AMBERLY'S PLACE -- Tori Bourguignon

In this episode, we learn about Amberly’s Place. Tori Bourguignon explains their mission and vision as well as how they serve their Yuma community. Tori shares what they do, who they are, and how they came to be.
Amberly's Place - Yuma, Arizona (amberlysplace.com)

Transcript

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 0:15

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Yuma means business. I'm your host, Tina Marie. And today our guest is Tori executive director of AmberLeaf place here in Yuma. Tori. thank you for being on the show.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 0:28

Thank you so much for having me, Tina. This is exciting.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 0:33

Okay, I'm going to let you pronounce your last name. I knew I wouldn't get it wrong.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 0:36

her bread. Everyone is intimidated by my last name. It's Borgen on.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 0:42

Well, it sounds easier than it looks. Okay. So before we get into our discussion today, I wanted to let everyone know that I'm going to post the link to Amber Lee's place. So you can see for yourself the great work they do here in Yuma. So Tori let's start out, by, maybe you could tell us the history of AmberLeaf place and how did it come to be

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 1:04

and why? So we've been in existence for roughly 22 years. And Amber Lee's plays started as a result of a grassroots effort here in EMI. A group of people there really truly had a vested interest in community, but then in also child welfare and child safety. And so this group of people, our county attorney, our local law enforcement agency. All 12 of them, all of them kind of came to the table with our city officials and our county officials, and really began to process how we investigate child crimes in our community. And out of that assessment, that group of people re recognized very early on that we were not doing a very good job of investigating child. And by that, I mean, we were not addressing the issues of trauma and the issues of safety with our kids. Very often kids would either be interviewed at the hospital. They could be interviewed in the police department. And probably the, the worst part of that is when a child was interviewed in the field by a patrol officer who. Wasn't necessarily trained to talk to kids and it may or may not have occurred right in front of the offending party who had abused the child about the same time that this group began to have dialogue about how we might do this better. There was a, a kind of a wave across our country and the emergence of child advocacy centers. And they were kind of the cutting edge. Late nineties, early two thousands. And our community, that group of people decided that we needed to have an advocacy center here, a child advocacy center. And as that group of people began to lay the groundwork for the creation of an advocacy center, they recognized that we really needed to address families, not just children, but families. And that would mean that we could serve our community from birth to. From zero to all the way to elder abuse. And we could provide services to victims, not only of child abuse, but also elder abuse and domestic violence and sexual assault. And now human sex trafficking. And by broadening their vision a bit, it really did open up the doors for us to create a one-stop shop for victims of those types of crimes.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 3:49

Wow. That's a tall order. So having said all of that, what happens at AmberLeaf place

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 3:59

here at the center? We house the forensic interview on forensic medical facilities for those kinds of investigations, particularly child abuse and sexual assault and domestic violence. So if, if a victim reports one of those three crimes and wants to. Cooperate with law enforcement and make a police report with children. It's, it's a mandated reporting situation, but with adults, they have the option to decide whether or not they want to report. If they come to Amber Lee's place, somebody that is trained in forensic interviewing we'll do that interview with that child or that that victim, whether it's a child or an adult, they'll talk to somebody that that's trained to talk to, to people in those types of situations. And then to be able to. Take the information that they gather from the victim's narrative and be able to gather evidence and put together a case and further investigate. Additionally, we have of the forensic medical exam rooms here, and we have four forensic nurses that are on call, just like our advocates, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. And they are training. Sexual assault, nurse examiners, all four of them. They've been with us a really long time and they do an incredible job. Their job is to collect forensic evidence off someone's person. Back in the day before we had Amber Lee's place, oftentimes victims would present in the emergency room and the emergency room was a great place to go. If you're having a heart attack or a stroke, or have cut your finger or broke your arm or something like. It, wasn't a great place to go. If you'd been sexually assaulted and you needed a rape kit done we're able to do here and in a short amount of time, comparatively speaking to what it would take by the time that you go to our hospital. Sit next to a uniform police officer for many, many hours, waiting to see a doctor who may or may not be familiar with the nuances of a sexual assault.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 6:05

Hmm. I can imagine that would be very intimidating for, a victim and make them very, very Well,

