Advocates Offer Help To Victims Of Violence
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Sometimes a kind word or a helping hand can make all the difference in the world.
For Kosciusko County victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, that helping hand is most often extended by the members of the county's Domestic Violence Task Force who are known as victim's advocates.
The advocates volunteer their time to be "on call" in three eight-hour shifts per day, said Joanna Beatson, the victim's advocate coordinator for the Victim Service Center.
Currently, the VSC has approximately 10 to 12 advocates, but the ideal number, Beatson said, is 15 to 20.
Advocates carry beepers furnished by the VSC and someone is available 24 hours per day, she said.
Current volunteer advocates, all women, come from all walks of life and all age groups, Beatson said, and go through an intensive training process before they can assist victims.
In the case of a sexual assault, advocates are automatically called by Kosciusko Community Hospital, which houses the Center of Hope, an area on the hospital's third floor that is set aside just for rape and sexual assault victims.
When an advocate responds to a call, she helps the victim and the victim's family as much or as little as is needed.
"Our role as victim's advocate is not to be judgmental of where they are, where they've come from or where they're going to go," said Beatson, who, besides her job the county prosecutor's victim's assistance office also serves as an advocate. "We're just there to serve the victims. It's not our place to judge.
" ... I try and get on the victim's level to empower them so they can take some control back into their life," she said.
On a sexual assault case, she said, she may explain to the victim the procedures they will go through, describe the physical exam and rape kit and tell them what to expect, talk to the parents or family of the victim, help the sexual assault nurse examiner if necessary, furnish information on resources and referrals for counseling and financial help, and give the victim clean clothes to wear home if hers have been kept for evidence.
"Our level of involvement can vary by case," she said. "We leave it up to the victim as to how much to do at the time. ..."
In domestic violence cases, the advocate may be called by the VSC or by the police department that answers the call. The advocate could respond by going to the scene after the batterer has been arrested, Beatson said, or by meeting the victim somewhere else.
Again, the advocate's role is to be there for the victim, Beatson said, by furnishing information and referrals, arranging transportation if necessary, explaining the cycle of violence and helping the victim assess the danger of the situation now and in the future.
In all cases, she said, the advocates may get as involved with the case as they wish, following it through the criminal justice system or handing it over to the victim's assistance professionals in the prosecutor's office and Warsaw Police Department.
Advocates often work closely with the police, Beatson said, by dealing more with the victim and family, which allows the police more time to concentrate on the perpetrator.
The role of advocates in the community, she said, is becoming more and more valuable, especially to victims.
"I had an adolescent who couldn't talk to her mom because of the situation and I was glad I was there to step in and take the burden off her mom," she said of a recent sexual assault victim.
"(Advocates) are not going to be shocked by anything we hear or see - we deal with it on a regular basis."
The next training sessions will be on Tuesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 22 and 29 and March 7 at the Victim Service Center on Winona Avenue.
The VSC also is working on developing a hotline so advocates can talk to victims on the phone. The calls would be forwarded, she said, so the advocates can man the hotline from their homes.
Anyone "with a heart and a passion to serve victims of violent crimes" may volunteer to undergo the training, she said.
For more information on volunteering as a victim's advocate or for any of the Domestic Violence Task Force committees, call the Victim Service Center at 269-9112. [[In-content Ad]]
Sometimes a kind word or a helping hand can make all the difference in the world.
For Kosciusko County victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, that helping hand is most often extended by the members of the county's Domestic Violence Task Force who are known as victim's advocates.
The advocates volunteer their time to be "on call" in three eight-hour shifts per day, said Joanna Beatson, the victim's advocate coordinator for the Victim Service Center.
Currently, the VSC has approximately 10 to 12 advocates, but the ideal number, Beatson said, is 15 to 20.
Advocates carry beepers furnished by the VSC and someone is available 24 hours per day, she said.
Current volunteer advocates, all women, come from all walks of life and all age groups, Beatson said, and go through an intensive training process before they can assist victims.
In the case of a sexual assault, advocates are automatically called by Kosciusko Community Hospital, which houses the Center of Hope, an area on the hospital's third floor that is set aside just for rape and sexual assault victims.
When an advocate responds to a call, she helps the victim and the victim's family as much or as little as is needed.
"Our role as victim's advocate is not to be judgmental of where they are, where they've come from or where they're going to go," said Beatson, who, besides her job the county prosecutor's victim's assistance office also serves as an advocate. "We're just there to serve the victims. It's not our place to judge.
" ... I try and get on the victim's level to empower them so they can take some control back into their life," she said.
On a sexual assault case, she said, she may explain to the victim the procedures they will go through, describe the physical exam and rape kit and tell them what to expect, talk to the parents or family of the victim, help the sexual assault nurse examiner if necessary, furnish information on resources and referrals for counseling and financial help, and give the victim clean clothes to wear home if hers have been kept for evidence.
"Our level of involvement can vary by case," she said. "We leave it up to the victim as to how much to do at the time. ..."
In domestic violence cases, the advocate may be called by the VSC or by the police department that answers the call. The advocate could respond by going to the scene after the batterer has been arrested, Beatson said, or by meeting the victim somewhere else.
Again, the advocate's role is to be there for the victim, Beatson said, by furnishing information and referrals, arranging transportation if necessary, explaining the cycle of violence and helping the victim assess the danger of the situation now and in the future.
In all cases, she said, the advocates may get as involved with the case as they wish, following it through the criminal justice system or handing it over to the victim's assistance professionals in the prosecutor's office and Warsaw Police Department.
Advocates often work closely with the police, Beatson said, by dealing more with the victim and family, which allows the police more time to concentrate on the perpetrator.
The role of advocates in the community, she said, is becoming more and more valuable, especially to victims.
"I had an adolescent who couldn't talk to her mom because of the situation and I was glad I was there to step in and take the burden off her mom," she said of a recent sexual assault victim.
"(Advocates) are not going to be shocked by anything we hear or see - we deal with it on a regular basis."
The next training sessions will be on Tuesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 22 and 29 and March 7 at the Victim Service Center on Winona Avenue.
The VSC also is working on developing a hotline so advocates can talk to victims on the phone. The calls would be forwarded, she said, so the advocates can man the hotline from their homes.
Anyone "with a heart and a passion to serve victims of violent crimes" may volunteer to undergo the training, she said.
For more information on volunteering as a victim's advocate or for any of the Domestic Violence Task Force committees, call the Victim Service Center at 269-9112. [[In-content Ad]]