Volunteer
ASTT relies on volunteers to fulfill many important roles. By contributing your skills and energy, you can help support our work and make a real difference in the lives of torture and trauma survivors.
ASTT is actively seeking volunteers in the following areas:
Interpreters are needed to provide translation for non-English speaking survivors during therapy and case management sessions. Volunteers must be capable of accurate and rapid interpretation and be able to work under confidential and potentially demanding emotional conditions. ASTT’s volunteer interpreters are key in helping survivors receive much-needed psychological and social support. ASTT also needs volunteers to translate documents from English into other languages. ASTT is currently in need of Amharic and French interpreters in our Baltimore office and female Amharic interpreters in our DC office. Download Interpreter position description (PDF).
Volunteer Researchers serve several needs. First, researchers help gather detailed information about the current political and social situation in the various countries from which ASTT clients have fled. This information helps provide clinical staff (therapists and case managers) with an understanding of the overall sociopolitical context of the clients' experiences. Also, volunteers can help clinical staff by researching the academic literature related to particular mental health and human rights topics. Research volunteers must have access to email and Internet, be responsive to specific staff needs regarding human rights issues, have strong analytical and writing skills, and experience with research and writing reports. This opportunity is popular with volunteers and often has a wait list. Download Researcher position description (PDF).
Agency Support Volunteers contribute to ASTT’s work in many ways, including greeting clients and orienting them to the agency, data entry, helping to maintain ASTT’s mailing list, assembling informational packets about our work, and sending out our organizational newsletter. These volunteers are a huge support to the daily work of our staff and help to keep the office running smoothly.
Online Volunteers help spread the word about issues pertaining to asylees, asylum seekers, and the work of ASTT. If you have a blog or a website, consider adding a link to www.astt.org! Online volunteers can also join ASTT’s official Facebook page or promote ASTT on social news sites like as Twitter, Digg and Reddit.
All ASTT volunteers receive orientation and basic training as required for their specific role. Volunteers take part in regular meetings/ conversations with the supervising therapist, case manager, and/or volunteer coordinator.
For more information or to get involved with any of these programs, please contact Rosalie Whedbee at 410-464-9006 or volunteer_coordinator@astt.org. You can also download the volunteer application form (PDF) and email, mail or fax it to ASTT.