A listening ear is great to have in any volunteer setting; when serving survivors of sexual and relationship violence, it is essential. The Survivor Advocacy and Crisis Intervention (SACI) team at the MSU Center for Survivors provides volunteer support and advocacy services for community members processing a traumatic interpersonal incident.

“I didn’t realize how much of an impact emotional support would have until I got into this work,” says Trinity Amalraj, a SACI volunteer. She joined the team to pursue advocacy work following other volunteer experiences with Mission Menstruation and the HEAL Sexual Health Conference. “Allowing them to share their own story promotes better mental health, even if they don’t have the ability to seek medical care,” Amalraj notes.

On the SACI team, volunteers field texts and calls from survivors and their supporters through a Crisis Chat messaging system, available 10 a.m.–10 p.m. 7 days per week, and a 24-hour crisis hotline. Available on call, volunteers anonymously listen to or chat with survivors as they process what happened. If the caller expresses a need for additional help, volunteers can also recommend legal, medical, and shelter resources. If needed, the SACI team also offers in-person support at residence halls after a survivor discloses an incident and during medical and forensic examinations. To prepare them for these conversations, the Center for Survivors staff trains SACI team members in nonjudgmental communication, safety planning, and dismantling myths around sexual and relationship violence.

“We have to practice a lot of the skills we learn,” Amalraj shares about the training sessions. One aspect of training is role-playing, where volunteers practice taking a call with other volunteers reading from a script to portray a caller. “Validation and myth-busting sound easy, but you’re put into a high stress situation and you realize how much practice you need to implement those skills,” she says. “Role-playing was definitely an important part of training for me.”

The Crisis Chat and hotline aren’t limited to MSU students; anyone in Greater Lansing can connect with a volunteer for confidential and anonymous support. SACI volunteers promote better health and well-being in the larger community as survivors navigate their next steps during an already difficult time.

“As a neuroscience student, I view the brain as an organ that needs just as much care as the rest of our bodies, and the way that trauma shapes the brain has tangible effects on the whole body,” says Kaveri Nambiar, a SACI volunteer. Along with applying her studies, Nambiar joined the team based on past experiences supporting loved ones who were survivors. “If we can help a survivor process what they’ve been through and start to manage those triggers or symptoms that come with trauma, we’re not only supporting their mental health but also their physical health,” she says.

By holding space for survivors to express their situations and feelings, SACI volunteers also challenge the stigma that surrounds reporting sexual and relationship violence. Affirming survivors as they decide what justice looks like for them is critical in assuring that they are heard in their time of need. That may or may not involve legal action.

“By letting them steer the conversation, survivors are able to control the situation and continue with their healing journey how they see fit,” says Anna-Liisa Mayor, a SACI volunteer. Her research as a master’s student in criminal justice centers on sexual violence, and, recognizing the detrimental patterns of disbelief and disrespect survivors can face, she joined the team. “What works for one might not work for another. We empower them to make their own informed decisions about the best course of action,” Mayor says.

“A lot of survivors blame themselves and wonder what they could have done differently,” Nambiar adds. “Being able to say ‘this is not your fault’ is something that we’re specifically trained to do, and I’ve seen the impact that one sentence can make.”

For survivors, having a brief conversation with someone who believes them can be a reminder that they aren’t isolated in their experience. “No one should have to endure this trauma alone,” Mayor says. “Even though both our hotline and crisis chat are anonymous, it is a great comfort to know that you were able to be there for someone in your community when they took the monumental step of reaching out for help.”

Within the SACI team, connection between volunteers is crucial in sustaining this service. Icebreakers at volunteer check-in meetings strengthen bonds between volunteers and their staff leaders, reminding all on the team that they have their own support network. With the nature of the situations that volunteers help survivors process, regular check-ins within the team on how they are handling their work are also essential.

“We can be open and honest with each other because of the community that we have built,” Mayor says. “It would be so difficult to do this work alone, but because we have such an amazing community and shared value of offering support to one another, we are able to be our best selves when interacting with survivors.”

Nambiar agrees. “When everyone in a room is driven by the same values like empathy and reliability and wanting to genuinely care for survivors, it's something that's bigger than just an organization,” she says. “It creates a culture, and I think that survivors can feel that as well with the volunteers that they interact with.”

Volunteer applications for the SACI team and other Center for Survivors programs are available on the center’s website. “[A volunteer] can be anyone who has a willingness to learn, understand, and address their biases,” Amalraj says.

If you or someone you love is a survivor of sexual or relationship violence and needs confidential support, visit centerforsurvivors.msu.edu or call 517-355-1100. For the 24-hour crisis hotline, call 517-372-6666.