Lori VanHarmelen
Lori VanHarmelen has worked at the Children’s Assessment Center since January of 2007. She is a crisis counselor and medical social worker at the center. Lori grew up in Grandville, Michigan. She received a B.S. in business with a minor in sociology from Anderson University in Indiana. In 1996, she received an M.S.W. from Grand Valley State University.
While performing abuse prevention work for RAVE of West Michigan, Lori was introduced to the abuse intervention work at the Center. She found, through her interactions with the Center, that she enjoyed doing intervention work and began working in this capacity when a position for a medical social worker opened. She later began working as both a crisis counselor and medical social worker for the Center.
As a crisis counselor, Lori assists children who are victims of sexual abuse by providing them with counseling sessions in which she teaches body safety, assesses and meets individual needs, and provides court support if needed. She explained that court support is one of her favorite aspects of the job as she not only provides emotional support for individuals when they may have to face their abusers, but she loves how empowering this is to sexually-abused children. Lori explained that when children face their abusers and tell their story, they are able to gain control. It helps with the healing process.
In the medical social worker role, Lori works as a sort of “agent of the doctor.” She collects information for the doctor in hopes of making the medical exam the least invasive that it can be.
Lori was drawn to this job because she is passionate about kids being mistreated—she isn’t an individual who can stand by and let the cycle continue. In fact, Lori cares for an adopted family member who was the victim of abuse.
Lori’s dedication to her own children reflects the level of care and love that she wants for all children. She works part time so that she can attend her children’s extracurricular activities and feels that being there for her children is very important.
During an interview, Lori was asked what she wants people to know about the Children’s Assessment Center. She replied that she wants people to know that “we are here and we are available to help. And, we care about families.” She also would like the public to understand that the Center operates on a strictly volunteer basis for both operation costs and literal volunteers that help keep the Center running. “We can’t do it alone. It takes everyone…even five dollars can help.”
After learning about the work that Lori does at the Center, and after meeting an individual who so obviously cares about helping victimized children heal, this interviewer felt gratitude that people such as Lori VanHarmelen exist and are right here helping in our community.
— Teresa Stillman, Grand Valley State University
