JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
When Airmen become victims of violence, the mission is affected. To make sure these victims are supported in their time of need, members of the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Victim Advocate program remain ready to assist 24/7.
Responsibilities of an advocate include providing crisis intervention, referral and ongoing nonclinical support, as well as providing information on available options and resources to assist the victim in making informed decisions. With permission, they may also accompany the victim to medical, investigative, legal proceedings and court hearings.
There are two types of victim’s advocates: staff victim advocates and volunteer victim advocates. Staff victim advocates are full-time civilians whose primary job is to continually assist victims.
“Our role is long term, meaning when we assist victims, we would first receive a person in a crisis situation, like after they just had violence occur or they had a trigger based on a past experience,” said Bernadette Villa-Morris, 502nd Air Base Wing victim advocate.
“We sit with them, we assess, comfort and provide a safe place, or a soft landing, in their time of need.," Villa added. "We’re also covered with client advocate confidentiality. We meet with them in their most vulnerable moments in their situation and help discover what their needs are.”
Although volunteer victim advocates have a similar role, they are also important in educating units about the SAPR program and avenues that are available to victims.
“Volunteer victim advocates are an extension of our role,” Villa-Morris said. “In Joint Base San Antonio, we have 45 volunteer victim advocates to serve a population of about 80,000 personnel. They not only have to be on call, and the hotline, but they also have administrative paperwork just like the staff victim advocates. They do a lot of what we do, just on a smaller scale, because they have a primary role that they serve in their units because most of them are active duty.”
Although being a victim advocate may seem like just another way to volunteer, it is a duty with an important effect on other people’s lives.
“It’s important to know that being a volunteer victim advocate is not like any other additional duty,” Villa-Morris said. “These folks that volunteer to be a part of our program are going to affect other people’s lives. They will be critical in changing the trajectory in a victim’s life oftentimes. If they’re a great volunteer and they provide a smooth experience for that victim via empathy and attentiveness, then that victim will have a better process of healing through a traumatic life experience.”
In order to become a volunteer, enlisted members must be a senior airman or higher and at least 21 or older. Officers must be a first lieutenant or higher.
Personnel assigned to the judge advocate office, chaplain office, equal opportunity office, security forces, inspector general staff and some medical center clinics are not eligible for the program due to potential conflicts of interest.
To volunteer or find other ways to get involved, contact your SAPR office at JBSA-Randolph at 210-652-4386, at JBSA-Lackland at 210-671-7273, or at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston at 210-221-3796.