How to become a Victim Advocate

So you're interested in becoming a Victim Advocate? Or, maybe you just want to explore the idea? Here are some tips:

Explore Volunteer Opportunities
Most Sheriff's Offices, Police Departments, and District Attorney's Offices have some type of Victim's Unit. Many of the Victim Advocates within these units are volunteers. A solid first step to finding out more about what opportunities are available as a Victim Advocate in your area of the state, is to contact one of those agencies and ask to speak with the person in charge of their Victim's Unit. Many times, too, these agencies have volunteer opportunities listed on their website. These agencies generally provide a standard training, unique to their agency, for new volunteers.

If you are interested in becoming an advocate that specializes in domestic violence, sexual assault or child abuse, most counties have nonprofits that focus on helping victims of these types of crimes. Many times, too, these agencies have volunteer opportunities listed on their website and generally provide a standard training, unique to their agency, for new volunteers. Visit our Directory and search for agencies in your County to get started.

Jump in with Both Feet!
If you are SURE that becoming a Victim Advocate is the right step for you, visit our "Jobs" page to see who's hiring and what their requirements are. In addition, you may consider participating in some extra trainings. Our member agencies, as well as other victim services agencies in the community, have many trainings listed on our website's "Events & Trainings" page.

Becoming a Victim Advocate can be a rewarding and educational experience. Depending on what direction you go, you will encounter different types of victims. For example, some agencies provide direct services for specific types of victims (sexual assault, identity theft, or domestic violence), and some provide services to specific populations (LGBTQ, women, children, or those with disabilities). Do you have a "passion" for a specific type of victimization or population?

There are also different "levels" of victim services. Depending on where you are in your life, you might be better suited to do one of the following - or a mixture of the two:

Direct Services: Agencies that provide direct services generally provide either on-scene services (as in the case of Sheriff or Police agencies) or crisis services (as in the case of a sexual assault service or domestic violence shelter or hotline).

Indirect Services: These agencies provide what some might call "back-end" or "hidden" services. These indirect services don't always include one-on-one contact with a victim, but are still extremely valuable! Examples are agencies or departments that provide services and/or support to provide direct services (such as COVA).

COVA provides the following programs that might be of assistance to you during your journey to become a Victim Advocate:

Our first suggestion is that you become a COVA member! We have several membership options to choose from, so you can tailor your membership to your budget. Becoming a COVA member will ensure that you receive the latest Newsletter, discounts or FREE registration to COVA hosted events and trainings around the state, and other great member benefits!

There are trainings taking place all over the state at any given time that will help prepare you to become a Victim Advocate, as well as help you stay up-to-date on the latest trends and techniques. Many of those trainings are free, and a list can be found on our Training & Events page In addition, COVA offers several specific trainings to our members.

Our Human Trafficking program operates the Colorado Network to End Human Trafficking (CoNEHT) 24-hour hotline and we are always in need of volunteer advocates.

Our Victim Services Intern Program recruits students who are representative of underserved populations, and places them in paid positions within victim service agencies.

Our Online Victim Services Directory lists hundreds of agencies that employ both paid and non-paid victim advocates. Search for agencies in your area and give them a call to see what's available for someone with your passion and skill set! You never know who they are looking for!

For anyone interested in certification as a Victim Advocate, COVA offers a Voluntary Advocate Certification Program. For those interested in certification, this program offers guidelines modeled on national certification requirements.

If you have more questions, or need additional information, feel free to give us a call! We'll be happy to give you some tips and point you in the right direction!