BECOME A STATE-CERTIFIED SEXUAL ASSAULT COUNSELOR ADVOCATE!

Strength United is currently recruiting for our April 2026 Counselor Advocate training, and we’d love to have you join us!

About Us & The Advocacy Role:

StrengthUnited is a non-profit charter of California State University Northridge (CSUN) and has served the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valley communities for the past 30 years, working with individuals of all ages who have experienced interpersonal or gender-based violence.

We recruit volunteers to help staff our 24-hour, 365 days/year crisis hotline. Calls come from members of the community who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or child sexual abuse. We also receive calls from community members who want general information and referrals for assistance for themselves or a loved one. Our Volunteers also accompany survivors of rape and sexual assault/child sexual abuse to forensic examinations in our Family Justice Center (one of a kind in Los Angeles County!)

Volunteer Requirements:

• Complete a 60-hour State Certified Sexual Assault Counselor Advocate (SACA) training
• Undergo a criminal background check before training
• Commit to one 6.5-hour shift per week (with optional extra shifts)
• Live within 30 minutes of our Van Nuys Family Justice Center
• Commit to a minimum of one year of service
• Attend one supervision/in-service meeting a month

Training Details & Fees:

• Training Dates:
  • Training begins on Friday, April 10th, 2026 and Graduation is on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026. We only train for 4 weekends!
  • Trainings are scheduled on Fridays (virtual- TBD) from 6:00pm to 9:00pm and on Saturdays & Sundays (in-person at our Van Nuys office) from 9:00am to 4:00pm.
• Fees:
  • Mandatory 60-hour training with a $175 fee due on the first day of training. This covers training materials, presenters, and Live Scan background checks. Fee waivers are available upon request and approved at the discretion of StrengthUnited management. Feel free to reach out for more information on fee waivers or scholarships.

Next Steps:

If you’re interested, please send us an email to internship@strengthunited.org or respond directly to the VolunteerMatch listing. We will follow up with additional details and the application.

Thank you for your interest in supporting survivors of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence! We truly couldn't do this work without the help of our incredible Volunteers!