Volunteers Needed For Domestic Violence Court Advocate Program In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest NJ. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Rachel Coalition, the domestic violence division of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest NJ (JFS), is seeking volunteers for its Court Advocate Program. This 40-hour hands-on training program educates participants to assist domestic violence victims with emotional and administrative support as they await their restraining order hearings in Essex Family Court in Newark, NJ.

“Participation in this training is essential to strengthening the support available to survivors in our community. Volunteers play a critical role in helping victims navigate a complex and often overwhelming legal and emotional landscape,” said Suzanne Groisser, JD, Director of Domestic Violence Legal Services at Jewish Family Service of MetroWest NJ.

Training sessions will be held on Monday evenings from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM beginning Monday, March 9, through Monday, June 15. Sessions will run via Zoom from March 9 through April 13 and in person in West Orange from April 20 through June 15. No formal legal experience or education is required for this volunteer position. Volunteers who have already taken a 40-hour domestic violence training class in the last 5 years may qualify for an abbreviated training.

For further information to schedule an interview, contact Beth DiAngelo at bdiangelo@jfsmetrowest.org

Each year, the Essex Family Court Domestic Violence Unit in Newark, NJ, presides over more than 6,000 cases of domestic violence. Since 2006, Rachel Coalition has placed trained Court Advocate volunteers in the Essex County Family Court waiting room to explain the restraining order process to victims, assist with the initial application, provide information about community services such as legal, counseling, shelters, as well as offer unconditional emotional support.

Rachel Coalition, a division of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest NJ (JFS), provides services to assist victims of domestic violence and intimate partner violence. JFS is a comprehensive social service agency providing mental health counseling and support services on a non-discriminatory basis. With a presence in the community since 1861, JFS today delivers an expanding number of programs to increasing numbers of people. For children and families, JFS provides individual, couple, child and family counseling, play therapy, support groups, school and synagogue-based social work services, and other assistance needed to support healthy families. JFS also offers a wide range of services for older adults and their families including case management services, counseling, caregiver education, volunteer-friendly visitors, and specialized programs for Holocaust survivors. For more information, call (973) 765-9050 or visit www.jfsmetrowest.org.

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