Direct service advocates work directly with survivors of sexual abuse, typically as they're having a sexual assault forensic kit collected or reporting to the police. An advocate is potentially the first person to tell a survivor of sexual abuse, “I believe you” and the first person to affirm, "It's not your fault." In addition to responding to the immediate needs of survivors, advocates learn professional and practical interpersonal skills while gaining valuable experience beneficial within the fields of social work, law, medicine, and psychology, among others. Direct service advocates must complete 32 hours of training before they are able to volunteer.
Direct Service Volunteers...
- Provide interpersonal support to survivors in hospitals and police stations
- Be available for dispatch any time an individual discloses sexual abuse at the following seven locations: University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (UIHC), Iowa City Mercy Hospital, UI Public Safety, Iowa City Police Department, Coralville Police
- Respond to the needs of any support people present (friends, family, partners, etc)
- Pick up materials from RVAP the day of their shift and return materials the following business day
Qualifications
- Be at least 19 years old
- Pass background check
- Have access to reliable transportation
- Respond to the location within 20 minutes of the call
- Volunteer 3 shifts per month
- Commit to volunteer for one year
APPLY TO VOLUNTEER AT OUR WEBSITE: https://rvap.uiowa.edu/volunteer/apply/
