Victim services unit seeks volunteers

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Travis County Sheriff's Office is seeking people willing to be trained to volunteer with the Victim Services staff.

Volunteers assist staff on the front lines of crisis intervention and provide immediate response to victims of various criminal and crisis circumstances, according to Roger Wade, spokesman for TCSO.

Volunteers must complete a comprehensive training program and must be accompanied on a series of call-outs before they can begin taking calls on their own.

The monthly requirement is four, four-hour shifts per month, for a total of 16 hours. During these shifts, volunteers are on-call and must be prepared to respond to a request for assistance immediately.

TCSO accepts volunteers of excellent moral standing who have the sensitivity and self-awareness required to provide effective assistance to those in crisis.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in crisis intervention, learn about the criminal justice system/law enforcement response, and enhance knowledge of community resources while performing a needed and rewarding service, according to Wade.

Persons volunteering must be older than age 21, have a reliable vehicle covered by car insurance, have a working cellphone, and able to make a one-year commitment to the program.

Training will be held for three weeks on these days:

• Mondasy, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Thursdays, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, contact the TCSO Victim Services Volunteer Coordinator at kelly.sheridan@co.travis.tx.us or call 512-854-4334.