Orientation Manual

An Introduction to the Collins Center for Volunteers

Overview & Purpose of this Document

The purpose of this document is to prepare volunteers of the Collins Center as comprehensively
as possible. By reading this manual, you will gain a better understanding of what the Collins Center does,
what you will be doing, expectations and regulations, specific procedures, etc. Becoming well versed in
all of these points is important in order to best serve the Collins Center, and in turn, our clients.
Additionally, this guide will also serve to provide an important (but by no means complete) background
on sexual abuse, something that is important to best represent our values and help the community around
us with an informed approach. We strongly suggest you engage in active research on these topics on your
own time as well; the staff can suggest valuable resources, as well as give you access to our library to
help facilitate a well rounded understanding of sexual abuse and its many complexities.

Details of our Organization

1. Our Mission Statement

The Collins Center models and promotes the prevention of child

sexual abuse, and provides excellence in sexual assault response
and treatment in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. The
Collins Center serves the community through its programs:
Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Prevention & Education, Mental
Health Treatment, and the Child Advocacy Center.

2. Objectives/Goals of Our Organization

a.
b.
c.
d.

Crisis Services: Helping in times of crisis

Prevention and Education: Stopping sexual violence before it starts
Mental Health Treatment: Providing affordable and quality therapy
Child Advocacy Center: A partnership to keep kids safe

3. History of Our Organization

The Collins Center, originally known as Citizens Against Sexual Assault of Harrisonburg and
Rockingham, Inc. (CASA), is a grassroots organization that began over twenty-five years ago.
In October, 1987, a well known community member, Shirley Collins, was sexually assaulted in
Harrisonburg and died as a result of her injuries. In response, community members were moved to take
action and take a look at how sexual violence was affecting the community. A needs assessment indicated
that many people were seeking services for sexual assault and abuse, but few resources were available
that could address their needs. As a result, CASA was incorporated in 1988 and began providing services
in October of 1989.
What began as an agency with only volunteers and 2 part-time employees has grown to include
extensive prevention and education efforts and specialized advocacy and support for victims of sexual
assault, harassment, and abuse.
As CASAs services expanded, a new, more comprehensive need was recognized: the need for
accessible mental health treatment. In January, 2007, CASA took on a new name to continue honoring the
memory of Shirley Collins and expanded the organization to more fully serve the community. As such,
the organization continues to provide its comprehensive services for victims and survivors of sexual
assault, and in addition offers professional therapy for all mental health issues. In addition, when
presented with an opportunity to support child victims of abuse and neglect, the Collins Center
responded. In the summer of 2008, a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) was added to the Collins Center and
continues to work with the community Multi-Disciplinary Team to best serve child victims of abuse and
neglect.

4. Services We Offer
The Collins Center offers a range of services including group and individual counseling and
support, a 24/7 sexual assault hotline, legal services, aiding in the criminal prosecution of offenders,
forensic interviewing, hospital accompaniment, and more. Additionally, Collins Center serves as the only
resource for child sexual abuse response and treatment in the area. This is especially notable due to the
rural nature of our community, and the low income/minority population we serve. This allows a diverse
population to access competent and helpful services that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
These services fall under one of four main branches: Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Prevention
and Education, Mental Health Treatment, and the Child Advocacy Center. Within each of these branches
exist a number of programs focused on helping to educate and treat the community. Sexual Assault Crisis
Services includes the 24/7 crisis hotline, counseling, hospital accompaniment, etc. Prevention and
education includes FUERZA (a program promoting healthy masculinity), Care for Kids (a program that
fosters healthy sexual development, promotes prevention through education, and helps children avoid
sexual coercion), and other community outreach programs focused on education and partnership. Mental

Health Treatment encompasses the wide range of therapy options we offer to clients of all ages, for all
types of mental health issues. See below for more information about the Child Advocacy Center.

5. Forensic Interviews & the Child Advocacy Center

The Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in and of itself is a big part of what we do. We have a
separate space in our office to meet the needs of the CAC that includes a waiting room, interview room,
and observation room. Forensic interviews take place in this space and are led by highly trained
professionals. The process in a nutshell is all about making the child abuse survivor comfortable and safe
all while gaining valuable knowledge about their abuse in order to ensure the childs safety, prosecute
when possible, and limit the number of professionals a survivor must disclose to. The interview room
contains child friendly toys and two comfortable chairs. There is a microphone and camera installed in the
room that records the entire interview (the childs parents are briefed on all of this and sign consent
forms). Relevant professionals to the case including, social workers, advocates, police investigators, and
prosecutors sit in the observation room during the interview. They are able to communicate with the
interviewer through an earpiece to ask additional questions throughout the interview. The interviewer
words these questions in a non-leading and very specialized way in order to preserve evidence. This
process lowers the trauma and stress of disclosure for the survivor, and lessens the number of times they
must tell their story. Rather than telling each individual person on the case, they only tell the interviewer.

6. Our Information
24-Hour Sexual Assault Hotline: 540.434.2272
Office Phone: 540.432.6430
Office Fax: 540.432.6293
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1473 / Harrisonburg, VA 22803
Physical Address: 165 South Main Street Suite D / Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Email: info@thecollinscenter.org
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9am to 5pm
This excludes holidays. Volunteers will complete the majority of their work during regular
business hours.