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 6:14

It's an uncomfortable process to begin with before we ever get out of the gate. It takes a tremendous amount of courage for somebody to come forward and report that. And so to have to do that, At, at our only hospital in the, in the whole county that this time of the year, if you've been there lately in the middle of winter, you know, that our hospital is incredibly busy and with the pandemic multiply that times 10 or 20, and they're doing a remarkable job, however victims we want to treat with respect and dignity and accord them the best possible care and outcome. That we can. And so we're very, very fortunate to have two fully, fully operational exam rooms here, a child pediatric exam suite, and then an adult suite. And again, for four nurses and a cadre of medical assistants that are trained specifically to work with.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 7:17

Well, that's certainly I'm sure makes a difference to the victims and their families. So what agencies are working in conjunction with AmberLeaf place and how do they interact with one another?

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 7:30

So that is maybe the, the best part of what goes on here in our building. We are very, very fortunate to work from a multidisciplinary team approach. And what that means is that all of the people and all of the entities that need to be involved in those kinds of cases are here under one roof, every law enforcement agency in Yuma county, regardless of whether they're local state or federal have 24 7 access to our. So when they need to do an interview, they come here, they call the on-call advocate. The advocate comes to the center. If it's after hours opens up the center and then you have the advocate. So victim services advocate here, you have a detective and a patrol officer here. If need be department of child safety is onboarded. We have a mental health component, and then we have the forensic medical team. So all of those entities operate under in one place at one time. So that this victim is accorded the best possible care that we can provide and reduce as much of that trauma as we can while strengthening the case and increasing potential prosecution and accountability for the perpetrator.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 8:47

That's a huge, huge boost for the county right there to have such a place. And for the citizens, just to know it, it's a comfort. And correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like your background is in education. And counseling. And in looking at the.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 9:05

the

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 9:05

agency that you work for It just seems like an extremely difficult job, and not just physically, but emotionally. And I'm just wondering what drew you to.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 9:16

So I had been a school counselor for many, many years and. I think trauma found me. I didn't go necessarily looking for trauma, but trauma found me when I was a school counselor. Anytime that there was some kind of tragedy or school kinds of crises, it seemed as though I ended up in the midst of that. And an, and so our superintendent at the time had a better vision than I. To be honest. And he decided that because I was in the midst of that stuff. So very often he'd send me to training and I went to a lot of training in how to coordinate school, crisis response and coordinate trauma informed crisis response teams. And we've built a kind of a network of professionals when I was in the school. Who could respond when we would lose a student to either suicide or a car accident or some, some other way. And you know, this team of professionals would come together and mitigate that long. About that time, the director that recently retired, I had known her for many years and she kept saying to me, you need to come down damn release place and, and work with us. This, this kind of thing is right up your alley. And at the time. Had summers nights and weekends off. And I was working for the public school system and I had a good life. It was, it was easy. And yet I was very drawn to the mission of this place and the work that the people were doing here. And more importantly, it didn't take me very long to realize that every single day that we walk in the door here in this building, when the rest of the world is in looking something, we do matters to them. So while it will never get rich and will probably never be millionaires was certainly where rich beyond measure in, in knowing that no matter how rough things get, no matter what we encounter on any given day, we know that we've left somebody better off, and again, we don't have to honk her horn or draw undue attention to ourselves, but just knowing that. We are in a position to impact people, to leave people better than we find them every day. Is it that gets in your blood. And if you're like me, it brings you back in the door time. And again, so much so

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 11:51

to be a very, very gratifying.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 11:53

it, and it's an incredibly gratifying job to watch. Watch folks go from victim to survivor, to ultimately thriver and to. Help them along in that process and empower them to recover and to not be defined by what's happened to them is it's something. And honestly, I was here for nine years as an advocate after I left the school system. And then I left for a short while. And when the director had decided to retire, I knew it was time to, to come back home. So to speak into. Be able to continue that work because in all of the jobs that I've held, I've never ever had a, a position where I knew for certain that it was a position of impact and that what we were doing on any given day mattered to somebody else.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 12:47

Well, it matters not only to those people, but to the community as well I mean, on every little.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 12:53

level.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 12:54

I can understand that you would have a mix of really sad feelings, but also interspersed with a mix of really good feelings. Just understanding all the lives that you've touched in so many ways.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 13:07

