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Good Samaritans Volunteers Helping Victims Program Handbook and Training Guide
Top navigation About This Guide Message From the Director Acknowledgments About the Authors Related Links
Photo: Man and woman looking out of a broken window.

Publication Date: April 2009

minus iconFilling a Void—Origins of the Program
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Building Partnerships

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What Good Samaritans Do

minus iconVolunteers: Recruiting,
Screening, and Training
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Planning Your Program

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Training Volunteers

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Module 1: Program Overview

minus iconModule 2: The Victim Experience
minus iconModule 3: Basic Skills for Volunteers
Module 4: Providing Services

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Module 5: Self-Care

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Resources

Module 4: Providing Services

Putting Skills To Work

Every service call will be a bit different, but some tried-and-true routines can help ensure that you give crime victims the consistent and effective help they need.

Anatomy of a Victim Service Call: The Steps

  1. Get the facts.
  2. Listen actively.
  3. Give support.
  4. Identify needs.
  5. Identify and mobilize resources.
  6. Tie up loose ends.
  7. Follow up.

Review one of the case studies from the Service Call Role Plays—which describe fictional, but typical service calls—and consider how you would have reacted in the same situation.