Name: Laura
Organization: Mt Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention (SAVI) Program
Q: How did you become a Rape Crisis Advocate? Is it your full-time job? If not, what is your full-time job?
I began working with the SAVI program as an office volunteer after I graduated from college. After learning about the services that the program provides to victims and meeting so many incredible people dedicated to the program, I knew that I wanted to participate in the annual advocate training.
There were times when I thought that working as an advocate would be my dream job. But I have realized that the energy required for that type of direct service in a crisis is more than I have available. That is why I am truly grateful for this volunteer-run service; I feel that each survivor is accompanied by a fresh, enthusiastic volunteer advocate, rather than by a staff member worn down by other simultaneous crises.
Q: Describe a “typical” day as a Rape Crisis Advocate. What is a day like if you are not called? What is the process once you do receive a call? What is it like for you while on-call?
I chose to be on-call during the weekend shifts, meaning that I was available between 8:00am and 6:00pm to go into any of the 4 or 5 Queens hospitals we served. Very often my phone would ring within the first 10 minutes of the shift, and the nurse would explain that a survivor had already been waiting at the ER for quite some time. On days that the phone did not ring promptly at the start of the shift, I was pretty much consumed with anxiety for the rest of the day, checking my phone obsessively and jumping at the sound of its ring. Advocates must keep an eye on their phones and must be able to reach the hospital within 20 minutes of the call—I tended not to stray too far from my home on these days, and when I did I lugged all my ER materials with me.
Typically, when I arrived at the hospital I tried to introduce myself to all of the key players—doctors, nurses, security guard, NYPD, family—after checking in with the survivor. When survivors ask me questions about procedures, or how long something might take or what are her next steps, I like to have identified the key players who have those answers.
There is a lot of waiting in the emergency room. A lot of the time I spent with survivors was consumed by waiting, talking about waiting, and wondering out loud, “what is taking so long?” But in that down time, I felt like I had an opportunity to help restore some of the normalcy and calmness the survivor was missing when he or she entered the ER. Sometimes we talk about reporting to the police and safety planning, but usually we talk about work and families and other everyday topics. I feel really proud when an officer does finally come to take a report or a doctor asks to conduct evidence collection and the survivor asks me to stay be their side—I feel grateful for the connection we were able to make during the downtime and hopeful that they will receive the best care possible because someone was there to advocate on their behalf.
Q: What advice do you have for people interested in volunteering?
I would recommend that anyone interested in volunteering not only have adequate time in their schedule to accommodate periods of 6 or 8 hours where you might not eat or sleep and will still have the energy to keep up in the ER, but also the adequate time for self care the following day. It is an exhausting experience and, often, an extremely emotional one, and so advocates must be sure to take very good of themselves (or better, let others do so) afterwards.
Q: What does a world without sexual violence look like to you?
In my imagination, a world without sexual violence would be free of the feeling that I need to look over my shoulder when I walk home at night…almost as if it’s always daylight.
Q: What is the most significant change in the City’s services since you have been working as a Rape Crisis Advocate?
When I first began as an advocate, survivors had to file a police report in order to be eligible to receive Crime Victims Board benefits. Survivors are no longer limited by this policy, which had discouraged so many of the men and women that I met in the ER from seeking reimbursement for their expenses from the State of New York.
