Volunteer Crime Victim Advocate (Montgomery County, OH) (Hospital Volunteer and/or Phone Volunteer)

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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/or night shifts. Weekend and holiday shifts are 24 hours long (4:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.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 emergency rooms. Each month, you can sign up for shifts that work for you. You are not required to have a set schedule, but we do require a minimum commitment of 1 full shift and 2 partial shifts each month. We will work with you to schedule your shifts.

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 in-person hours and 20 online hours through an accredited advocacy institution. A training manual and other material will also be provided. Our next in-person training sessions will take place in the spring 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 30 minutes of receiving a request to meet a victim. Volunteers must also consent to a background check, which is provided by the Prosecutor's office. For more information contact Shalamar Hardy at HardyS@mcohio.org or Valerie Cosenza at CosenzaV@mcohio.org. You can also call 937-225-5623.

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

Hospital Volunteer Advocate: Volunteers respond to all Montgomery County emergency rooms to assist sexual assault victims. Volunteers work closely with law enforcement and hospital staff. Hospital advocates are not required to stay at home or be in one location as long as the staff can reach the volunteer.

To download an application, please go to www.mcohio.org and click government, then elected officials, then prosecutor, then volunteer. Alternatively, you can email Shalamar Hardy (HardyS@mcohio.org) or Valerie Cosenza (CosenzaV@mcohio.org) or call 937-225-5623 to request an application.