This workshop explores how a survivor’s lived experience can illuminate gaps in understanding, communication, and expectation-setting within the criminal justice system. By sharing insights from her own journey, Kimberley Black, an educator, trauma-informed facilitator, and public speaker, offers justice professionals and victim service providers practical, empathetic guidance for supporting victims throughout the justice process.

While Canada has made strides over the past three decades to strengthen collaboration between victim services and the justice system, many victims still enter the process without clear knowledge of their roles, the limits of the system, or the supports available to them. This knowledge gap can lead to confusion, disappointment, and secondary trauma, even when professionals act with care.

The session draws on Kimberley’s experience to demystify critical processes and roles, including Victim/Witness Assistance Programs (VWAP) versus community-based victim services, Crown Counsel responsibilities, police involvement post-investigation, publication bans, victim impact statements, courtroom dynamics, and the rights of the accused. It also addresses common misconceptions around sexual assault terminology, trauma-informed practice, evidence disclosure, and communication constraints.

Participants will learn how to use survivor insights to inform clear, compassionate expectation-setting, improving victim understanding while enhancing collaboration between services and the justice system. The session emphasizes practical strategies that respect both systemic limitations and victim agency, including alternative support pathways such as restorative justice and community-based resources.

Delivered remotely on an online platform, the session will be accessible, culturally safe, and trauma-informed, incorporating plain-language explanations, content warnings, grounding exercises, and flexible participation options. Participants will engage with the material without disclosure requirements, fostering learning in a psychologically safe environment.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify gaps between victim expectations and system realities and understand how collaboration between victim services and justice professionals can reduce confusion and secondary trauma.
   
2. Apply survivor-informed approaches to communicating roles, responsibilities, and limitations to victims in a clear, compassionate, and trauma-informed manner.
   
3. Recognize opportunities for cross-sector collaboration and promising practices that support victims’ dignity, agency, and access to meaningful services throughout the justice process.