How can I volunteer?
There are many ways to volunteer with BARCC. Our volunteers participate as hotline counselors, medical advocates, public speakers, community organizers, and more. We can work with you to find a role that is right for you.
What type of training do I need in order to volunteer?
With the exception of clinical supervisors, no prior experience is necessary. If you are interested in Hotline, Medical Advocacy, or Community Awareness and Prevention Services (CAPS) volunteering, however, you must attend our 40-hour training program. Upon completion of the training, you will be certified as a rape crisis counselor.
When is the training offered, and how can I get involved?
Trainings are offered three times a year in February, June, and August. The June and August sessions are for a full week (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). The February session is held on weeknights and Saturdays. If you are interested in completing the training for professional reasons but are unable to volunteer at BARCC, please contact us and we can send you information about upcoming provider trainings.
Our next training will be held the week of June 4, 2012, at our Boston office. The information and interview sessions will be held on May 2nd and May 10 in our Cambridge office. To apply please submit a completed volunteer application to volunteer@barcc.org and let us know which information and interview session you will be attending.
What are the requirements for volunteering at BARCC?
BARCC volunteers are a diverse group of people, and you do not need any past experience to become a volunteer.
Hours for non-direct service positions are flexible, as are the skills you would bring to them. We are happy to provide supervision and training as necessary.
For direct service positions (Hotline, Medical Advocacy, and CAPS), you must be at least 18 years old to volunteer and able to make a one-year minimum commitment. Volunteers must be able to take one shift per week for hotline and medical advocacy, and two engagements per month for CAPS. Each position also requires mandatory peer supervision twice a month. If you have a personal connection to issues of sexual violence, we ask that it has been at least one year since your or your loved one’s experience with sexual violence. If you received services at BARCC, we ask that it has been at least one year since those services ended.
How do I apply?
Please complete our volunteer application, then attend one of our information and interview sessions at our offices in Cambridge. Attendance at one of these sessions is mandatory for anyone wishing to apply for a direct service position. These meetings take place a few weeks prior to the start of volunteer training and are designed so that you can hear more about each of the programs and speak with BARCC staff and current volunteers. At the end of the meeting, you will be interviewed by a BARCC staff member or volunteer.
If I have been trained in another state, do I need to be trained again?
Yes. Any volunteer providing direct service must be trained in the state of Massachusetts, since laws and protocol vary by state and organization. If you have received training in Massachusetts but not with BARCC, some additional training may still be necessary and will vary case by case.
To find out more about volunteering at BARCC, email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).