Volunteer Victim Advocate, Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office, Victim Witness Division

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Are you interested in the criminal justice process? Do you want to give back to the community and make a difference? Are you compassionate and caring? If so, this opportunity might be for you! We have both volunteer and volunteer internship opportunities available.

The Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office, Victim Witness Division is seeking Volunteer Advocates. Volunteers help victims by being "on call" during weekend shifts, holiday shifts, and night shifts. Weekend shifts and holiday shifts are 24 hours long (8:30 A.M. to 8:30 A.M.) and night shifts are from 4:30 P.M. to 8:30 A.M. You can volunteer for phone coverage, which entails answering the 24-hour crisis line, or you can volunteer for hospital coverage, which entails meeting victims of sexual assault in hospital emergency rooms. Each month, you can sign up for shifts that work for you. We have both weekday and weekend availability to work with your schedule. You are not required to have a set schedule, but we do require a minimum commitment of 1 full shift or 2 partial shifts per month. Our night advocate/volunteer coordinator will work with you to schedule your shifts each month.

Before being scheduled for shifts, each volunteer completes a 40-hour state-mandated training course that takes place over 3 weeks. This training consists of 20 online hours through an accredited advocacy institution and 20 in-person hours. You will also be in contact with staff to answer any questions as you get familiar with the position. A training manual and other material will also be provided. Our next in-person training sessions will take place in the Fall of 2024. Exact dates and times are to be determined.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, must maintain confidentiality, must live in or around Montgomery County, and must have reliable transportation to drive to local hospitals within 35 minutes of receiving a request to meet a victim. Each volunteer must also consent to a background check, which is provided by the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office. For more information, please contact our night advocate/volunteer coordinator, Kasey Klug (klugk@mcohio.org) or our Director, Kate Zawaideh, at zawaidehk@mcohio.org. You can also call 937-225-5623.

Crisis Line Volunteer Advocates: Phone volunteers answer the 24-hour crisis line after hours. This can be done from your home, as we use a call forwarding system. However, we do ask that you be in a quiet, private area whenever you receive a crisis call. Phone advocates will be supervised by a staff member and will handle calls from victims who need crisis intervention or who have questions about the Criminal Justice System. In addition, phone volunteers will answer calls from local police agencies and local hospitals calling to report sexual assaults.

Hospital Volunteer Advocates: Hospital volunteers respond to all Montgomery County emergency rooms to offer support and resources to victims of sexual assault. Hospital volunteers work closely with hospital staff and law enforcement. Hospital volunteers are not required to stay at home or be in one location, as long as they can be reached by phone and can arrive at an emergency room within 35 minutes of receiving a call to meet a victim there.

To access an application, please go to www.mcohio.org and click on Government, then Elected Officials, then Prosecutor, then Volunteer. Alternately, you can request an application by contacting our night advocate/volunteer coordinator, Kasey Klug at KlugK@mcohio.org. You can also call 937-225-5623.

We look forward to hearing from you!