August 2, 2024
Media Contact
Public Information Unit, 303-441-1500
Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Seeking Volunteer Victim Advocates
Deadline to Apply is August 7
Boulder County, Colo. - The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is seeking On-Scene and Outreach volunteers to serve as Victim Advocates for our victim assistance program. No prior experience is necessary, training will be provided. Ideal volunteers are at least 21 years old, calm, compassionate, emotionally mature, and non-judgmental. The deadline to apply for both volunteer opportunities is 5:00 p.m. on August 7, 2024.
Victim Advocates assist victims of crime, accidents, trauma, and other critical events. Working as a Victim Advocate offers the volunteer the opportunity to touch the lives of others by providing a valuable source of support and information to those who have had their lives altered by traumatic events.
On-Scene Advocates are on-call for a designated period each month. When an on-scene advocate is called out, they respond in-person to the scene of the incident, or another designated area, such as a hospital or police department. The advocate will remain with the victim during the immediate crisis. Volunteers for the On-Scene program are needed for all shifts.
- Day shift is Monday – Friday, 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Night shift is Monday – Thursday, 6:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.
- Weekend shift is Friday 6:00 p.m. – Monday 6:00 a.m.
Outreach Advocates contact victims assigned to them by phone, mail, or email to offer information, advocacy, and referrals related to their case. The advocate interfaces with law enforcement and the criminal justice system to gather information for the victim. Volunteers for the outreach program can respond to victims as their schedule allows but are asked to do so within 48 hours of the assignment.
If accepted into the training program, volunteers need to attend 40 hours of training on Tuesday evenings, Thursday evenings, and Saturdays, from September 10-28. Training topics include crisis intervention, grief response, victim’s legal rights, legal procedures, law enforcement, and resource information.
For more details about the program, a volunteer description or an application, please visit the Boulder County Sheriff's Office website or call 303-441-3656.