & Communication Skills: Training for university interns at the Juvenile Probation Department;
-Neighborhood Accountability Board: Facilitation and Communication Skills training for Restorative Justice community volunteers;
-Circles, Conflict Resolution & Communication Skills: Training for California Conservation Corps leaders and crew;
-Family Communication/Parent Teen Relationships: Workshop for parents at Pacific Collegiate School;
-Conflict Resolution & Communication Skills: training for managers, staff & youth of the Boys & Girls Club of Monterey:
-Getting Along With Your Peers: Workshop for elementary school students at Bonny Doon School.
-Restorative Justice, Conflict Resolution, Communication Skills, Anger Management at various organizations, schools, and workplaces.
PUBLISHED ARTICLES
https://www.mediate.com/articles/assegued-multi-partiality.cfm
EXAMPLES OF PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS/PRESS
-Sixth National Conference on Community & Restorative Justice: Presentation on Restorative Justice on the college campus.
-Community Television of Santa Cruz: Spoke on panel with Chief Probation Officer for tv show on Restorative Justice in our community.
-Fresno Pacific University Restorative Justice Conference: Developed and presented three workshops on Circle/Conferencing processes and Victim Offender Dialogue at annual Restorative Justice Conference.
-Santa Cruz High School: Participated in a group presentation on Restorative Justice with an attorney and his client who was arrested/incarcerated for drunk driving/death of the victim.
-Santa Cruz local newspaper: Interviewed for an article on Restorative Justice.
-Community Television of Santa Cruz: Spoke on panel with local teachers for a one-hour television show on Restorative Justice programs.
EXAMPLES OF GROUP FACILITATION
-Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth: Co-facilitated - with Alameda County presiding juvenile judge - a Community Restorative Circle regarding the police shooting of an African-American man.
-Church Congregation: Conducted a Restorative Circle process for a practitioner group in crisis.
-Intentional Living Community: Provided Anger Management, Mediation, and Group Facilitation for a community in conflict.
-Facilitated over one thousand Victim Offender Dialogues, Parent Teen Mediations, Family Reentry Meetings, Mediations between students, and Community Mediations.
GUEST LECTURER
-University of California: 2016 Academic Advising Conference – Presentation on Restorative Justice on the University Campus;
-California State University Monterey Bay: Conflict Resolution Skills for Social Work Students;
-San Jose State University: Restorative Justice Practices for Crisis Intervention & Mediation class;
-Restorative Justice Forum/Q & A following the play “Exonerated.”
AWARDS
Santa Cruz County Juvenile Probation Department’s Community Partner of the Year Award, 2009;
United Way Community Hero, 2011; U.S. House of Representatives Special Congressional Recognition, 2011
California State Legislature Certificate of Recognition, 2011; State of California Senate Certificate of Recognition, 2011
EDUCATION
Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA Bachelor’s Degree, 1999
Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, CA Master’s Degree in Restorative Justice & Conflict Resolution, 2009
TRAINING RECEIVED
Restorative Justice in Severe & Violent Crimes with Mark Umbreit; Conflict Resolution & Restorative Justice Workshops with: Howard Zehr, Jane Nelsen, Kenneth Cloke, etc; Anger Management Provider/Trainer Certification; Thinking for a Change - Training for Trainers; Peacemaking Circles with Kay Pranis; Peacemaking Circles for Youth Violence; Family Conferencing Reentry Circles; Parent/Teen Mediation; School & Community Mediation; Motivational Interviewing; Risk to Resiliency; Children’s Creative Response to Conflict; Parent Effectiveness Training for Trainers; Advanced Council Training; Neighborhood Accountability Board; Peer Counseling, Trauma Informed Care; & many others.
Letters Of Recommendation
County of Santa Cruz
PROBATION DEPARTMENT
P.O. Box 1812, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-1812
(831) 454-3800 FAX: (831) 454-3879
SCOTT MACDONALD
CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER
August 22, 2012
Re: Letter of Recommendation for Vicki Assegued
From: Fernando Giraldo, Assistant Chief Probation Officer
It is my pleasure to formally write this letter of recommendation for Vicki Assegued. In my capacity as the Assistant Chief of the Santa Cruz County Probation Department, I have had the pleasure of working with Vicki for the past decade. In 2000, as a volunteer with our Neighborhood Accountability Board, Vicki approached the Probation Department with the idea to start a Victim Offender Dialogue Program (VODP) and worked with us to develop the proposal, which was funded by the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) and successfully implemented by the Conflict Resolution Center. Hired as the Director of VODP since 2001, Vicki has trained and engaged a team of community volunteers to work with her to effectively serve well over one thousand juvenile offenders, victims, parents and community members.
Initially, the program started out serving lower level, first time offenders. Since then, Vicki has expanded the program to also address more serious cases such as hit and run, burglary and armed robbery. In her progress reports to Probation, Vicki shares testimonials from many of the clients she has served, who are grateful for, and highly complementary of, the services provided and of Vicki’s skills. As a result of the dialogues, offenders learn to develop personal responsibility and empathy for victims, while the victims feel heard, included, empowered and can begin the healing and restorative process.
Through her client contact with VODP, Vicki saw the need for Parent Teen Mediation and worked with Probation to get funding and develop the program. There have been several years of grant funding to support this important program. This past year, we were able to again find grant funding for Parent Teen Mediation services, for youth on diversion as well as Probation-involved youth. By working with families to give them tools for healthy communication, resolving conflicts and developing mutual agreements, Vicki’s services have helped many parents and teens to live more constructive, positive lives. In addition, and very importantly for our Probation Department, Parent Teen Mediation also expedites releases from Juvenile Hall, where Vicki and a volunteer will facilitate the process, prior to the teen returning home.
