Michelle Robarts was hooked from the beginning.
The West Vancouver Police Department’s Victim Services Program manager was a volunteer, joining officers as they attended the homes of people in the worst kind of crisis. Oftentimes, they were victims of crime or family members of someone who died suddenly.
While the police must do their jobs, the victim services volunteers see to the immediate emotional and practical needs of someone “on the worst day of their life.”
“I was dispatched to the hospital to support a young woman whose partner had passed away from an overdose. Her life at the time of the incident was really not good. She was going down the wrong road and then this happened,” she said. “I kept contact with her for a little bit after that and she did a complete life turnaround and she went on to do great things in terms of helping other people who are heading down the same road she was heading down.”
It was the kind of interaction that led Robarts, an engineer by training, to pursue a new career helping those in crisis, eventually leading her to head up West Vancouver’s victim services unit.
“I started volunteering for victim services, fell in love with it and completely did a career change because I felt like I was making a difference,” she said.
Now Robarts is looking to recruit more volunteers who have the wherewithal and heart to step up and help West Vancouver residents as they go through trauma, even when the call for assistance comes in at 3 a.m.
“Police, emergency responders and the coroner are called in and sometimes, because it’s so unexpected, people don’t know what happens next.
People don’t know who to call, where they go, where to even start. That’s where we come in and provide that emotional support,” she said.
Once the immediate crisis has passed, the volunteers continue to offer services to their clients, helping them navigate the court process or writing victim impact statements that are considered by judges before issuing a sentence.
Those accepted into the program go through both classroom and field training, but it’s the natural communication and empathy skills that Robarts is seeking.
“There’s a certain kind of personality that victim services attracts because it’s not something that’s really out in the open,” she said. “It’s somebody who wants to do good, but behind the scenes.”
The program also draws people who want to build their resumes, as it helps people acquire skills and experience they may need to pursue a career in law enforcement or crisis counselling.
West Vancouver police spokesman Const. Jeff Palmer said volunteers have become an indispensable part of the force.
“When an officer has to focus on the duties of the investigation, they can see there’s a human need when people who have been terribly affected by crisis – and here is this amazing, committed volunteer to step in and be a support. I think it’s impossible to overstate the value that these volunteers provide to the community,” he said.
To submit an application for the program or to learn more about victim services, Robarts can be contacted at 604-925-7493 or michellerobarts@wvpd.ca.
The deadline for applications is Jan. 10.
