Wyckoff Heights Medical Center - Violence Intervention and Treatment Program

Wyckoff Heights Medical Center's Violence Intervention and Treatment Program provides a range of direct services including crisis and ongoing counseling, referrals and resources, and advocacy and accompaniments to survivors of Sexual Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Intimate or Dating Violence.

VOLUNTEER TITLE: Rape Crisis Advocate

DESCRIPTION: Volunteers attend a 40-hour training on sexual violence. Upon completion, volunteers are certified advocates who sign up for scheduled shifts to respond to the WHMC Emergency Department when a patient reports sexual assault.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Services are not limited to, but include, the following:

- Volunteers sign up for two regular overnight or weekend shifts per month The volunteer advocate is responsible for being reachable and available during their assigned shifts

- Provide immediate emotional support and crisis counseling for survivors of sexual assault and their family, partners, or friends

- Explain medical procedures and legal options

- If patient prefers, attend the medical exam and forensic evidence collection

- Act as a liaison and advocate with hospital staff and criminal justice personnel on behalf of the survivor

- Provide information and referrals, including follow-up care with VITP

- Facilitate patient's comfort during ED visit, and help to arrange for clean clothes and transportation upon discharge

- Complete advocate report form to clearly communicate your perspective on patient's ED visit to VITP Program Coordinator

- Promptly follow-up with VITP program coordinator for supervision during or following a case

Attend monthly advocate supervision and training meetings which are mandatory. Advocate meetings are held the last Monday of every month

QUALIFICATIONS:

- Application and interview required

- Volunteers must be 18 years old or over

- Completion of 40-hour training

- Commitment to attending volunteer meetings as detailed above

- Volunteers must have access to public or private transportation in order to respond to the ED within 30 minutes of being paged/called

Commitment, dependability, an open mind, and ability to work independently as well as part of a team

Work Hours: Shifts: Weekdays 5:30pm to 8:30am, and Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 8am-8pm and 8pm-8am.

LENGTH OF ASSIGNMENT: A year long commitment is required; however, a longer commitment is preferred

HOW TO APPLY:

For application and interviewing process contact:

Danielle Schneck, LMSW
Violence Intervention and Treatment Program
WyckoffHeightsMedicalCenter
374 Stockholm Street
Brooklyn,NY

Tel.: 718-906-3846

Fax: 718-302-8544

E-mail: Dprobst@wyckoffhospital.org