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The IVAA Basic Academy is offered on odd years. The Basic Academy should be attended by professionals working with crime victims such as law enforcement, victim witness coordinators, crime victim service providers, community based advocates, state government resource staff, criminal justice personnel, health care providers, and allied professionals with five or fewer years experience in their field.

“If you are in the victim service provider field,
attending this academy is a must.”
- Victim Witness Coordinator, 2007 IVAA Graduate

2007 IVAA Basic Instructors and Curriculum Topics

ClassCurriculum Topics
The History of the Victims’ Rights Movement – Victimology – The Dynamics of the Criminal Justice System – Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Victims – Specific Justice Systems – Domestic Violence – Victimization of People with Disabilities – Sexual Violence – Information & Financial Crimes – Victimization of the Elderly – Child Victimization – Fostering Integrity

Academic Faculty

Jeremy Ball, J.D., Ph.D. - Dr. Jeremy Ball earned his J.D. from Indiana School of Law at Indianapolis and his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he studied criminal court decisions and quantitative methodologies. Dr. Ball has written several journal articles found in the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, and Criminal Justice Studies on a variety of topics, including child abuse and prosecutorial discretion. His recent work is in the area of impact of Supreme Court decisions on sentence guideline decisions (e.g., judicial sentencing, prosecutorial charging, and/or prosecutorial plea bargaining). Dr. Ball authored the chapter on specific justice systems, which he also taught. In addition, Dr. Ball taught the dynamics of the criminal justice system section.

Holly Beard, Ph.D. - Dr. Holly Beard is a researcher at the Center for the Study of Aging, Boise State University. Holly earned her Ph.D. degree from Old Dominion University of Norfolk, Virginia in Health Services Research and also holds a Master of Public Administration from Troy State University. She has published and presented research on elder abuse, informal caregivers, and cultural competency of health care providers. These works have been presented nationally and internationally, including the first evaluation of the Native American Caregiving Support Program, the efficacy of community sponsored public health events, the role of cultural competence for elderly patients in nurse practitioner training, and informal caregiving of stroke survivors. Dr. Beard co-authored and co-taught the chapter on victimization of the elderly.

Lisa Growette Bostaph, Ph.D.- Dr. Lisa Bostaph earned her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2004, with an emphasis in policing and criminal justice systems. Prior to earning her Ph.D., Dr. Bostaph founded Project P.E.A.C.E., a domestic violence organization that works with three police departments in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area and administered the Victim Assistance Program for the Chisago County Attorney’s Office. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Administration at Boise State University. Dr. Bostaph’s research interests include racial disparity and policing and the criminal justice system’s response to the victimization of women. Dr. Bostaph has published in The Security Journal, Journal of Criminal Justice, and the Journal of Ethnicity & Criminal Justice. Dr. Bostaph is a member of the ICAA Executive Board and a graduate of the 1995 National Victim Assistance Academy. Dr. Bostaph co-edited the IVAA basic manual and co-authored and taught the chapter on the history of the victims’ rights movement.

Kelly Buckland - Kelly Buckland is a person with a disability who has been actively involved in disability issues since 1979. Over the past two decades, he has worked closely with the Idaho State Legislature on issues affecting people with disabilities, including passage of the Personal Assistance Service Act. Mr. Buckland has testified before Congress several times on issues such as universal health care, fair housing, and appropriations. He has been closely involved with the direct-service and systemic change aspects of the Independent Living Movement. Mr. Buckland is currently employed as the Executive Director of the Idaho State Independent Living Council and is President of the National Council on Independent Living. Mr. Buckland authored and taught the chapter on victimization of people with disabilities.

Peter Collins - Peter Collins earned his Masters in Criminal Justice Administration from Boise State University. His thesis was on the costs of substance abuse in Idaho. Mr. Collins has been a Special Lecturer at Boise State University for the past year in the Department of Criminal Justice Administration. Mr. Collins authored the chapter on the dynamics of the criminal justice system.

Jonathon Cooper - Jonathon Cooper earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration in 2006 and is currently a candidate for a Masters of Arts in Criminal Justice from Boise State University. He has worked with Advocates Against Family Violence, Inc. doing grant related research. Mr. Cooper is currently a graduate assistant and an adjunct professor at Boise State University. His research interests include policing and organizational change, rural criminal justice, and the interface of religion and domestic violence. Mr. Cooper co-edited the IVAA basic manual and co-wrote the chapter on the history of the victims’ rights movement.

Jill Darrington, LSW - Jill Darrington graduated from Boise State University in May 2006 and is a research assistant with the Center for the Study of Aging. Previous to joining the Center, she worked as a student intern at Senior Solutions, Inc. Currently, Ms. Darrington is enrolled in the Masters of Health Science program at Boise State University and taught the chapter on the victimization of the elderly.

Alberta Dooley, Ph.D., LCSW - Dr. Alberta Dooley is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Boise State University. Dr. Dooley is the former Director of the Boise State University Child Welfare Center and currently teaches graduate classes in social work practice. Dr. Dooley’s research interests include child welfare and cultural diversity. Dr. Dooley authored and taught the chapter on child victimization.