Yeah. The other thing about that is because we get asked this question quite often, how do you guys do that day in and day out? How do you continue to do what you do? It's amazing. To me, the strength, courage, and perseverance that we have the opportunity to bear witness to that we would otherwise not bear witness to if we were not willing to stand in that fire with people. But because we have that opportunity, we have a front row a front row seat to. Tenacity and courage and strength and perseverance that you would never otherwise have the opportunity to, to witness if you didn't, if we didn't do this work. And so we all draw strength from that. We all, we all that, that brings us back in the door the next day. It's humbling. It's humbling too. Watch people on their worst in their worst moments

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 14:14

Okay.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 14:15

find, find their place and be able to stand up and figure out life post incident, post victimization.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 14:26

Right. And I think also people in the community sometimes have no idea of all the things that people in their own community are having to endure in their lives. And like you said, it's just so nice that you're there for those people and you're able to see them come full circle from their situation. can you tell me how many are on staff. at Amber Lee's

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 14:55

So we have

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 14:56

what can you tell us about the.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 14:58

so we have five crisis response advocates that rotate on call again, twenty four seven. So not only do they work here in the. With cases where a forensic interview and a forensic medical exam might be necessary, but they also respond 24 7 on scene with law enforcement. So each law enforcement agency in Yuma county at any time, if they respond to a domestic violence case or something, they have the ability to call that advocate, their dispatchable we'll we'll call the on-call advocate and request their services on scene in the heat of the. So that gives us an opportunity to meet the victim where they are immediately and do what we can to assess safety and to figure out how we can put some options on the table and find resources to get there, to help them to make a decision towards safety, rather than towards staying in a situation where there's abuse going on.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 15:57

And how important is it for someone who's been victimized to get help quickly?

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 16:06

incredibly important. Our, our experience is that when we are, when we're able to intervene, as soon as possible, there is a significantly higher probability that we can. Help that person to make a decision towards safety. It is not easy to leave, particularly in a domestic violence situation to leave the abuser. The average victim leaves seven to nine times before they leave for good. And so there are a variety of challenges and barriers and it's a difficult journey. It's a really, really challenging, difficult, and often painful journey. But we have the ability to afford those victims, the opportunity to not take that journey alone. They're not flying solo. We can accompany them and connect them to options and resources there's help available. And that's what we do.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 17:11

And I know that there's nine one, one people can call that if there's an emergency, but for people who may be suffering, domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, or elder abuse, and they feel like they want to talk with someone, but they're not in need of calling 9 1 1, who can they.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 17:34

So that's, that's an easy one. So always, I mean, let's stress the point that if there's eminent danger always call nine one one always, always, always call 9 1 1, but. I have a question. I don't know what to do about this situation. I just need to, what if or process this and, and it's a victim that's seeking resources or seeking answers to questions, or even just general information. Our hotline is always available. That number I can provide it to you if you'd like it's 9 2 8 3 7 3 0 8 4 9 and there is 24 hours. Call. So if it's, if you dial that number at two in the morning, a live person is going to answer that phone and answer it. Good evening ambulance place. How can I help you?

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 18:23

That's very reassuring. So What can you tell us has been the most gratifying situation that you've come across? And you don't have to give details of a specific case, but just.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 18:42

it's really hard to pin down just one, but, but perhaps one of the more, one of the more gratifying cases that, that in my reason memory is just to have the opportunity to work with with a young person who. Had been victimized for a very, very long time from, from a very young age, into teenage years. And when the abuse was finally uncovered and that a teenager had the opportunity to tell their story and to realize that what had happened to them was not their fault. We had the opportunity to watch that person go from here on to college, graduate college, with all. And pursue the career that, that they wanted to pursue and, and allow us to be part of that. And it was gratifying in the sense that we were able to see what a difference it makes when the community that you're in believes in you and, and provides you. What what's necessary in order for you to heal and move past what happened to you? There's something to be said for that old adage, that it's not what happens to us, but what we do with what happens to us that counts and this teenage kid just absolutely showed us what that looks like in terms of faith, courage, determination, and perseverance, and tenacity to overcome some incredibly difficult. Abuse and to be able to, to thrive and to, to connect to counseling and to connect with their family and to be able to provide just a little bit of support and to be able to help them along the way is what we do. And it's a case that I'll remember you till I, the day I die, because this young lady is just doing incredible. Yeah. We're we couldn't be more proud of her. And we're so humbled and honored to just played a tiny, small part.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 20:53

Wow. That is a success story. Definitely motivation. to come to work every day,

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 20:59

Absolutely.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 21:00

that's huge in making such a difference in someone's life. And you care a lot For the Yuma community, but what do you and your team do to care for yourself?

