Training for Volunteers
FAQS
What We Do
At CWBR we support people who have experienced trauma in their lives. As volunteers, it is important for you to understand some basic facts about trauma. This will help you recognize signs that a client needs assistance from one of our professional staff or may need help with bringing their emotions under control or de-escalating. When we don’t consider others’ experiences of being frightened or harmed in the past, it is easy to be judgmental or even become frightened ourselves by their reactions.
What is trauma?
Trauma is a distressing or disturbing experience that effects people adversely. Some people are able to witness or experience an event that others would consider traumatizing without long-lasting ill effects. Whether an experience is traumatizing is individually determined and shouldn’t be questioned. Certain factors can make a person more vulnerable to long term negative effects from traumatic exposure. Poverty; family history of mental illness or substance abuse; coming from a culturally; ethnically; or racially marginalized group; previous experiences of trauma; and working as an emergency responder are examples of those more likely to experience trauma. Events which are commonly considered traumatizing include physical or sexual abuse; rape; emotional/psychological abuse; domestic violence; war/genocide or torture; incarceration; accidents; natural or man-made disasters; witnessing acts of violence; homelessness; and historical trauma.
What do symptoms of traumatization look like?
Common symptoms of trauma include depression, anxiety, hypervigilance, poor sleep patterns, nightmares and vivid reexperiencing of the traumatizing events know as flashbacks. Substance abuse is common among survivors of trauma, as are other self-destructive behaviors such as cutting. Often people with histories of trauma have unexplained medical complaints such as headaches and stomach aches or a history of migraines. Another symptom of trauma is isolation from others; while a trauma survivor craves human companionship they also feel unsafe being in the company of others. Survivors of long-term traumatization may show few emotions and be unable to describe how they are feeling. People who have survived from chronic, long-term trauma such as torture or childhood sexual or physical abuse often believe they are permanently damaged and experience feelings of shame, despair and guilt. Many individuals diagnosed with eating disorders are survivors of childhood trauma.
How Can I Tell if People Need Immediate Assistance and What Should I Do?
Survivors of trauma who seem disoriented; frightened; or confused about where they are in time, or space may be reliving a traumatic experience through a flashback. Immediately contacting professional staff is the right course of action. Restraining people during such an experience may escalate their behaviors which are caused by severe fright. Staying with them, keeping the lights bright and providing stimulating smells like coffee or spiced tea, encouraging them to wash their hands in cold water, think of a soothing color or place, or feel the weight of their body in a chair may be helpful. If the individual seems angry, don’t argue with them. Be respectful, listen and speak in quiet tones and call for professional staff.
What Are We Trying to Achieve?
Our goal is to support people through the three phases of healing from trauma. These are described by Dr. Judith Herman, MD, a world-recognized expert in trauma healing, as Safety; Remembrance and Mourning; and Reconnection. It is vital for all of us at CWBR to prioritize empowering survivors to take back control of their lives, not making them dependent. We can’t and shouldn’t solve people’s problems but we can be empathetic, concerned listeners. We don’t make decisions for survivors, but we encourage them to pursue what feels right, safe and helpful to them.
How Can I Help?
Volunteers at CWBR can help in many ways. No special training is required for certain volunteer positions. Answering phones, responding to email requests for information, giving presentations about trauma at schools, churches and community organizations, and driving people to appointments are examples of jobs that CWBR volunteers can do without training. Volunteers are also needed to teach health; nutrition; mindfulness; art; music and dance and yoga or other forms of exercise. All of these modalities have proven to be very healing for people with symptoms of trauma.
Individuals who are approved and complete the training we offer in facilitating the Seeking Safety Curriculum developed by Dr. Lisa M. Najavits can co-facilitate our support groups. The training is approximately 10 hours and both men and women are needed to serve as facilitators.
How do I apply?
To apply to volunteer at CWBR you should e-mail us at info@cwbr.center. You will also need to consent to a background check in Virginia and nation-wide. Because of the vulnerability of the population of people we support, those with convictions, misdemeanor or felony, of sexual assault; sexual battery; domestic violence; sexual crimes against children or violent crimes cannot volunteer at CWBR.