In addition to these programs, Vicki has collaborated with our department, and some of our other social services providers, to initiate some new endeavors over the past several years. We have worked together on a number of new grants where Vicki has developed successful programs to provide Family Reentry Meetings for youth, and for adults, reentering the community after incarceration and residential placements. These grants include the Recidivism Reduction through Research-Based Reentry and Rehabilitation Program (R5), in the Adult Division, the Juvenile Division’s Evidence Based Practices Project Reentry Program and the Probation and Court Based Alternatives Grant. The Family Reentry Meetings provide the opportunity for healthy reunification of the family, building on accomplishments and strengths, and developing a specific reentry plan to support the reentering person’s success after release.
Vicki continues to enhance these grant-funded programs by developing and implementing innovative ideas to improve services. For example, she recently added in Family Transition Meetings, which take place just prior to teens leaving home and entering residential care/incarceration. This meeting helps prepare youth and families to transition smoothly, to support the success of the youth while away, and to build stronger relationships which can endure the separation and provide hope for a successful reunification when the teen returns home.
Santa Cruz is a model site for juvenile detention reform for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). As a model site we regularly host a number of jurisdictions from across the nation that are working on reforming their justice systems and safely reducing the use of unnecessary detention. As part of our curriculum, we regularly include our partners as presenters and have them speak about their services and how they collaborate with Probation to meet the goals of JDAI. Vicki is often invited to these site visits and provides our guests from around the country with valuable and inspirational information about her Restorative Justice programs.
Vicki has developed strong working relationships with our Probation Officers and has worked collaboratively with them to develop the policies and procedures that help them easily refer to and utilize the Restorative Justice programs she directs. She gives presentations to our Officers, updating them on program developments, providing them with informational materials and encouraging ongoing referrals and collaboration. There is widespread satisfaction amongst our Probation Officers with the outcomes of her effective and important programs. In fact, in 2009, the Probation Department honored Vicki’s work by awarding her with the Santa Cruz County Probation Department Community Partner of the Year Award.
Because Vicki is a subject matter expert in her field, we have relied on her on various occasions to train our staff, agency partners and community volunteers in the concepts and practices of Restorative Justice and Mediation techniques.
Vicki is also very knowledgeable about the adult and juvenile justice systems. She participates in trainings and events sponsored by Probation that help her continually understand and stay current with the best practices that are being used in the criminal justice field.
In summary, Vicki has always been a great partner to work with, promoting the goals of our Probation Department, and of Restorative Justice, and making a significant difference in the lives of many youth, families and victims in our community. She has contributed much to help reduce recidivism, enhance community safety and engage community members as volunteers in these efforts. She is highly reliable, easy to work with, ready to help out in any way she can and always skillfully supporting our efforts to implement and enhance our services. Please feel free to contact me if you need additional information.
Sincerely,
Fernando Giraldo
Assistant Chief Probation Officer
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Scott MacDonald
Retired Chief of Santa Cruz County Probation Department
July 2014
In my capacity as the Chief of Probation for Santa Cruz County, I worked with Vicki Assegued for many years as she developed and directed very successful Restorative Justice programs in collaboration with our department. Vicki has a long and effective history with Family Reentry Meetings, Victim Offender Dialogue, Parent Teen Mediation, and various other programs. I highly recommend Vicki as a dynamic trainer, consultant and program developer/director in the Restorative Justice and Conflict Resolution field. Her skills and expertise are far-reaching and her passion and commitment for this work are inspirational and infectious.
Barbara Proctor, J.D., Program Director
Center for Human Development, Contra Costa County
October 2012
Vicki Assegued’s two-day Family Reentry Meeting Training was expertly presented and wonderfully delivered. She taught from her extensive experience and gave from her heart. Students I talked with during and after the training were astounded by the amount of material covered and the use of experiential exercises. I am planning to apply what I learned at the training in our growing Family Reentry Meeting program. I couldn’t have received better training and excellent training materials to guide our own program. Vicki Assegued’s example of a committed facilitator is a model for all. Her training inspired the contingent representing our program. I am hoping that in the future we can support Vicki to again give her training in our county.
Rory Diller, Youth Program Coordinator
Walnut Avenue Women's Center, Santa Cruz, CA
November 2012
My name is Rory Diller. I am the Youth Program Coordinator at Walnut Avenue Women's Center (WAWC). Every Fall, we recruit and train a large group of volunteers (mostly college students) to staff our various programs working with youth. The training is a thorough and comprehensive 8-week curriculum containing hand-selected material that we feel is most crucial in preparing volunteers for supporting adolescents in our community.
WAWC is so grateful to have Vicki Assegued's dynamic presentation be a regular component to our training. The Communication Skills Course that Vicki developed and presents for us each year offers our trainees a strong foundation in healthy and positive communication techniques. Vicki's approach in leading our group through this important material is engaging, articulate, heartfelt and fun. She is masterful at framing each concept for its potential in practical application while also inspiring the group to recognize what profound impact such an application might illicit. She uses a mix of visual and theatrical metaphors as well as opportunities for the trainees to practice and role play within group activities.
It was my impression that our trainees really responded to her style of teaching. Vicki makes this vital material feel palatable, luminous and fun as well as clear, coherent and practical. Many of our volunteers from last year have reflected on their training and mentioned that Vicki and her presentation really stuck with them as they worked with youth in our programs. They also say how her training inspired personal growth and invited them to apply those skills in their personal relationships and everyday interactions. Overall, Vicki’s wisdom has had quite an impact on us here at WAWC!