Crisis Line Volunteers Needed to Support Dodge & Olmsted Victim Services – Post Bulletin

ROCHESTER — Alexa Solfest has committed at least one night a month for the past two years to being ready to answer calls from victims of sexual violence.

She is one of 22 volunteers who answer the Dodge & Olmsted Victim Services crisis line at night and on weekends.

“It’s a very user-friendly way to volunteer because it doesn’t take a lot of time out of your daily schedule,” she said of being on call for a 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. shift, but also being able to do other things when the phone isn’t ringing.

A typical shift begins with a call from victim services staff to ensure calls to the crisis line – 507-289-0636 – are transferred to the volunteer’s phone.

For Solfest, it’s then a matter of making sure she has reference materials and other resources available when a call comes in. She also has a bag ready in case the caller is in or headed to the emergency room at Saint Marys Hospital.

Megan Berry, another volunteer, said her routine is a little less structured after a year of taking calls, but she added that the key is being ready to respond when needed.

“Sometimes I get a lot of calls,” she said. “Sometimes the same person calls me multiple times. Sometimes I get called.”

The most important thing, she added, is to make sure there is a voice on the other end of the line and someone willing to offer comfort and advice.

“It’s something we can do to help offset the workload of social workers,” she said of the staff who provide the necessary follow-up and are also available 24 hours a day.

Sarah Palmer, violence prevention and volunteer coordinator at Dodge & Olmsted, said the help is important to provide services to victims related to sexual assault, but the numbers have been down since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re at half capacity,” she said, referring to a roster of nearly 50 volunteers before 2020.

To increase staffing, Dodge & Olmsted Victim Services is hosting a training session for volunteers, which begins September 16.

All volunteers must complete the free 40-hour sexual assault training program before becoming a volunteer. They must pass a background check and live within 30 minutes of the Saint Marys Hospital Emergency Department.

“No one is expected to know everything right off the bat,” Palmer said of new volunteers. “Honestly, if you’re compassionate, open-minded, victim-centered and willing to learn, that’s all you need to be successful as a volunteer.”

The training consists of 10 sessions, each held from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at the city-county government center, 151 Fourth St. SE in Rochester.

Although volunteers must be at least 18 years old, Palmer said there are no other criteria other than being willing to help. She added that volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and include women and men.

“If someone is compassionate and willing to learn, that’s something I can do,” she said.

While volunteers help people who are struggling with difficult situations, Solfest said the satisfaction comes from providing needed support.

“I think the hardest part is the nature of the crime,” she said. “It’s sitting in a room watching people blame themselves, and that’s hard.”

At this point, she said, volunteers can make a difference by showing that the fault lies elsewhere.

“It’s rewarding to be the person who says, ‘No, it wasn’t your fault, and we can provide you with whatever you need to help you get through this,’” she said.

Berry also stressed the need for understanding volunteers to provide support in difficult times.

“It’s hard to see someone in any kind of pain,” she said of the support she provides in emergency rooms when someone needs to be checked out or treated for an injury caused by sexual assault.

At the same time, she says she’s always happy to be able to offer them a shoulder to lean on or a listening ear. “I feel very lucky to be there with them,” she said.

Potential volunteers can register for the training by completing an online application at https://tinyurl.com/2xwc7jae. Questions can be directed to Palmer at 507-328-7271 or by email at [email protected].

Once the application is received, Palmer said a brief interview will be required before the first class.