Volunteering as a Sexual Assault Counselor
If you have been sexually assaulted, there is no doubt this trauma has profoundly changed your life. As you heal, grieve, and rebuild your life after a devastating occurrence like sexual assault, you may wonder about ways to reach out, give back, and advocate for other victims going through the same experience. No need to march on Washington or go to the police academy-you can volunteer as a sexual assault counselor and advocate.
California’s Sexual Assault Counselor Program
In the state of California, the directors of a number of rape crisis centers have come together and, through the California Department of Justice, created a unified training program for people to volunteer for them. This training program is a minimum of forty hours and gives volunteers actual state certification to assist sexual assault victims. Duties of these counselors include answering phone calls on crisis hotlines, promoting the rape crisis centers at community events, advocacy, office support, and attending rape kit exams with victims.
A so-called “rape kit” exam is a procedure that people who report sexual assault to the police must undergo. The victims are taken to local hospitals and examined by specially trained nurses. The nurses also collect samples from the victims’ bodies, take photographs, and look for clues to corroborate or deny the victims’ testimonies. These nurses can prescribe needed medication to victims, including the “morning after” birth control pill. One of the most important jobs of a volunteer sexual assault counselor is attending these rape kit exams with victims. The volunteers give a packet of information to the victims explaining their rights and free services available to them (such as talking to a therapist at the rape crisis center). The volunteers often end up holding victims’ hands during the more invasive parts of the rape kit exam. The volunteers also counsel, answer questions for the victims, and are available later on in case the victims want to talk further.
Volunteers who obtain a little bit of extra training can also become certified to advocate for sexual assault victims in court. These volunteers attend hearings and trials with the victims so someone is always on hand to answer their questions, give them information and assistance with navigating the legal system, and support them in whatever way is necessary.
One Survivor Talks About Her Volunteer Experience
I found San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services when I was in college. I attended counseling for two years and completely turned my life around. I owe all my healing and recovery to them. When I heard about their volunteer counselor training program, I jumped at the opportunity to help other victims. I felt like if I could help others, I would really know that my child molestation was behind me. The training itself was really valuable and, years later, I find that I still rely on information or counseling techniques I learned there…I think my most memorable experience as a volunteer was being at a rape crisis exam with a five-year old girl who looked like me when I was young-she was the same age I was when I was molested. It was challenging to be in the room while the nurse took samples from her vagina and anus. Seeing five-year-old feet in the stirrups was sad, but I left that rape exam feeling empowered and like I’d done a good thing. I had sat on the floor in the hospital hallway coloring silently in a coloring book with the girl. I smiled at her a few times as we passed crayons back and forth. Volunteering with San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services was so rewarding in fact that I moved out of state and, when I returned a few years later, I went through the certification course a second time so I could continue volunteering.
Training and Certification
If you are interested in volunteering with a rape crisis center in this capacity, contact CALCASA.org. CALCASA is the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault located in Sacramento. Volunteers can receive the necessary training at their local rape crisis centers several times a year. Training is free to volunteers, but many rape crisis centers will ask for a minimum six-month volunteer commitment. These sexual assault counseling training programs are also great opportunities for students interested in becoming social workers, therapists, or non-profit managers.
For similar opportunities in other states, try websites like VolunteerMatch.org.