Domestic Violence Hotline/Text-Chat Volunteer

The Center for Safety and Change is seeking volunteers to provide crisis intervention, supportive counseling, advocacy, information, and referral services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual trauma and to secondary survivors of domestic violence and sexual trauma via its hotline and text chat. Volunteers must possess a philosophy/view on sexual assault and sexual abuse consistent with the Center for Safety and Change.

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:

• Answer hotlines, text chats, and occasional in-person walk-ins
• Make at least a one-year commitment to the Center for Safety and Change Domestive Violence Hotline program
• Handle multiple kinds of calls including, but not limited to, sexual trauma, domestic violence, trafficking, etc.
• Schedule hotline shifts at the CSC in minimum three-hour blocks (hotline shifts available Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.)
• After shadowing in the office, volunteers may work remote shifts as well
• Work with all survivors and secondary survivors regardless of their religion, race, age, gender and/or sexual orientation
• Provide crisis counseling
• Assist clients in making, creating, and implementing safety plans
• Provide clients with information and referrals to outside agencies and services
• Arrange for emergency shelter
• Arrange for legal consultations with CSC attorneys
• Provide information to clients regarding police, probation, Family Court, Justice Court, and Support Court
• Attend monthly meetings with other hotline and text chat volunteers and supervisors

Qualifications:

• 18 years of age or older
• 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 & Exit Interview with the program supervisor
• Must work in a manner that is supportive of the CSC analysis of gender-based violence
• Must be reliable
• Required to sign confidentiality form

Location:
Once the DV Hotline Volunteer is trained and has been approved to take calls, the volunteer can take calls at the Center for Safety and Change or remotely.

Training Provided:
Candidates must complete an intensive 30-hour training course taught by the CSC. Candidates must also score 80% or higher on the course written exam and successfully complete Entrance and Exit Interview with the program supervisor.

Annual Evaluation:
In order to continue volunteering, DV Hotline Volunteers are evaluated annually regarding their performance.