Volunteer FAQs
Volunteer FAQs Do you have a volunteer program and how can I help? Yes, we do have a volunteer program at the Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Crisis Center. Volunteers participate in almost all areas of the Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Crisis Center's services from answering the hotline, to transporting clients, to participating in our Domestic Abuse Response Team and/or Sexual Assault Response Team as confidential advocates, to helping out with fundraising activities, to Board of Director membership and more. There are a wide range of things you can do, making it possible to tailor-make a position to your schedule and area of interest. What kind of training do I need to participate? The amount of training required to volunteer depends on what kind of work you would like to do. Areas that involve direct client contact (with clients who are sharing very sensitive personal information and may have experienced a great deal of trauma) require a minimum of forty hours of training on order for the volunteer to have privileged confidentiality. Full training in both domestic violence and sexual assault totals eighty hours of training. On the other hand, volunteering in the area of office work or fund raising may require very little training such as one on one by the office staff or the event planner. I know I want to help, but I’m not really sure exactly what I want to do. How can I get more information to help me decide? A good way to start is to take some training classes. Classes are ongoing throughout the year, four hours per session and take place at our outreach office in Belvidere on Tuesday evenings. Volunteers must be screened and have two references checked by the Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Crisis Center staff before beginning the training process. Call 908-453-4121 to request a Volunteer Screening Form. The classes will make you familiar with the services that the Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Crisis Center offers and some of the staff, making the decision about how to volunteer easier. |
