Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS)

Mission & Philosophy: The mission of Sexual Assault Support Services is to provide sevices to survivors of past and present sexual assault,
and to change societal conditions that allow oppression, expecially sexual violence, to exist. SASS creates social change by providing
direct empowering services to survivors, and through community organizing, education and outreach.
  
Programs with intern opportunities:
Advocacy, Education, and Administration.
  
As a trained SASS Advocate, an intern may:
answer the crisis line or meet with clients to provide support and information to survivors of rape, childhood sexual abuse trauma,
partner domestic violence or other forms of sexual assault; co-facilitate support groups for survivors; accompany survivors as a legal and medical advocate through all stages of crisis and healing; sit in on presentations, trainings and events as a support person for attenders to speak with when they are triggered and
re-experience past trauma.
  
Working with our Education and Outreach team, an intern may give presentations in middle schools and high schools throughout Lane
County, including proactive and preventive education, safety planning, and preparing students to respond to sexual abuse and support
survivors. There are also event planning, fundraising and publicity opportunities associated with this program for events such as "Take
Back the Night" and Sexual Abuse Awareness Month.
  
Interns may work in the office in an administrative support capacity. One intern designed and conducted a media relations manual
and training for SASS staff. Another volunteer is assembling a SASS library of books and reference materials. At SASS we welcome
creativity, individual skills and ideas. In keeping with our general philosophy of empowerment, our interns are valued for their unique
abilities and encouraged to work on individually relevant projects.
  
Training and dates:
All volunteers, staff and interns who work at SASS must complete our Core Trainings which are offered three times a year in Summer, Fall
and Winter. The next training begins July 11, 2006 and includes fourteen evening sessions of 3-4 hours each. After completing the
training, which may count toward your credit hours in some programs, we encourage all volunteers to work at least one four-hour crisis line
shift at a regular time each week for a minimum of six months, or to commit to another program for six months at a similar minimum number
of hours, though they need not be as regular as crisis line hours.
  
When to contact:
It is recommended to contact us as early as possible to be sure to have time to complete the training and get involved for the number of
hours you need as an intern in your program. For a schedule and other information about trainings and internships, contact:
  
Contact:
Shanta Kamath
Volunteer Coordinator
Phone 484-9791 x306
Best times to call: 9:00-4:00 Monday-Friday.
If you get a voice mailbox, leave call back information with best
times to reach you or leave your mailing address so I can send you an
information packet if you are sure you want to attend the next
trainings.
  
For purposes of intern recruitment I prefer to listen and speak to
each student directly, by phone or in person. It's the best way for
the prospective intern and me both to find out if this is the place
which will most suit their goals and where they can be of service in a
way they find fulfilling.