All volunteers must participate in a minimum standards training policy, as mandated by the Ministry.  The training program provides potential volunteers the opportunity to:

• Be trained to the minimum standards as set by the Ministry of the Attorney General.
• Raise more skills and confidence to perform their duties.
• Learn more about the service and their role within it.
• Satisfy their need for social interaction and special knowledge. 
• To form an identity with the program and further develop a relationship with the Program & Volunteer Coordinator and the other volunteers. 

In order to ensure that volunteers will be well equipped to provide services to victims of crime, trauma and tragic circumstances, the training will address the following issues:

Introduction to Victim Services 

Police Procedures

Domestic Violence

Fire Procedures 

Community Agencies

Crisis Intervention and Active Listening

Woman Abuse I and II

Mental Health

Criminal Justice System – Courts

Criminal Justice System – Services

Sexual Assault

SuicideGrief and Bereavement

Elder Abuse 

Cultural Diversity I and II 

Universal Safety

Information on basic counselling skills, ethics and principles, community resources and the above stated issues will also be provided.

Each volunteer must complete eighty percent of the courses presented.  If a volunteer misses more than twenty percent of the sessions they will not be allowed to continue in the training.  Efforts will be made by the Program & Volunteer Coordinator to review missed material with the volunteer and provide any written materials available. 

All volunteer applicants will be administered a final evaluation at the end of the training. The evaluation will be reviewed as either a pass or a fail grade. In some cases, individual training will be provided to unsuccessful applicants if their performance is otherwise acceptable.