Volunteer Victim Advocates

A. Volunteer victim advocates select two to four time commitments (7-9 hours per commitment) per month based on their schedule and availability. The Victim Center office phone is generally open Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Volunteer victim advocates cover the remaining time periods, so that our crisis response line is staffed 24/7. Time commitments may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.

All volunteer victim advocates also attend a monthly advocate meeting at which we offer continuing education, networking, and support.

A. Volunteer victim advocates respond to crisis response line calls via the telephone from a location of their choosing. During these calls, the volunteer victim advocate offers a listening and compassionate ear to validate feelings and support emotions, victim education, and provide referrals to immediate resources for victims.

A. Yes. The Victim Center serves all victims of violent and sexual crimes, regardless of gender, gender orientation, sex, and sexual orientation.

A. The safety and comfort of our volunteers is just as important to us as that of the victims we serve. Our comprehensive training process will equip you to handle most calls, but we also staff each shift with a staff person on call. These layers of support ensure that each victim receives the full support that they need at the time of the call, and that our volunteer victim advocates are supported as well.

A. New volunteer victim advocates complete 48 hours of training, including pre-work completed prior to “seated” training, and self-study/at home reading. While you can start taking call shifts after completing the “seated” training, you will meet one-to-one with a staff member after each shift until your 48 hours of training are complete.

After your initial training day(s), you can accrue training hours through independent study, monthly advocate meetings, partner agency trainings or conferences, one-to-one meetings, and more. Certain college or graduate coursework may also qualify as training hours.

A. Contact The Victim Center Monday-Thursday by calling 417-863-7273, for more information. You may also click here to get started.  Once the volunteer interest form is complete you can email it here.