Fall Domestic Violence Hotline Training

The lifetime risk of sexual assault for females is one in three, while one in six males will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime.

Physical abuse will occur at least once in two-thirds of all relationships. In fact, 25 percent of teen relationships include abuse.

The Women’s Center of Greater Danbury is encouraging the public to become part of the solution to ending the abuse of sexual assault and domestic violence by volunteering for violence-crisis intervention training.

The agency is now screening volunteers for its fall training sessions. The 26-hour training sessions begin September 27 and continue on October 3, 10, 14, 18, 23, 25, and November 6 . Evenings classes are 6 to 9 pm, while the Saturday session will run from 9 am to 2 pm.

Sexual assault training will be held separately in January. Potential volunteers are asked to attend both sessions. Bilingual and male candidates are encouraged to apply.

Training will qualify the volunteer to do crisis intervention counseling, which is a hotline position that can be done on-site during business hours, or, after business hours, from a volunteer’s home. It is also a prerequisite for specialized positions such as counselor advocate, court advocacy, group facilitation, and shelter advocacy.

Day and evening child care and other noncounseling positions such as fundraising, clerical support, and writing are also available and require only a five-hour orientation.

During the 2005-06 fiscal year, 35 volunteers provided the equivalent of three full-time staff positions of support to adults and children served in the greater Danbury area. More than 1,550 clients were served in Newtown alone. These statistics include community education contacts.

In addition to Newtown, The Women’s Center of Greater Danbury also serves clients in Danbury, Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Kent, New Fairfield, New Milford, Redding, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Sherman, and Warren.

For additional information on becoming part of the solution to end abuse, contact Chrissy at 731-5200 extension 202.