Victim advocate finds calling in working with abused kids

As a teenager, Sean Sullivan thought he was going to be a forest ranger. But as it often happens, life had other plans for him and many in the Flathead Valley are thankful.

Sullivan is the county’s victim advocate for the Children’s Advocacy Center. He’s been in the position since 2016.

Sullivan, 50, works daily with young victims of sexual or physical abuse.

The Anaheim, California, native spent summers camping in Montana with his parents, both of whom were school teachers.

“I planned on being a forest ranger,” he said. “I loved it here.”

Running around in the mountains sparked his initial career plans. But a series of random events created a different path for him.

He moved to Missoula when he was 18 and entered the Army Reserves. He was stationed at Fort Missoula and work with his engineering unit took him to far-flung locales such as Korea, Honduras and Panama.

“Our unit did a lot of humanitarian work, working with people, teaching and educating them on how to improve their surroundings,” Sullivan said.

It was his first true taste of service.

Later, he enrolled at the University of Montana and graduated with a degree in journalism in 1995. While on campus, he worked with the campus police in its escort program. It was instituted due to the high number of sexual assaults on campus.

His college girlfriend was raped at a house party.

“I knew the struggles victims went through,” he said.

Sullivan even worked briefly at local newspapers, including the Hungry Horse News and Whitefish Pilot. But the call to service was strong and Sullivan returned to school and got his teaching certificate.

Back in California, he taught in Garden Grove.

“I taught mostly kids who lived in lower socio-economic groups, tutored, taught English as a second language.

“What I learned is for many of those kids is being in school was the best part of their day, it was the most stable part of their world,” Sullivan said.

The path of service then took Sullivan to Scotland, where he worked for a large charity working with homeless boys. His work included counseling, education and teaching life skills.

He met his first wife in Scotland. They returned to California briefly before moving back to the Flathead.

Sullivan taught at Kalispell Middle School and he worked with the in-school suspension program. He worked with children who dealt with emotional problems, kids who were victims of sexual and physical abuse. While rewarding, Sullivan sought a more in-depth approach to working with kids.

“I felt limited by what could be done in the schools and I felt working directly with kids might be a better fit for me,” Sullivan said.

A story in the Daily Inter Lake about a grant-funded position in the Sheriff’s Office piqued Sullivan’s interest.

“I felt it was the perfect fit for me,” he said.

Sullivan knew taking a job that was grant-funded was risky for a married man with three kids. But he made the move in 2016.

Since it was his first job in law enforcement, Sullivan said he had to work to gain the trust of officers. He also had early doubts whether he could do the job.

“My first time being part of an interview at KRMC (Kalispell Regional Medical Center) where we talk to the kids I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle it. But now there’s not a week that goes by without an interview,” Sullivan said.

Kipp Tkachyk, the center’s director and a forensic interviewer with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, does the interviews with victims. The new Children’s Advocacy Center is a three-room facility in the hospital’s emergency room area where trained forensic interviewers can talk to victims in a private setting that is also child-friendly. There is also a waiting room and an exam room.

“Sexual abuse cases are the bulk of our work,” Sullivan said. “Kids on kids, minors, youth court cases are common.”

Sullivan’s role is working with kids and families involved in sexual crimes. He is the man who provides referrals for services victims need.

“We treat the victim first and then focus on the criminal investigation,” he said. “We want to give the victim wraparound care and support.

“Whatever the outcome of the case, we’re still there for care and we refer all of our cases for counseling,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the Sheriff’s Office performs 150 forensic interviews annually and 100 more receive services from its office.

He said the job has given him a much better understanding of how children think.

“One of the things I wanted to know when I first began this work was ‘why do they disclose?’” Sullivan said. “At some point, kids realize the way they are living is not normal.

“They need one person to listen to what they are saying. The most powerful message you can send a child is that you believe them and care enough to have them tell their story and then we can notify people who can help,” he said.

Many of the goals of the Advocacy Center and those involved with it are a result of understanding circumstances of victims and abusers.

“Many caregivers were abused and it wasn’t handled well,” Sullivan said. “We want to make sure a kid knows they have support and can live their best life.”

Sullivan knows there is meaning in his work, but he still wishes politicians would spend more money for mental-health issues.

“It’s the No. 1 thing lacking in law enforcement and social services,” Sullivan said. “It’s not easily fixed. Politicians want to put it all on drugs, but when affordable housing isn’t available, you are taking away people’s ability to get out of a bad situation.

“For kids addicted to porn or abusing other kids, there is no way for them to get help locally. Most facilities addressing those issues are either out-of-state or very costly.”

Sullivan gives several presentations at local schools on a variety of subjects, including internet pornography and using social media.

Sullivan also runs the center’s support group at the Summit Medical Fitness Center every Friday.

The father of a 19-year-old and twin 10-year-olds, Sullivan is divorced from his first wife, but is now happily engaged and knows his work matters to others.

“There are only 10 CACs in Montana which are accredited and we’re one of them,” Sullivan said. “We have a good reputation for being thorough in our work.

“It’s very humbling, but it’s meaningful to help play a small role in helping these kids,” Sullivan said.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com