By Judy O’Gorman Alvarez
HAZLET – There’s a special kind of person who becomes a Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) volunteer. A person ready to listen to victims’ stories, provide a shoulder to lean on during investigative and legal proceedings, as well as empathy and much-needed perspective of the situation.
And it’s a special kind of organization that provides support and advocacy to victims of domestic violence in the aftermath of a highly emotional and traumatic experience. A group that offers a confidential hotline, help in securing a restraining order, and even an escape button on its website which closes the site immediately in case of nearby threatening eyes.
180 Turning Lives Around, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence in our community, is looking for committed volunteers for its new Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT). A 40-hour mandatory training course will begin in October.
“It’s a very special type of person that volunteers for this,” said Anna Diaz White, executive director of 180. “They have to have an interest but it’s also a unique and deep, interesting commitment.”
According to 180, 1 in 4 women will be affected by violence in their lifetime.
“We couldn’t do this work without the volunteers that work with clients,” said Diaz-White. “With the amount of hours involved, we just don’t have the funding to pay for their on call time and their service time.”
Diaz-White explains that one call from a domestic violence victim could last three to five hours and may involve waiting in an emergency room on a weekend night – when many of the calls come in. “And there are multiple calls like these,” she said, “along with time spent on the hotline.”
DVRT advocates are civilian members of the community who work with law enforcement to provide support, information, and referrals to victims of domestic violence at police headquarters. Advocates also discuss with victims’ safety planning and their legal rights in obtaining a Temporary Restraining Order.
A few DVRT volunteers shared their stories; identities of volunteers are kept anonymous.
One advocate said she appreciates that she has been there for someone during her moment of crisis. Volunteering also gives her a greater appreciation for the relationships in her own life.
“People go through so much ‘stuff’ that their friends and family may never even know about,” she said. She said she has learned to “never judge or assume that you know what a person is going through. You can love someone and be deathly afraid of them at the same time.”
Another advocate noted the similarity between many victims’ stories. “Each and every (call-out) client is both totally different from the last one, and paradoxically also almost always similar to the last one,” he said.
He said he is glad to be able to provide some assistance to the victim of domestic violence, such as listening, promising to follow up with a phone call, or providing company before their restraining order hearing and a guarantee that someone will be available to help them in the future if ever the need arises. “I personally find it very rewarding if I can leave the (police department) knowing that I helped someone in even the smallest way,” he said.
“What has surprised me is the number of domestic violence victims that are out there that I never knew about,” he said. “I think that there is definitely a ‘disconnect’ between the public perception of the amount of domestic violence that currently exists and the amount that actually exists. I am grateful that 180 does exist and is able to successfully provide the guidance for the work that they have undertaken.”
Another advocate became involved with 180 because she said her mother was a victim of domestic violence when she was young. “I saw how that experience impacted not just her but an entire family and even community,” she said. “I wanted to help mitigate those effects in any small way in my community as well.”
Providing a safe place, financial assistance, counseling, or protection is crucial, she pointed out. “Making those things a priority and compartmentalizing your own feelings or needs is the key to providing successful advocacy,” she said.
“The experience of volunteering has changed the way I see the problem of domestic violence,” she said. “I have learned it’s not unique to a socioeconomic status or race or even personality trait. It does not discriminate.”
Basic requirements for volunteers to apply include that they must be 18 years of age or older, have access to reliable transportation, possess a valid driver’s license, be willing to serve on an on-call shift basis, submit to background investigations and fingerprinting, and successfully complete mandatory training. Bilingual capability is helpful; prior knowledge of domestic violence is not required.
Training will be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays, Oct. 4 – 27 at Wall Township Police Headquarters, 2700 Allaire Road in Wall. The deadline to submit applications is Sept. 21.
“The volunteers are a key component to our work,” Diaz-White said.. “We wouldn’t be able to provide the services we provide without them.”
For information on volunteering, contact Tina Morgan, assistant victim support program coordinator, at tinam@180nj.org or 732 264-4360, Ext. 4272.
