mission and vision
Since 1982, the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance (COVA) has been committed to fairness and healing for crime victims, their families and communities through leadership, education, and advocacy.
COVA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit statewide membership organization. Our membership includes personnel from the criminal justice system, nonprofit organizations providing assistance to victims of crime, survivors of crime, concerned citizens, and members of allied professions (human services, education, mental health, clergy, etc.).
COVA’s mission is to provide training, resources, and support for victims of crime and the professionals who serve them. Our vision is a Colorado where all victims of crime receive effective support and justice.
What WE DO:
- Training to assist member agencies to provide quality services, including training on the Colorado Victims’ Rights Act
- Publishing an online statewide directory of victim service providers
- Monitoring state and federal legislation affecting victims of crime
- Administering an Internship Program to enhance the delivery of victim services services statewide
- Conducting the Annual COVA Conference for victim service providers and other interested parties
- Managing a Human Trafficking Program, which provides intensive case management for victims of sex and labor trafficking statewide
- Conducting a statewide Victim Assistance Academy to provide base-line training to those new to the field of victim assistance
- Public education to foster a better understanding of victimization
- Administering a Crime Victim Emergency Fund through professional victim advocates
- Hosting a statewide victim and survivor speaker program
- Offering a Victim Advocate Certifications for victim advocates
Contact Us:
COVA Staff Contact Information:
COVA’s Board of Directors:
Officers:
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Jocelyn Rhymer
Regional Victim Services Director
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Colorado State Office
Jocelyn Rhymer is the Director of Victim Services for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). She has dedicated her entire career to serving victims of crime and has served in both the law enforcement and non-profit capacity for more than 25 years. Jocelyn has served on the COVA Board of Directors since 2016. She is currently serving in the Vice President role. “My favorite aspect of serving on the COVA Board is supporting victim advocates throughout Colorado. A close second is supporting and attending the annual COVA Conference. The conference is nationally recognized as an opportunity to receive high-quality training, make valuable connections, and achieve much-needed restoration.”
Julie Brackley is the Director of Special Programs at the Denver District Attorney’s Office and has over 25 years of experience in the criminal justice field. She is currently responsible for strategic and operational oversight of multiple victim-centered programs and community engagement efforts. Julie serves as the administrator for the Denver Victim Assistance and Law Enforcement (VALE) Board. She uses her expertise to build and maintain partnerships at the local, state and national levels as well as ongoing coordination between projects and linkages to the community. Julie has extensive experience with victim services and community-facing programs. She obtained a B.A. in Public Administration from the University of Maine and a Master of Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado.
Members:
Allison Boyd is the Director of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit at the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Colorado. She has provided services to crime victims at the DA’s Office since 1995. Allison first started assisting crime victims in 1991 as a volunteer counselor for a nonprofit community sexual assault crisis center in Boulder, CO, and served for 3 years on the agency’s advisory council. She is the Administrator to the Board for the Victim Assistance and Law Enforcement Fund in the 1st JD. Allison spent many years serving as an appointed victim representative member of the Colorado Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) which creates and implements state standards for the supervision and management of adult sex offenders and juveniles who have committed sexual offenses. She currently co-chairs the Victim Advocacy Committee for the Board. Allison serves on the board of the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance. She co-chairs the Public Policy Committee and the Conference Steering Committee for COVA.
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Michael Dougherty is the District Attorney for the 20th Judicial District (Boulder County).
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Michael attended Nassau Community College and went on to graduate from Cornell University. He attended Boston University School of Law. After law school, Michael served for over twelve years as a prosecutor with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. He started in the Trial Division and quickly rose to supervisory positions, including in the Sex Crimes Unit. Later, he was promoted to the Executive Staff and became responsible for the management, budget, and personnel of the District Attorney’s Office, while continuing to prosecute serious cases. In 2009, Michael was recruited to head up the Colorado DNA Justice Review Project, an effort that helped lead to the exoneration of an innocent man wrongly convicted of murder. Just months after arriving in Boulder, Michael was promoted to serve as the head of the Criminal Justice Section for the Attorney General. In 2013, Michael became the second-in-command for the District Attorney’s Office for Jefferson and Gilpin Counties. In 2018, Michael had the honor of being appointed and elected District Attorney of Boulder County. In 2020 and 2024, the community re-elected him as District Attorney.
Under Michael’s leadership, the team at the DA’s Office has received several awards for their efforts. Notably, Michael received the Innocence Project’s Award for Advocate for Innocence and Justice. Additionally, Michael has helped establish problem-solving courts and diversion programs. Also, he recently served as the DA Representative on the School Safety Resource Center Advisory Board. He is an adjunct professor for CU Law School.
Michael and his wife, Antonia, have been married for twenty-one years, and are the parents of seventeen-year-old twins. Michael has finished the Leadville 100-Mile Trail Run twice and continues to run ultramarathons.
Honorable Theresa “Traci” Slade is a District Court Judge for the 18th Judicial District currently assigned to the domestic division. Judge Slade earned her Bachelor of Arts from Colorado State University and went to law school at the University of Denver Strum College of Law. She began her career as a deputy district attorney for the 18th judicial district. Following her time as a DA, she built a private practice that focused on criminal and juvenile defense and representing parents in dependency and neglect proceedings. She also served for many years as a guardian ad litem for children in both delinquency and dependency and neglect cases.
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Division Chief Joel White
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
Chief Joel White serves as the Patrol Division Chief for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, overseeing all uniformed patrol operations, traffic enforcement, and emergency response. With a career spanning multiple divisions, he has led teams in Investigations, Major Crimes, Special Victims, and Tactical Operations, always prioritizing victim advocacy and public safety.
A former SWAT and Bomb Squad Commander, Chief White brings expertise in critical incident management, high-risk operations, and explosive ordnance disposal. He has served with FBI and DEA task forces, tackling major criminal enterprises.
Dedicated to victim services, he has worked to enhance advocacy programs, survivor support, and investigative resources. Chief White remains committed to building strong community relationships and ensuring deputies are well-equipped to serve Douglas County.
get in touch.
1325 S. Colorado Blvd, Suite 508B, Denver, CO 80222
Phone: 303.861.1160
Fax: 303.861.1265
business hours.
Monday – Friday: 8am to 5pm MST*
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Closed for All Federal Holidays.
Not Available for Walk Ins