Rape Crisis Center seeks applicants for volunteer training program

In anticipation of a rise in sexual assault reports as Nevada emerges from its coronavirus-triggered shutdown, the Rape Crisis Center is seeking more applicants to attend its 60-hour volunteer training program slated to begin in June.

“The main resource we really need right now is the human kind – volunteers,” Executive Director Daniele Staple said.

The Rape Crisis Center serves all of Clark County, offering 24/7 hotline services, hospital response for sexual assault victims and counseling. It also offers advocacy and support to help victims navigate the legal system.

According to Staple, the organization saw an increase in “every single program” it provides between last July and March, compared with the same period during its previous fiscal year:

— Hospital visits were up 12 percent.

— Hotline calls were up 4 percent.

— Prevention training services for hospitality professionals were up 70 percent.

— Child education programs were up 17 percent.

— Monthly support group participation was up 9 percent.

— Monthly counseling hours were up 58 percent.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer must be at least 21, be able to pass a background check and drug screening, and commit to a weekly minimum of four volunteer service hours for at least six months.

The training session, which begins June 2, will be held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic and will include live training sessions as well as online modules.

Volunteers will learn about community resources for sexual assault victims, how to respond to individuals in crisis, how the investigation and criminal justice process works, and how to identify and serve victims of human trafficking. The application can be found online at www.rcclv.org/volunteer.

SafeNest, the state’s largest charity devoted to ending domestic violence, also expects high call volume to its hotline in the coming weeks and months after seeing a 70 percent increase in hotline calls during the first week of Nevada’s initial emergence from the shutdown.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.