We’re so glad you’re here.
Welcome to the 2024 Crime Victims Treatment Center (CVTC) Volunteer Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Advocate Training. The next two weeks have been designed to give volunteer advocates the most complete overview possible of the issues that may arise while working with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in the emergency departments (ED) of our affiliate hospitals, which include Mount Sinai West, Mount Sinai Morningside, Lenox Health Greenwich Village, Long Island Jewish Forest Hills, NYU Langone Hospital - Brooklyn, and Brookdale University Hospital.
Our training curriculum is designed for emergency intervention. It is not an academic curriculum and will not focus on global or long-term issues. It will instead prepare you to be an effective advocate and crisis counselor for survivors of sexual and domestic violence in affiliate hospital emergency departments.
We will discuss the advocate role at length during training. You will learn how to explain the sexual assault forensic exam and the collection of forensic evidence, and how best to work with medical staff, law enforcement personnel, and co-survivors.
The dynamics of sexual assault and domestic violence, including myths, facts and psychological reactions to violent crimes, will be covered. We will also discuss the criminal justice system, survivors with specific needs, cultural considerations and crisis intervention strategies. You are encouraged (both during and after training) to take advantage of the expertise and many years of experience possessed by the staff and veteran advocates.
In addition to the education and practice you will gain, we hope you come away from this experience, as many have before you, with lifelong friends. Take advantage of this time before sessions begin to customize your profile, explore the app features and manual, and say hello to your fellow trainees by posting on the advocate wall.