About Us

The Central Alberta Victim Serving Society (CARVSS) provides a broad range of services under the Victims of Crime and Public Safety Act and Regulation, in partnership with the Government of Alberta (GoA), the Alberta RCMP, specialized and community-based victim serving organizations, municipalities, and other agencies.

CARVSS assists victims of crime and tragic circumstances throughout the criminal justice process by providing the core services of information, support, and referrals, and supports communities by providing resources and support to people undergoing loss and tragic circumstances.

We have front-line Victim and Court Support Navigators located in twenty-one (21) RCMP detachments within the CARVSS area, and a team of volunteer advocates who provide on-call crisis-callout response, support to victims as they navigate the criminal court process, and/or assistance with community events and engagement initiatives.

Role Description

CARVSS Volunteer Advocates provide non-judgmental, emotional, and practical short-term support through referrals to available services for victims of crime and tragic circumstances.

Advocates are required to attend the local detachment, a victim’s home, hospital, or other location depending upon safety assessment if requested by the RCMP. Skills and duties include active and supportive listening, assessing immediate needs, and supporting CARVSS in various ways in the community.

Individuals can choose to volunteer in or more of the following roles:

Crisis call-out Advocate

Crisis call-out advocates provide direct assistance, support, information, and referrals to victims of crime and tragic circumstances in the Central Alberta Region through crisis intervention and timely follow-up. This involves a commitment to being on-call to respond in the time of crisis.

Evening and weekend availability required.

Court Support Advocate

Court support advocates provide timely information to clients about court matters and are available to attend court to support clients. They answer questions about the criminal justice process and describe what individuals can expect going forward.

Weekday/Day-time availability required.

Community Engagement Advocate

Community engagement advocates assist in representing CARVSS at community events. They are expected to be knowledgeable in CARVSS SOPs/ethics/practices as well as Victim’s issues. This is an opportunity to raise awareness for victim’s services, connect with the community, and recruit new Advocates.

Flexible availability is required.

Volunteer Requirements

• Over eighteen (18) years of age.
• Canadian Citizen
• Clean criminal record and vulnerable sector screening.
• Ability to function in stressful and unpredictable situations.
• Access to a reliable vehicle.
• Must be able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Ability to completed over twenty (20+) hours of online Victim Services training.
• Willing to commit to being on call for a minimum of four (4) shifts a month
• • Monday to Friday: 17:30 – 01:00, 01:00 – 08:00
  • Saturday/Sunday: 08:00 – 17:00, 17:00 – 01:00, 01:00 – 08:00
• Attend at least three (3) training sessions offered to improve subject matter knowledge.
• Respect for people of all religions, ethnicities, and genders.

Location

The Central Alberta Victim Serving Society's service delivery region includes the following RCMP Detachment areas:

- Bashaw
- Beaumont
- Blackfalds
- Breton
- Camrose (rural)
- Devon
- Fort Saskatchewan
- Innisfail
- Leduc
- Maskwacis
- Morinville
- Parkland (Spruce Grove & Stony Plain)
- Ponoka
- Rimbey
- Rocky Mountain House
- St. Albert
- Stettler
- Sylvan Lake
- Thorsby
- Wetaskiwin

Training

CARVSS provides volunteers with comprehensive victim services training on topics such as: victimization, suicide prevention & intervention, assault, bias crimes, domestic violence, elder abuse, child victims, human trafficking, property crimes, robbery, sexual assault, stalking & harassment, serious injury, sudden death, the criminal justice system, accompanying victims to court, victim impact statements, restitution statements, assisting victims with applying for restitution/financial benefits

Volunteers are required to attend all onboarding sessions and regular monthly meetings and will be provided with various professional development opportunities throughout the year.