Volunteer with Mountain Crisis Services

Crisis hotline volunteers

Mountain Crisis Services holds the only 24/7 crisis hotline for domestic violence and sexual assault victims in Mariposa County. Crisis hotline volunteers pick their availability and time slots per month; the hotline schedule is sent out monthly with open availabilities in time slots. Volunteers answer emergency calls from our sister agency that are relayed from law enforcement, medical personnel, a community member, or the victim, and crisis respond by phone unless a call-out is requested.

Two ways to help

You can help us in two ways, as a direct service volunteer and as a support volunteer.

Direct service volunteer roles

Direct service volunteers provide client-contact services such as:

• Client counseling
• Legal advocacy
• Court accompaniment
• Mediation accompaniment
• Social services advocacy
• Client transportation
• Crisis line coverage
• Art group facilitation
• Office administration/reception
• Shelter assistance

In order to volunteer in direct services, you must successfully complete 40 hours of training for a Domestic Violence Certification and 40 hours of training for a Sexual Assault Certification. These trainings ensure that you have the fundamental skills necessary to be effective, and knowledge of the legal framework underlying our work.

Support volunteer roles

Support volunteers help us with the vital community outreach, fundraising and facility upkeep needs at our main office, the shelters, and the community at large:

• Violence prevention work with youth
• Fundraising
• Donation screening and organizing
• Advertising and communications
• Supply runs
• Yard work at the shelters
• Light maintenance/handyman work

Training and certification

Volunteer training is state certified through CalOES Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Programs. Per Evidence Codes 1035 and 1037, advocates must have completed 40 hours domestic violence and 40 hours sexual assault training (a combined total of 80 hours) before working with survivors, and prospective volunteers must attend every training session in order to become eligible for the state certification.

Trainings are hosted twice a year; domestic violence training is also available online and can be completed at leisure. Once finished with online DV training, volunteers can begin volunteering but only work with domestic violence survivors until they are sexual assault trained.

How to apply

Complete an application and email it to kristen@alliance4you.org — she will contact you for a follow-up interview. Questions? Call the office at (209) 742‑5865.

Other ways to volunteer with the Alliance