Volunteer Opportunities
What is the Victim Assistance Program?
The Victim Assistance Program is part of the District Attorney's Office. The purpose of the Victims' Assistance Program is to help diminish the devastating impact crime has on our community and assist victims of crime to make educated decisions.
What services does the Victim Assistance Program Offer?
The Victim Assistance Program offers a wide variety of services to crime victims with an emphasis on the following:
- Crisis Intervention
- Attending court proceedings with the victim after a crisis intervention call out
What type of training does the Victims Assistance Program Offer?
Victims Assistance Program staff will be trained in a variety of issues depending on where their specific interest lies. All program staff will have basic training in the structure of the legal system from start to finish (as it pertains to victims), the Crime Victims Bill of Rights, crisis intervention techniques, domestic violence advocacy.
What opportunities does the Victim Assistance Program currently have?
The Victim Assistance Program has openings for volunteers victim advocates to work in lots of different capacities.
For those who may be interested in working with victims of domestic violence some of the services you may provide are: crisis intervention, safety planning with a victim, accompanying a victim to court, and various types of follow-up contact.
The program also is in need for volunteers to be a part of the Crisis Intervention Team. This team consists of advocates who are available to respond on the scene to provide victims with emergency services (such as: creating a safety plan, assistance finding the victim a temporary safe place to stay, assistance paying for emergency gas or food). Members of the team will be required to work an "on-call" shift on a monthly basis.
Who could consider becoming a part of the Victims' Assistance Program?
Anyone with a good listening ear, who to desire to help other members of our community deal with the impact crime has upon them should consider this this opportunity. It is also a great opportunity for anyone who would like to learn more about the criminal just system.
