Often times, a person who’s suffered a sexual or domestic assault was put through the most traumatic experience of their life. In the immediate aftermath, the victim is scared, possibly confused, and in need of medical care and emotional support.
That’s where Crime Victim Services at Emplify Health by Gundersen can help. It’s a department that provides advocacy and therapy for people who’ve experienced violence and other personal crimes. Located on Emplify Health’s La Crosse campus, it’s one of only three medically based victim services programs in Wisconsin, which differs from community-based organizations.
“It allows us to meet people earlier in their experience with violence,” says Stephanie Young, director of Crime Victim Services at Emplify Health by Gundersen.
And right now, the department could use the public’s help.
Volunteer advocates critical to services
Crime Victim Services is a 24/7 department, because crimes happen at any time on any day, and the response needs to be immediate. That’s why it relies on volunteer advocates who are specially equipped to meet with a victim shortly after they arrive at the Emergency Room – and right now, more volunteers are needed.
Volunteer advocates are there to respond to the ER on weekends when a victim arrives.
“A lot people we’re talking to have never shared with anyone what they’ve experienced,” Young says. “So, it’s a big deal to start talking to another human about it.”
Victims are presented with resources that could help bridge the gap with housing, food, transportation and childcare. They’re also assisted with navigating the criminal legal system – though no advice is given.
And, if a victim feels comfortable, volunteers can join them during the sexual assault nurse examiner exam, where evidence is collected that could be used to help prosecute a crime. Volunteers will provide the appropriate services, including helping the victim understand what’s happening and the options they have for support moving forward.
If the victim declines support at initial contact, the volunteer’s duty is complete.
Volunteers empower victims
Volunteering in Crime Victim Services is unique as compared to other volunteer roles in the hospital because of the sensitivity of the work. A good candidate is one who’s empathetic and drawn to being there for people in crisis, Young says, but also has appropriate boundaries.
“Many people who volunteer or work in the victim services field are survivors themselves,” Young says. “But the focus isn’t on sharing their specific experience, but rather, they’re there to offer the survivor options and support.”
Rather, they’re there to point a victim in the right direction.
“The word we always use in the field is empowerment,” Young says. “We want to empower people to live safe lives. We’re not saving people’s lives; we’re empowering them to create their own healthy, safe lives.”
Volunteers whose applications are approved must undergo 40 hours of training – 10 hours if it online – before starting in the role – a majority of which addresses the dynamics of sexual and domestic violence and what people are led to believe is true about those experiences.
“Our cultural sort of teaches us all the opposite of what’s true, so we have to kind of deprogram people from that,” Young says.
It’s a lot about challenging your own beliefs, says Alexie Krause, lead victim advocate in Crime Victim Services, which is why the training is so extensive, and volunteer interviews are so in-depth. Overcoming certain ways of thinking, so a volunteer can be helpful to a victim, can be difficult. And in those moments, victims need nonjudgmental, empathetic support.
“That time in the ER is really crucial and really impactful for the victim or survivor, so it’s really important that the volunteer is the right person,” Krause says.
There are presentations about self-care, maneuvering through the legal system, and broaching topics that may come up during an encounter with a victim. Volunteers will also learn about how brain reacts to trauma so they understand why a victim reacts the way they do.
Volunteers like Jodie Muth do the work because of her desire to set victims on the path to healing.
“I continue to volunteer because I feel strongly about empowering survivors to make their own decisions and providing them with support,” Muth says. “This role gives me the privilege to meet folks after their hardest, scariest days and provide them tools and information to move forward with hopefully a little more courage.”
If you’re interested in learning more about volunteering in Crime Victims Services, visit gundersenhealth.org/careers/volunteer-services or call (608) 775-3697.