Rape Crisis Counselor

The Center for Safety and Change is seeking volunteers to provide crisis intervention counseling, advocacy, information, and referral services to survivors of sexual assault, survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and to secondary survivors. These volunteers would also accompany survivors to the hospital and police stations, as needed. These volunteers must possess a philosophy/view on sexual assault and sexual abuse that is consistent with the Center.

NOTE: the Center for Safety and Change is not requiring vaccinations for staff and volunteers, and is therefore still upholding a mask mandate in the office and while on call.
 

Responsibilities include:

• Make at least a one-year commitment to the CSC Rape Crisis Program
• Work with all survivors and secondary survivors regardless of their religion, race, gender, age, and/or sexual orientation
• Serve a minimum of three shifts per month on-call, including evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Attend mandatory monthly supervision/training sessions on the first Tuesday of every month from 7-9 p.m.
• Meet with sexual assault crisis survivors at the Emergency Room or police station within a half-hour of the call, regardless of the time of day or night
• Stay with the sexual assault survivor until all procedures have been completed
• Call in all cases to supervisor within 24 hours or, if on weekends, call the CSC office during the next working day
• Create and send a written report of call to supervisor within 48 hours
• Make a case presentation of all calls at the next monthly meeting
• Dress conservatively and maintain a professional attitude as defined by CSC
• Perform the role of RCC in an appropriate and responsible manner as defined in this volunteer description
• Maintain complete confidentiality of all client information by signing agreement
• Must complete 10 hours of in-service training annually by attending the two-hour monthly Rape Crisis Counselor meetings/supervision

Qualifications:

• 18 years of age or older
• Valid driver's license, a car in working order, and automobile insurance are required
• Background check required
• Must successfully complete the CSC 30-hour training course and score an 80% or higher on the written exam
• Must demonstrate a fundamental grasp of crisis counseling skills
• Must successfully complete an entrance and exit interview with the program supervisor
• Bilingual preferred

Location:
Once the Rape Crisis Counselor is trained and has been approved to take calls, they may take hotline calls at home. The Rape Crisis Counselor must be able to meet with sexual assault survivors at the Emergency Room or police station within a half-hour of the call, regardless of the time of day or night.

Hours:
Days and evenings on weeknights, weekends, and holidays. Rape Crisis Counselor volunteers schedule their availability on a monthly basis:

• Weeknight shifts: 6:30 p.m.–7:30 a.m.
• Weekend shifts: 7:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., 1:30-7:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-7:30 a.m.

Duration of Assignment:
Must make at least a one-year commitment to the Center’s Rape Crisis Program and commit to a minimum of three shifts a month chosen by the volunteer.

Training Provided:
Candidates must complete an intensive 30-hour training course taught by the Center. Candidates must also score 80% or higher on the course written exam and successfully complete an exit interview with the program supervisor. 10 hours of in-service training, provided by the CSC, are also required.

Annual Evaluation:
In order to continue volunteering, Rape Crisis Counselors are evaluated annually regarding their performance.