Meet Beth Hoel | Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Beth Hoel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Beth, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to help more families impacted by sexual abuse and those involved in the justice system. Working in the capacity as a probation officer and supervisor managing individuals on probation for sex crimes for most of my career gave me a vast and thorough understanding of sex offender risk, the knowledge and courage to help put offenders, victims and their families back together after some of the most difficult times of their lives. I worked with individuals who committed sex crimes and those impacted by sex offenses for over twenty years, most of my probation career. As I reached retirement eligibility as a probation supervisor, I wanted to do more. The department I worked for did not share the same passion and desire I had to do more to stop sexual abuse, rehabilitate offenders, hold those who did not want to change accountable, educate the public on sexual offense risk to make our communities safer and healthier. I felt I had stopped growing, being challenged and did not feel my expertise was being utilized as it could have been. I began to plan for my post-retirement career. I did not want to stop working with those impacted by sexual offenses and their families, I wanted to use my expertise to do more, reach more people across the state and country and began to put together my consulting company as I planned to retire.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I retired from my career in law enforcement in 2022. As I neared the end of my career, I began to think larger picture. I was able to impact many lives in my career but, at the same time, I had limitations. It was not easy for me to retire from a job I loved so much. I could have worked there for many more years had I felt I could do more in this area in that capacity. The transition to my consulting business was an interesting transition. I lost a lot of the support I had daily while working in my prevous capacity, at the same time, I gained so much. I felt challenged again and reinvigorated and excited to be able to work on any case I wanted and with individuals on probation and their families, victims as well as speak out on issues that are important to me. I have been asked to be a guest on a number of podcasts, speak at different events, all things I was not able to do previously. I am happy to work on mitigation reports. I love to listen to stories as I have always done throughout the years and now I get to listen and work on reports as part of a defense team. I get to work with those in prison and those on probation supervision struggling or needing guidance. I wanted to be able to work on a larger scale and make real change in peoples lives as well as positively affect the community here in Arizona and across the country. This topic is so important and I understand it is a difficult subject matter. I am grateful so many put their trust and confidence in me to guide them. If there is something I’d like the world to know about me, it would be I worked resolutely to make the world a better place and reduce the impact sex offenses have in our communities, that I did everything I could to make sure the children of the next generation are healthier and less affected by sexual offenses and generational trauma. I never forgot my service to the people and citizens of my community. I am grateful to continue to be in a position where I am able to help a wide variety of people impacted by the justice system, specifically in relation to sex crimes. To my knowledge, there is noone else doing the type of work I am doing. I saw a need and felt I was the person to fill that gap in the system.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a native of Arizona, I think we have so many interesting places to explore. The Valley has grown so much over the years, with so many interesting things to see and do…I like to travel and see all parts of our state too. As a sports fan, and lifelong fan of Arizona sports, you will often find me catching a Diamondbacks or Suns game, rooting for our Cards or Sun Devils. There are numerous sports teams in the area to support as well as seasonal activities like Spring Training, the Phoenix Open, the Super Bowl, March Madness and the College Football Playoffs. All of those are amazing, once in a lifetime events. But I also enjoy a quieter pace. A pub crawl in Flagstaff, a wine tour in Sedona, sitting lakeside in the pine trees or relaxing in lounger at our of our amazing Arizona resorts. Arizona has something for everyone.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I started working in the probation department at eighteen years old and through college. I had no idea where this career would take me. I fell in love with probation and corrections work seeing how much of an impact an officer can have in someone’s life. Probation work was the perfect balance for me between law enforcement and social work, if done properly the balance between accountability and rehabilitation. After graduating from ASU, I became a probation officer in the sex offender division and later I was promoted into management where I supervised and managed thousands of sex cases. I want to thank my mentors along the way which include the best psychologists and therapists I worked with who treat those on probation for a sex offense and victims of sex crimes. You cannot be effective in sex offender risk management without understanding treatment for sex offenses, assessments, static and dynamic risk factors and how they all tie in and work together. I want to thank all the therapists who allowed me to spend countless hours in sitting in their groups, working with me on cases to navigate the complexities of each to find the best solutions. I want to thank the amazing peers I worked along side with over the years, especially my longtime work partner Shane Neil. I want to thank the hardworking probation officers I had the privilege to manage for years who have one of the toughest jobs imaginable. This is not a job you can do working in a silo. You must collaborate and work together. You must constantly learn, this is not a field you can become complacent in and you must surround yourself with those dedicated to understanding the issues and brave enough to make tough decisions. I want to thank the thousands of individuals on probation I have worked with over the years, I have learned the most from you. I want to thank the families who have allowed me to guide them back to a healthier place and especially the victims of sexual abuse, I never forget the pain you endure.

Website: www.bhgconsultinggroup.com

Instagram: instagram/bhgconsultinggroup

Linkedin: Beth Hoel

Twitter: Beth_Goulden

Youtube: @bethandmissytalk