Help End Abuse Response Team (HEART) Volunteer Training Coming to Vernon County

On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

That is impacting thousands across the country, including in Vernon County.

And it cannot continue.

Family & Children’s Center’s Domestic Abuse Project, a program of Family & Children’s Center, along with Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, local law enforcement, and Stonehouse Counseling, are bringing a volunteer opportunity Help End Abuse Response Team (HEART) to Vernon County.

A Domestic Violence Volunteer Community Response Team is a group of trained volunteers who take turns being on call and accompanying local law enforcement on domestic violence calls to offer services to the victim at the scene.

According to Mary Jacobson, Family & Children’s Center Director of Wisconsin Programs, “It is rare for victims to call for help, but when they do, it is important to get needed services to the victim at that moment. The goal is to have law enforcement secure the scene and then they will call the volunteer on duty to come to the scene and support the victim” adds Jacobson.

In order for this program to work in our rural area, there will need to be a group of volunteers in a 15-minute radius of each area of the County, so that they can arrive at the scene rapidly.

The first training session will be May 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office (1320 Bad Axe Court, Viroqua, WI).

Anyone interested in taking part is asked to register by May 17.

If you are interested don’t hesitate to contact Janice Turben by email at jturben@fccnetwork.org or by calling Janice at (608) 668-2312.

Article originally appeared on vernoncountytimes.com on May 4, 2023.