Staff Information & Board of Directors

1. Staff Information
Melissa Fisher, Interim Executive Director - melissa@thecollinscenter.org
Ana Arias, Therapist, Associate Director/Intern Supervisor - ana@thecollinscenter.org
Hanna Foster, Therapist, Community Educator - hanna@thecollinscenter.org
Jackie Hieber, Administrative and Prevention Coordinator/Volunteer Supervisor jackie@thecollinscenter.org
Rhoda Miller, Crisis Response Coordinator - rhoda@thecollinscenter.org
Sue Swift, Therapist, Clinical Coordinator - sue@thecollinscenter.org

2. Board of Directors
Linda C. Heatwole - President
Beckie Aderholz - Secretary
Kevin Hegg - Treasurer
Teresa Boshart Yoder
Laura Evans, Esq.
Amanda Garber
Laura McLaughlin
Katie Montgomery
Keith Morris
Clark Ritchie, Esq.
Ann Schaeffer

Affiliations
1. United Way
United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County is a partial source of our funding and
supplies us with valuable volunteer power to complete important projects that we would otherwise be
unable to do. They are experts in mobilizing and motivating large volunteer groups and have been a
valuable partner to the Collins Center.

2. The Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

The multidisciplinary team of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County involves a wide range of
people and groups, all focused on the well being of children. The team meets once a month to discuss
cases and promote cohesion, organization, and open communication. Involved in the Multidisciplinary
Team throughout the investigation and prosecution of child abuse are:
a. The Collins Center
b. Harrisonburg Police Department, Criminal Investigations Department
c. Rockingham County Sheriffs Office, Criminal Investigations Department
d. Commonwealth Attorneys Office and the Victim/Witness Program
e. Department of Social Services, Child Protective services and Foster Care
f. RMH Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program
g. Medical and Mental Health Professionals
h. Community Services Board

3. Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)

The SART serves the same functions as the MDT, but focuses on adult sexual assault cases, with
victims over the age of 18. The SART includes all of the MDT agencies, plus: four JMU SANE nurses,
JMU Counseling Services, and the JMU Office of Equal Opportunity.

Vehicle Regulations & Parking

Since we are located downtown, parking can be a little inconsistent. The parking lot behind our
office is reserved for staff only due to limited space. Public parking is free, but under time limits such as
one, three, or ten hour spots. The best parking options for volunteers are the parking garage and municipal
lot. The following map provides an overview of parking options.

Confidentiality
Before you begin your volunteer work here, you will be required to sign a confidentiality form.
Confidentiality is an integral part of the Collins Center and is taken very seriously. Disclosing
confidential information to anyone other than relevant staff members is a breach of this agreement and
will result in immediate termination. Our emphasis on confidentiality ensures the safety of our clients and
staff and ensures an appropriate and safe space for disclosures for everyone. Confidentiality applies to
everyone in the office, client information, staff information, case information, and even seemingly
mundane conversations between staff members. Some examples include: whether a client showed up for

their appointment or not; a conversation between staff about a client, case, or their personal lives; any
paperwork you observe, file, or otherwise interact with; the identity of our clients; any meetings you
attend, phone calls you answer in the office, etc. If you ever have a question regarding confidentiality
please dont hesitate to ask.

Volunteer Specific Information

1. The Importance of Our Volunteers
Our volunteers are extremely important and help with a wide range of tasks including but not
limited to: clerical/office work, filing, answering phones, greeting or other small interactions with clients,
writing or designing documents, taking notes at meetings, research, and more. Volunteers provide the
Collins Center with a large group of helping hands that provides the community with a dedicated and well
rounded staff.

2. Sensitive Information
Due to the sensitive nature of the work the Collins Center does, volunteers may be exposed to a
range of survivor stories, experiences, and otherwise potentially triggering information. Work involving
sexual abuse can be difficult to process or triggering to any volunteer whether they have a personal
connection to sexual assault or not. The Collins Center makes every effort to make its volunteers as
comfortable as possible, and staff members are always available to talk.

3. Paid Staff & Volunteer Relations

The Collins Center employs both paid and volunteer staff members, and values the work of all.
All individuals come together in order to best serve our clients and the community as well as reach our
goals, maintain our mission statements, and meet our objectives together. Volunteers neither replace nor
displace paid positions and volunteers are supervised by a paid staff member. We value the input and
ideas of paid and volunteer staffers alike, and are open to everyones ideas.

4. Dress Code
Volunteers are expected to come to the office dressed in a manner that represents the Collins
Center well. Our organization is a fairly casual one; all we ask is that all dress be appropriate. Jeans are
okay as long as they fit properly and are without holes. Shorts, skirts, and dresses are okay as well, as
long as they are not too short or tight. Similarly, overly low-cut shirts would not be appropriate, but tank
tops are acceptable. Volunteers and interns should dress in a professional manner when meeting with
clients or otherwise representing the Collins Center in any official capacity.

5. Answering the Phones

If the phone rings more than two times, we ask that you answer it. A simple greeting followed by
a question of intent is all that is necessary. For example: Good morning you have reached the Collins
Center, how can I help you? You should take a message for the appropriate party, put the client on hold
to talk to the party being reached, or transfer the call to their office voicemail. If the staff members door

is closed, assume they are with a client and transfer the call to their voicemail. Should you ever answer
the phone and encounter an emergent client or client in distress, remain calm. Calmly assure the client
that you will get someone who can help them right away and that you are going to very briefly put them
on hold. As long as they are okay with this, put the client on hold and fetch a staff member immediately.

6. Volunteers Code of Conduct

We ask that all of our staff members abide by a code of conduct that represents a level of
commitment to professionalism in our office and our field as a whole. This includes respecting the Collins
Center employees and property, responding appropriately to conflict, being committed to ongoing
learning in the field, following through with commitments, respecting and working towards the Collins
Centers goals and mission, abiding by confidentiality rules, and generally acting in a manner that
appropriately represents the Collins Center. Sexual harassment, discrimination, and maltreatment will not
be tolerated and will result in disciplinary action, or even termination. Volunteers and employees are
encouraged to work out any grievances amongst themselves. If a resolution cannot be reached, staff
members should contact the Executive Director for further direction.