- Training for a Volunteer Position
- Volunteer Application (print version)
Volunteer
Volunteer Positions Available at the OCRCC
- Companions
- Spanish-Speaking Advocates
- Community Educators
- Office Volunteers
- Support Group Facilitators
Companions respond to calls that come in on our crisis response line by either carrying a pager for 24-hours or answering the crisis line directly at the Center's office. Using active listening and crisis intervention counseling skills, Companions provide emotional support to survivors of sexual violence, their friends and family members. Companions are also a source of information about the medical, legal and mental health options and resources available to survivors. Female and male Companions work with female and male survivors of rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and other forms of sexual violence. They work with clients from a wide variety of backgrounds and with clients whose assaults have happened recently or in the distant past. Companions are expected to take two 24-hour pager shifts or 12 hours of in-house shifts a month and make a nine month commitment to the Center following volunteer training.
Spanish-Speaking Advocates respond to calls that come in our crisis response line from Spanish-speakers when our business office is closed by carrying a pager for a week at a time. Our business hours are Monday-Friday 9-5. Using active listening and crisis intervention counseling skills, Advocates provide emotional support to Spanish-speaking sexual violence survivors, their friends and family members. Advocates are also a source of information about the medical, legal and mental health options and resources available to survivors. Advocates are expected to take a week long pager shift every 4-6 weeks and make a nine month commitment to the Center following volunteer training.
Community Educators present educational programming to a variety of community audiences to raise public awareness about the issue of sexual violence and to promote prevention. Educators present child sexual abuse prevention programs in elementary schools, and sexual harassment prevention, date and acquaintance rape prevention and self-protection issues to a range of audiences from middle school students to adults. Educators also give presentations on protecting children to groups of parents, teachers, and child care professionals. Educators represent the Center at community events by staffing OCRCC tables and answering the community's questions about our programs and services. Educators are expected to present a least two programs per month and make a nine month commitment to the Center following training.
Office Volunteers assist with a variety of tasks and special projects in the Center’s business offices. Example tasks include: keeping current events files up-to-date, computer entry projects, assisting with large mailings, making phone calls, etc. Office Volunteers are expected to help out between two and three hours a week depending on their availability and the open slots on our Office Volunteer schedule. Office volunteers receive on-the-job training and are asked to make a three month commitment.
Support Group Facilitators help in the creation and maintenance of a safe,
supportive environment which provides participants in support groups with an
opportunity to come together in support and healing. Support groups aim to
provide a welcoming space for survivors of sexual violence who share similar
experiences with sexual abuse. Each group is led by two trained facilitators.
Support Group Facilitators receive approximately 30 hours of training and are
expected to facilitate at least one 8-12 week support group for primary or
secondary survivors of sexual violence each year after completion of training.
Prior mental health training and/or group facilitation experience preferred.