LaDessa Foster, MSW - LaDessa Foster is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor that has more than 18 years experience working with victims of domestic and sexual violence. For the past 16 years, Ms. Foster has been employed at the Women’s and Children’s Alliance in Boise where she is currently the Clinical Services Manager. In addition to providing counseling to victims, she supervises the clinical and case management staff and provides oversight on the clinical aspects of the program. Ms. Foster authored and taught the chapter on meeting the mental health needs of victims.

Karen Neil, Ph.D. (formerly Hayward) - Dr. Karen Neil obtained both her RN and Ph.D. from Idaho State University. She is a professor in the Department of Nursing at Idaho State University and is a Certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. Dr. Neil has a number of peer-reviewed publications and has made numerous presentations at conferences at both the state and national level. She is also a member of the Oversight Committee for Domestic Violence Batterer Treatment for the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance. Dr. Neil co-authored and taught the chapter on sexual violence.

Don Lazzarini, M.Ed. - Don Lazzarini has a Masters in Higher Education Administration from the University of Idaho. He has worked and studied in the field of criminal justice for over 30 years. Mr. Lazzarini’s experience includes being a California Police Officer, detective, and a senior district attorney criminal investigator. He has trained a variety of organizations and agencies including campus administrators, law enforcement, and campus disciplinary boards to more effectively identify and respond to violence crimes against women. Mr. Lazzarini currently works as a Resource Specialist for the University of Idaho, Office of Dean of Students where he has worked for the past 10 years. Mr. Lazzarini co-authored and co-taught the chapter on victimology.

Rene Martin, J.D. - Deputy Attorney General Martin has practiced law in Boise for 24 years. She has been with the Idaho Attorney General’s Office for 20 years; including two years with the Attorney General’s Criminal Divisions and the remainder of the time assigned to represent various state agencies in the area of business regulation. In her current position as lead Deputy Attorney General for the Idaho Department of Finance, one of Deputy AG Martin’s primary duties is pursuing civil and administrative enforcement actions in the areas of consumer finance and securities. Before practicing law, she taught English and education to gifted students in Idaho secondary schools and has served as an adjunct professor at Boise State University. Deputy AG Martin authored and taught the chapter on information and financial crimes.

Gary Raney, M.A. - Sheriff Gary Raney began with the Ada County Sheriff’s Office in 1983 and rose through the ranks of the agency to the position of undersheriff. After a successful election, he took office as Sheriff in 2005. The Sheriff’s Office is the largest law enforcement agency in the State and provides policing, jail, dispatch, and many other services. Sheriff Raney earned both is undergraduate and Masters Degree from Boise State University and is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and Northwestern University School of Police Staff & Command. Sheriff Raney authored and taught the chapter on ethics in criminal justice.

Valerie Russo, M.A. - Valerie Russo has a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Santa Barbara. She has worked with victim related issues for 23 years in various professional and academic capacities such as: sexual assault dynamics, victimology, sexual violence risk reduction strategies, criminal justice/legal issues, and educational programming. Additionally, Ms. Russo worked for 7 years as a sexual assault case coordinator in a California district attorney’s office. She also provided direct services as an advocate and counselor in a rape crisis center for 10 years. Her training includes over 3000 clinically supervised hours working with clients in various settings. Ms. Russo is currently working on her doctorate degree in Higher Education Administration at the University of Idaho where she has worked for 11 years. Ms. Russo co-authored and co-taught the chapter on victimology.

Annette Totten, Ph.D. - Dr. Annette M. Totten is the Director of the Center for the Study of Aging and an Assistant Research Professor at Boise State University. She has held a variety of policy and research positions, including working as a legislative aide in the Ohio House of Representatives, a program associate for the John A. Hart Foundation in New York, and a research project director for the New York State Department of Health, the New York University Department of Nursing, and the Columbia University School of Nursing. She earned her Doctorate in health services research from the University of Minnesota and also holds a Masters of Public Administration with a focus on health policy from New York University. Her areas of research include survey methods, the organization and financing of long-term care, and the management of chronic illnesses. Dr. Totten co-authored and co-taught the chapter on victimization of the elderly.

D.J. Williams, Ph.D. - Dr. D.J. Williams is currently an Assistant Profession of Sociology, Social Work, and Criminal Justice at Idaho State University. He holds Masters degrees in Social Work and Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Utah, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree and PostPh.D. Research Fellowship from the University of Alberta, Canada. Dr. Williams is interested in forensic social work and also the relationship of leisure experience to both criminogenesis and offender rehabilitation. His expertise also includes non-criminal, expressive forms of deviant leisure, including sexual sadomasochism, contemporary human vampires, and body modification. Dr. Williams has presented at several national and international conferences, and his work has been published in numerous scholarly journals, including Contemporary Justice Review, Juvenile and Family Court Journal, Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Leisure Sciences, Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, and Social Work. Dr. Williams co-authored and co-taught the chapter on sexual violence.

Melissa Wintrow, M.Ed. - Melissa Wintrow was the first Women’s Center Coordinator for Boise State University. With the help of community and campus partners, she created a program that was both educationally and survivor focused. She supervised a group of survivor advocates and created numerous support programs and educational initiatives for the campus to raise awareness about male violence against women. Ms. Wintrow has worked with survivors of violence for many years. She earned her Bachelors in English from Miami University and her Masters in Higher Education from the University of Georgia. She currently works as the Assistant Director for University Housing for Boise State University. Ms. Wintrow authored and taught the chapter on domestic violence.