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Get Involved 

There are many ways to get involved with the work we do. Students can choose to volunteer for the office, for individual events or specific initiative, or may join the Sexual Assault Services Peer Support Program.

SAS also accepts University-affiliated volunteers and interns all year round to assist with literary, marketing, and research tasks as well as assistance with event planning. Working with SAS allows students to earn required class credit, develop invaluable research and event planning skills, learn more about allies and advocacy work, and live a commitment to social justice.

If you are interested in building your resume and improving your campus community by working with Sexual Assault Services please complete the application found below or call us (703-993-9999).

Ways to Get Involved

• Peer Support Program
  • Peer Educators
  • Peer Companions
  • Peer Advocates
• Interns
• Office Volunteers
• Event Volunteers

George Mason University Sexual Assault Services Peer Support Program:

George Mason University Sexual Assault Services (GMU SAS) is committed to providing a comprehensive response to all reports of sexual assault. An integral part of that is a three-tiered peer support network consisting of Peer Educators, Peer Advocates and Peer Companions. This Peer Support Program was developed to establish a network of trained student volunteers to provide information, support, and direct assistance to victims/survivors of sexual assault.

Peer Educators

• Undergraduate and graduate students
• Receive intensive training on issues surrounding sexual assault and facilitation skills
• Take their knowledge into classrooms, dormitories and community agencies.
• Maintain a nonjudgmental approach as they encourage individuals and groups to think and talk about the issues around sexual assault and dating violence that impact young adults.
• Facilitate interactive sessions in the resident halls, University 100 classes, club and organizational meetings, and in academic classrooms on topics related to sexual assault .

GMU SAS also utilizes Peer Educators at major educational initiatives such as Turn Off the Violence Week, Healthy Relationships Week and National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. During these initiatives these trained volunteers help educate the GMU community about issues of sexual and domestic violence, risk reduction and services available.

Click here for the Peer Educator Application Packet
Click here to download a Peer Educator position description

Peer Companions

• Undergraduate and graduate students
• Work closely with the Sexual Assault Services Coordinator and serve as an adjunct to professional work of the office.
• Help increase the victim/survivor’s effectiveness in coping with the aftermath of an assault by providing a confidential format to explore feelings of isolation.
• Matched with victims/survivors and then supervised closely by SAS staff. Based on availability, age and similarity with the victim/survivor, and other attributes, such as educational level, which have a high probability of rapport-development. Available to link with the victim/survivor in person, on the telephone, or by email; supply information and referrals; and accompany the victim/survivor to any incident-related appointments.
• Valuable resource for victims/survivors who may want to talk about reactions and emotions following an assault.

Working with a Peer Companion can provide the victim/survivor with support from a knowledgeable person who can assist with the integration of the assault into the victim/survivor’s life. The students who have utilized the Peer Companion Program report positive reactions to the service. The added support of a Companion has assisted many victims/survivors in their journey to recovery. As one victim/survivor commented about her Companion, “she was very caring, easy to trust and always there for total support.”

All SAS Peers are volunteers who have been screened by SAS staff and have successfully completed a training program that prepares them to provide direct advocacy, referrals, education and offer options that enable victims to make decisions for themselves in order to regain control of their lives. Primary training components include:

• Overview of Sexual Assault
• Crisis Intervention Counseling Skills with Role Plays
• Rape Trauma Syndrome: The Impact on the Victim
• Medical and Legal Information
• Working with a Diverse Student Population
• GMU SAS Policies and Procedures.

After completion of this initial training, SAS Peers are required to attend monthly in-service training sessions to supplement their training. In-service sessions cover such issues as stalking, dating violence, criminal justice system involvement, and specific health topics of concern.

Click here for the Peer Companion Application Packet
Click here to download a Peer Companion position description

Peer Advocates

• Graduate students and faculty/staff
• Highly trained to provide crisis intervention and accompaniment through medical and police proceedings as necessary in the absence of the Sexual Assault Services Coordinator.
• Carry the Assume responsibility for the GMU SAS 24-hour cell phone on an as-needed basis.
• Provide crisis intervention, hospital and police accompaniment and encouraging victims/survivors to maintain safe behavior and/or modify current unsafe behavior.

Peer Advocates are supervised closely by the GMU SAS Director while they are assisting Sexual Assault Services in the delivery of related information to the caller in a nonjudgmental and appropriately sensitive manner.

Click here for the Peer Advocate Application Packet
Click here to download a Peer Advocate position description

Interns

Job duties will fall into four major categories: marketing/advertising, clerical, topical research, and communications/outreach.

Marketing/Advertising responsibilities will include advertising events by making flyers, doing press releases, and handling public relations as well as creating bulletin boards.  This includes creating the outreach materials that may be students’ first contact with Sexual Assault Services. 

Clerical responsibilities will include handling mailings, data entry, and posting information. You will need to be efficient and accurate with the information at hand.  Though often overlooked, clerical duties are essential for furthering relationships among various members of the community; you help keep us in contact with other organizations that can help survivors. 

Topical Research includes working on long-term assignments gathering new information on studies and data involving sexual assault, current issues or new topics in the field.  This information may be used for many purposes, including informational resources for the office (packets, brochures, flyers).     

Communications/Outreach may include limited staffing of kiosks for special events. Your responsibilities will include handing out give-aways and information at the kiosk, as well as preparing information for the events of the week. 

Click here to download an Internship Application
Click here to download an Internship position description

Office Volunteers

Office volunteers help us in the planning and preparation for events, as well as in researcing new initiatives, legislation and current events that will impact the work we do, and help us execute the daily operations of our office.

Click here to download a Volunteer Application
Click here to download a Volunteer position description

Event Volunteers

Through the year, Sexual Assault Services sponsors and co-sponsors several initiatives focused on healthy relationships, treating others with respect, ending oppression, and working to end sexual violence. We rely heavily on student volunteers to help us plan and stage these initiatives. We would not be as successful without the time donated by our students. Events in these initiatives include:

• Get Carded Day
• Turn Off the Violence Week
• The Clothesline Project
• Healthy Relationships Week
• The Vagina Monologues
• National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
• Annual 5KRun/Walk

Click here to download a Volunteer Application
Click here to download a Volunteer position description

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