How I Became a Volunteer at the Rape Crisis Center + Resources

I interviewed for a volunteer position with RCC or RCCCNM (Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico).

I got accepted and went through three weeks of intense training. It was just like going back to school.

I sat through hours of lectures teaching us about important ways to be an advocate for survivors of sexual or domestic violence.

Training

The training was intense. We went through hours of classes teaching about men, women, children, infants, and elderly survivors. We went through hours of classes about trans survivors. Then we went through hours of classes about prison survivors.

We also learned about working with the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) exams. We learned how to advocate for the survivor every step of the way. No matter what, if the survivor says “stop” or “no,” then we stop and everything is over. This gives survivors the power that they just had taken away from them. It is such a powerful moment to give them the power that they were always supposed to have.

We learned from APD’s (Albuquerque Police Department) SCU (Sex Crimes Unit) about all the intricate laws in Albuquerque and New Mexico. Laws of consent and laws about protection orders. Every state and/or county can have varying laws. I have moved around my whole life, so these laws were eye-opening for me.

We also had a member of the CSVANW (The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women) come speak to us. They taught us so much about understanding a culture that I, personally, didn’t know much about. My heart broke hearing the statistics of Native people being lost and hurt.

Something that goes hand-in-hand with sexual violence is domestic violence.

We had several presentations on domestic violence. The statistics about domestic violence hit home for me. My heart goes out to all of the people going through the cycle of abuse in their own homes, where they should feel safe.

Something scary to learn is that sex trafficking occurs here in Albuquerque. You might be thinking to yourself that sex trafficking occurs everywhere, but I wish that the world wasn’t so ugly. From this training, I have learned that ugly people take advantage of people, and I am speechless.

We learned so much more than I can name in this article–very important topics and heart-wrenching stories.

This volunteer job is not for the weak; it’s for the chosen.

Statistics & Information

Here are some scary statistics and information that I learned during my training that I would like to share with you.

Domestic Violence

• A person tries to leave their abuser an average of seven times before they are really ready to leave.
• A person is 750% more likely to die after being strangled.

MMIP (Missing & Murdered Indigenous People) & CSVANW

• Tribal sexual offenses can only be tried within the tribe or federally, not within the state.
• Many missing Indigenous People are forced into sex trafficking.

Suicide & Suicidal Ideations

• Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the USA.
• For every suicide death, there are 275 people who seriously considered suicide (that we know of).

Male Survivors of Sexual Violence

• Around 1 out of every 6 reports of sexual assault is against a male.
• 4.8% of male adolescents reported a history of forced sex.

PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act)

• Any inmate in New Mexico cannot give consent.
• There were 18 cases reported and substantiated in NM in 2022.

Human Trafficking

• 1% of trafficking victims will escape or get out.
• Human trafficking can be labor trafficking or sex trafficking.

Child Sexual Abuse

• In 93-97% of cases of sexual abuse in children, there are NO physical findings.
• The appearance or structure of the hymen cannot be used to determine whether a woman is a virgin: this is a myth.

Transgender Statistics

• Albuquerque has 1 of 3 Transgender Resource Centers in the USA.
• Almost 1/2 of transgender or gender-diverse individuals have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime.

Self-Care as a Volunteer

In this very raw and real volunteer job, I will witness and hear things that will be difficult to digest.

After my first SANE exam follow, where I was able to learn how to advocate for a survivor during their medical interview and physical exam, I needed to allow myself to feel the emotions.

Once I was in my car alone, I cried for all the pain that I heard about and all the hurt I saw.

I let myself have that moment to feel. While you are advocating, you are 100% there for that survivor in every way possible. Ensuring they are advocated for and they are as comfortable as they can be in that vulnerable time.

In the medical interview, the survivor will describe the most painful moments in their life.

They will tell everything in detail so that the SANE can know where to look on their body. The medical physical exam is where the SANE can take pictures and measure everything to get proof of the worst time in the survivor’s life. There is no time for me, the advocate, to ever for one second think about me.

I have also volunteered to take a shift or two on the 24/7 hotline, where people can call in for resources. This hotline has helped so many survivors as it is anonymous. This makes the survivors comfortable until they are ready to give their names for counseling.

This hotline gets emergent calls from people who have just been assaulted, too. We could be the first person that they have spoken to. The survivor on the other side of the call could also be someone who was hurt as a child, and this is the first time they are telling someone.

My heart goes out to every single caller who calls into the hotline.

I feel their stories. I feel their pain. And I want them to know that I hear them. That I believe them. And that I will do anything I can over the phone in that moment: giving resources, reminding them to love themself, or just listening to them.

All of this is to say, I’ll need to do some self-care as a volunteer. Here are a few ways I do that. What are some things that you do for self-care?

• Take a trip with another job to just get out and experience something new.
• Snuggle with my kiddos if something really hard happened that day involving kids.
• Just ask my hubby to hold me while I cry in his arms.
• Remind myself to brush out my mom bun every day.
• Take a walk and breathe in the fresh air.
• Take off my shoes and ground myself outside.
• Sleep in a little longer.
• Buy ice cream for my family and me.
• Make sure to tell myself how great and how strong I am every single day.

Here is some contact info if you or someone you know needs any resources or would like to volunteer:

Volunteer at RCCCNM: Email Lois | [email protected]

RCCCNM 24/7 Hotline: (505) 266-7711

RCCCNM Website: https://rapecrisiscnm.org/

Para Los Niños Website: https://paralosninos.org/

DVRC (Domestic Violence Resource Center) Website: https://dvrcnm.org/

ABQ SANE Website: https://www.abqsane.org/

Agora Crisis Center Website: http://www.agoracares.org/

Transgender Resource Center of NM Website: https://tgrcnm.org/

NM Dream Center Website: https://www.nmdreamcenter.org/

NMCADV (NM Coalition Against Domestic Violence) Website: https://www.nmcadv.org/

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1(800) 273-8255

CYFD (Children, Youth & Families Department) Phone: (855) 333-7233

Adult Abuse Reporting Phone: (866) 222-7233

All Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center Phone: (505) 271-0329

All Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center Website: https://www.allfaiths.org/

Albuquerque Family Advocacy Center Phone: (505) 243-2333

Albuquerque Family Advocacy Center Website: https://www.cabq.gov/albuquerque-family-advocacy-center

PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) email: [email protected]

Submit a PREA Report

MMIWR (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women And Relatives) Website