About Us
The Canadian Association for Victim Assistance is a national non-profit organization whose purpose is to act as an umbrella information, referral and networking resource for Canadian victim assistance organizations, individual advocates, professionals, victims of crime and tragedy, and the general public.
As a membership-driven organization, CAVA seeks to be responsive to the needs of the victim assistance community, both providers and survivors. Suggestions, questions and comments are encouraged.
Mission Statement
The Canadian Association for Victim Assistance is a national non-profit organization whose purpose is to enhance services and promote justice for all victims of crime and tragedy.
Board of Directors
CAVA's Board of Directors draws on individuals from a wide variety of victim rights, service and support organizations from across Canada.
Officers
President: Carolyn Sinclair
Carolyn Sinclair is a co-founder and partner of Strategic Business Risks Inc (SBRI She has over 25 years of professional and practical experience in the areas of forensic investigations, emergency services and risk management.
For the past 14 years she has been a member of an International Archaeological Forensic Recovery Team. This organization responds to national and international requests for aid in the search, recovery and repatriation of human remains as a result of natural disasters terrorism and crimes against humanity.
Carolyn has experience as a victim services volunteer and caseworker. Currently she is Executive Director for Police Victim Services of BC and the President of the Canadian Association for Victim Assistance. She is a member of the Pacific Region Victim Advisory Council. Carolyn is a member of the BC Coroner Services, Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Task Force as well as a member of the Provincial Disaster Psychosocial Service Team.
Vice-President: Annamaria Collopy
Annamaria has over 8 years experience supporting victim service professionals both from the government and non government sectors. She works closely with victim serving programs provincially in her role as Program Manager at Police Victim Services of BC. She supports police victim service programs in BC in their delivery of front line support to victims and their families. Her years working in government have provided her with skills and appreciation of the challenges facing the victim service community and the clients they serve. She is the owner of A Collopy Consulting who provides bookkeeping and administrative support to non profit associations.
Treasurer: Arthur Lepp
Arthur Lepp is a victim advocate from the province of Manitoba. Since his only Daughter's murder in 2000, he served on the Board of Directors for Manitoba Organization of Victim Advocates (MOVA) and was instrumental in locating a space for support meetings during his tenure. He is presently active in a "Voice of Resilience" support group hosted by the Mennonite Central Committee. He and his wife are supporting their orphaned Grandchild. He is an active member of the National Victims of Crime Awareness Week organizing committee, serving for the past 3 years. He is devoted to promoting and advancing Victim's Rights, diligantly working towards seeing the scales of Justice balanced. He has been a member of CAVA since 2004, recently elected to the Executive Committee as Treasurer. He has a deep desire to pay it forward for those that are to walk this path in the future.
Directors
Steve Sullivan
Steve Sullivan has been advocating for victims for almost 20 years. He is the former President of the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime and was the first Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime. Steve has testified before numerous Parliamentary Committees on victims' rights, justice reform and public safety issues and has conducted training for provincial and federal victim services. Currently, Steve is the Executive Director of Ottawa Victim Services and a Part-Time Professor at Algonquin College in the Victimology Graduate Certificate Program.
Heidi Illingworth
Heidi Illingworth is the full-time Executive Director of the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime and has been employed at the Centre since 1999. Heidi holds a B.A. Honours in Law with a concentration in Criminal Justice from Carleton University. Heidi has assisted many victims and survivors at various stages of the criminal justice system, met with Federal Ministers on issues of importance to crime victims and made presentations before numerous Parliamentary committees. She is also currently a Part-Time Professor at Algonquin College in the Victimology Graduate Certificate Program.