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 21:13

Hmm, that's a really good question. So we work pretty hard around here and making sure that we keep our batteries fully charged and we do that in a variety of ways. The team here has access to employee assistance resources. If they need it, we have the, a great working relationship. With Maya lab here in NEMA. And, and from time to time, they do a team event. They host a team event for us where we can go in and do some active recovery and massage related to stress management and health and wellness. And they're incredibly good about going out of their way to accommodate our staff and to make sure that they help us to have the opportunity to keep everybody healthy. Keep everybody on their a game. And, and so we do a lot of team building events. We spend a lot of time processing things together. We work very closely with one another. We're very much a family and strong team here. And part of that has to do with just recognizing the importance of, of being able to. Being mindful of our own health and wellness and, and burnout and compassion, fatigue, and vicarious trauma. Those things are very real. And so we try to do a really good job of monitoring that together as a team, it's not about calling somebody out for being weak or not strong enough. It's all about, we don't know really, truly none of us are made of Teflon. And sometimes the, the things that we deal with stick to us as well. Being honest about that and being forthright and raising your hand and saying, Hey, I need some help with this one. Is not a bad thing around here that open and honest communication is what makes us stronger.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 23:10

Well, I would think that you couldn't help, but soak in some of the things that happened to the victims that come through your doors.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 23:18

yep. None of, again, none of us are made of Teflon. We all like to think that. And I always, when we're hiring new folks here, I always remind them that we're not issuing a wonder woman or Superman Tony's when you take the job. So please don't think that you're a superhero. This work will, will affect you at some point. And, and so be honest with yourself about that, because the one thing about self care is it's just that. Meaning self-awareness is a big piece of that. And you absolutely have to recognize within yourself and then take care of it. You have to be able to take care of yourself. Nobody can do that for you. We have pretty Frank conversations about that quite often.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 24:05

Well, we live in a a community that's very diverse and We have a lot of Hispanic people in our community. And I was wondering how many people on your staff? speak Spanish?

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 24:19

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 24:26

That's awesome. So given that AmberLeaf place helps Yuma so much how can Uma help AmberLeaf place? How can everyday citizens or businesses, help, for example, are there opportunities for donating money items, volunteering, or maybe could trades people who are carpenters, electricians, plumbers, can they donate? their skills or

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 24:54

So

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 24:54

done to help?

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 24:55

let me just say that we are truly blessed with amazing community support this community. This center AmberLeaf place itself as a product of our community and we have tremendous support. And so if, if somebody is listening out there, please know that whether you donated 10 cents or $10 million to us at any point, we are incredibly grateful. It is humbling, Tina, that the support that we have it's daily, I'm amazed by it. You ask how people can help. We have all kinds of ways to help. We have a thrift store that is always, always in need of volunteers to glean merchandise. Our thrift store is a huge part of what we do because our victims are able to shop there free of charge. So when they're starting over getting on their feet, maybe they're moving away from home and starting an in, into a new home or a new. If they need clothing, if they need shoes, if they need housewares beds furniture, whatever. And we have that available at the thrift store, they're able to get that and they don't pay for it. So it's, it's a really a leg up for them. But, but the thrift store itself is a very small staff and they always need people to assist in. Gleaning picking up deliveries, that all of that stuff is, is a lot of work. And so that's the first volunteer opportunity. We do have a small cadre of, of interns and volunteer victim advocates that have to take a 40 hour training in victim advocacy and victim rights and crisis intervention. And then once they're through the class, then they shadow our full-time advocate. Until the advocates. Are comfortable that they're ready to go out on their own to calls. That doesn't happen for quite a while. That takes that volunteer opportunity takes a long time to get to where you're responding for us to calls for service. If, if people are interested in doing that and they have time and they want to pursue that, they can call the office and speak with our coordinator. Sonia, she would be happy to talk about. The volunteer advocates and how all that works. We'd have to have a background check and we have to do fingerprint clearance cards and make sure that everybody is, is safe and on the up and up. And then once they're cleared and get through the training, then they can begin to shadow.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 27:31

