Advocating for Victims of Domestic Violence at SafeNest

My internship primarily involves me working the front desk at a domestic violence shelter, SafeNest, although it also includes opportunities to shadow crisis advocates on the scene of domestic violence calls. When this happens, we show up with officer from Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and provide the victims with resources so they aren’t stuck feeling helpless and totally lost. These resources include, but aren’t limited to: assistance with filing emergency temporary protection orders, shelter and housing opportunities, and counseling. While While I don’t plan for my future career to involve counseling, I find it immeasurably useful to be able to provide anyone in distress with resources for help. Because of this internship, I’ve learned that it takes an average of seven times for victims of domestic violence to successfully leave their abusers for good. Remembering that fact helps maintain tenacity and persistence, even in the face of futility.

My major is multidisciplinary studies, and I have three areas of focus: psychology, sociology & criminal justice. My internship, especially in the field, ties into my major as I see the effects of all three disciplines in real time at a DV call. The psychological state of the victim, the sociological influences that preceded and surround the event in question, and the criminal repercussions of the combination of those factors.

I believe a background education in social work and counseling would best benefit this internship, as most interactions with residents in the shelter are when they’re in distress and just need to vent. Unfortunately, my power as an unpaid intern is limited at best, and some of the things the residents ask of me are beyond my pay grade so I just sit there and try to be empathetic as I’m simultaneously useless to them in that regard. I would be absolutely interested in crisis advocacy in the field after completing my internship; I don’t have the patience to endure the shelter environment, but I‘d like to make a difference in being the seventh time’s the charm for a victim.

In the office setting, computer program proficiency is a useful skill as lots of data entry is required for keeping the residents‘ files updated. Ultimately, requisite skills for this field are: Conflict intervention, management and resolution, situational awareness, discretion, and multitasking.

My best piece of advice for subsequent interns is to pick your shifts to your advantage: after experiencing the chaos of day shifts, I found the quiet night shifts (12-8 AM) to be most conducive to my productivity (i.e., I could get more homework done). The chaos comes in waves, so stay productive during down time.