Attend the Care Advocate Training Institute (CATI) and Become a Care Advocate
The Care Advocate Training Institute (CATI) is a training and development program that is designed to prepare students for the role of the confidential campus advocate: hold space for clients, ensure personal safety, identify needs and possible resources, create plans together, and educate peers.
Care advocates are student volunteers who commit to at least one full academic year of advocacy at the Care Center. Our advocates undergo summer training that goes over crisis intervention and victim advocacy skills for victim-survivors of power-based violence (relationship violence, family violence, sexual violence, and stalking).
This immersive training and professional development program combines online learning with in-field experience. Each cohort participates in a wide range of supervised professional activities within a major campus-based advocacy center. This is an opportunity for students interested in developing a career in human services, public health, social work, and public administration.
Care advocates are students trained to offer confidential peer support to:
- Hold space for clients
- Ensure personal safety
- Examine needs and possible resources
- Make a plan moving forward
Application Process
Applications are open every March/April. Training is conducted over summer sessions to prepare advocates and practicum students to begin in the fall semester. There is more than one way that applicants may choose to be involved. Please review the application carefully to select the option that works best for you.
We ask that all care advocates commit to volunteering for fall, spring, and the following summer.
Requirements:
- Complete application
- Pass the interview process
- Complete online training
- Pass the final exam
- One-year commitment fall, spring, summer (care advocates only)
Select the Care Center as Your Undergraduate/Graduate Practicum Site
The Jean Nidetch Care Center is pleased to offer our facility as a practicum site for UNLV graduate and undergraduate students who are in disciplines requiring practicum hours. We work primarily with master of social work practicum students (graduate) and human services and psychology interns (undergraduate). Please discuss with your practicum liaison how many hours you are required to complete per week and whether you must complete them in person.
If you and your practicum liaison believe that the Care Center will be a suitable site, please email April Weeks, our care advocate coordinator, at april.weeks@unlv.edu to get more information.
Become a General Volunteer
General volunteers are members of our registered student organization (RSO) and are called upon to help out with events, tabling, and presentations across campus. Our general member volunteers undergo training that goes over victim advocacy skills for victim-survivors of power-based violence (relationship violence, family violence, sexual violence, and stalking) as well as education and outreach skills.
General volunteers support our campus education efforts to:
- Facilitate Care Center presentations
- Engage in on and off-campus tabling opportunities
- Participate in campus-wide outreach events
- Promote The Care Center’s services
- Must volunteer or participate in a minimum of two events per month
- At least a one-semester-long commitment
Applications for general volunteers are open year-round.