Hmm. that'd be an amazing opportunity for someone,

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 27:34

Yeah, we, we are blessed with volunteers, those volunteers that take our on-call. Give our advocates some much needed downtime and family time once in a while. So it's a good thing. We serve roughly 3000 victims a year, just a little under last year. So far in the first two months of, of this brand new year, 2022. In comparison to the first two months of, of 21, we are 45%. Higher in terms of victim served in cases. The,

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 28:10

The, pandemic has anything to do with.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 28:12

I think, I think that may have that may be an indicator, you know, think about January of 21. We are in a very different place than we are right now. And we're kind of coming out of this pandemic and life is still sort of finding its way back to somewhat. And we're not locked down anymore. And I think we're seeing some residual from that, but I also think, and our kids are all back in school. So we're getting many more mandated reporter reports from those folks that are, that have Karen custody of our kids, our daycares in our schools and our school nurses and counselors are doing what they're, what they, what they always do, which is look after the kids in their stead. And, and so they're making those reports and that.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 28:54

Right.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 28:55

Important. And that also, I think is an indicator of the, the high numbers that we have. But I also think that just looking around our world right now, there's a lot going on and are the inflation is really taken its toll and family budgets and financial crises is often a precursor to fighting and arguing and an escalation of violence sometimes. So. That adds a level of stress that is incredibly challenging and difficult. And so I think that may also be a contributing factor.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 29:31

Are there any resources in Yuma for people who are feeling that strain so that they can go seek help before they get to that point?

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 29:40

absolutely. So, so we have quite a number of mental health providers in town, both. Title 19 access eligible providers and also some private practitioners that accept private insurance that are available to talk to there's lots of community resources that are available to people to help alleviate some of that stress. The really cool thing about what we do here is that we have a lot of partner agency. The one thing I will stress and say over and over again is that Amber Lee's place is not a shelter. We're not a domestic violence shelter. Nobody lives at Amber Lee's place. Our only domestic violence shelter in Yuma county is, is Catholic community services, safe house and safe house shelters, the victims that sometimes we encounter in the middle of the night that needs safe place to stay for the night. And so we transport them to safe house often. They assist us and partner with us. Hand-in-hand they also facilitate the congregate and meals on wheels program, which is another resource in our community for folks that are struggling, maybe that, that may need access to that. And so even just starting to, to call one of these agencies and say, Hey, this is the situation that my family and I are facing. What can we do? You know, our goal would be to connect to them and to be able to get them some help.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 31:05

And do they help. people who are struggling with elder abuse and things

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 31:09

yeah. So we have adult protective services. We have an area, a area council on aging. That's also pretty active in the community. We participate on that. They're on that council. We also have Working relationships with our food bank with way cog, with salvation army, with crossroads mission. All of those places in our community are available to help people. That's why they exist. And so we try really, really hard to partner with those agencies so that we can refer out as needed sometimes, you know, what, what

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 31:44

of you that much more effective. I'm sorry.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 31:47

No, no, go

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 31:48

that makes all of you that much more effective being able to partner with one another.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 31:52

We're stronger together.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 31:54

Right. So, Tori, Is there anything else you would like, people to know about? AmberLeaf.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 32:01

we're thankful that we have the opportunity to serve in this capacity within our community. And we're truly grateful for the support that we have and for the collaboration and partnerships. All of our partners, all of our multidisciplinary team folks that come together every day. I can't tell you how grateful we are for that and for the opportunity to be able to help others. And so, so thank you for giving us the opportunity to share a little bit about what we do and thank you for hosting this podcast. I'm excited to see whom else you might connect with. And so we can listen to.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 32:40

Well, thank you. so much. I really appreciate you being my guests today. And I'll talk to you again soon.

tori-bourguignon_1_03-23-2022_173651 32:46

All right. Great. Thanks so much. Take care.

t-v_12_03-23-2022_173653 32:47

Thank you.