JTF Guantanamo Trains 'SAVI' Advocates

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Katherine Hofman | Joint Task Force Guantanamo service member advocate candidates practice active...... read more read more

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Katherine Hofman | Joint Task Force Guantanamo service member advocate candidates practice active listening techniques during the practical portion of Sexual Assault Victim Intervention training at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Sept. 30. Facilitators and advocates shared experiences and ideas about compassionate listening, participated in role-playing scenarios and learned basic steps in caring for assault victims. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detainees, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released by a court. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the War on Terror. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning for and, on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.  see less | View Image Page

GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA

09.30.2009

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Katherine Hofman 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and Joint Task Force Guantanamo service members recently participated in Sexual Assault Victim Intervention advocate training, at Naval Station Guantanamo, Sept. 30. In the background of every command, there are collateral duties dealing with all aspects of life. Easily overlooked, many service members don't realize that specially-trained SAVI advocates are out there and available for victims of sexual assault.

Being an advocate means you are ready to take calls 24-hours-a-day on a week-long duty watch. SAVI advocates are available to assist victims during a time of need, especially at an isolated duty station like U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, where service members are often without family or a support system close by. During the initial contact, an advocate helps victims overcome the trauma of a sexual assault by offering emotional comfort and information about medical and psychological services, and the legal process if necessary.

Although sexual assault awareness training is a required component of annual military training for all service members, the SAVI advocate program is a collateral volunteer position facilitated by the Fleet and Family Support Center.

SAVI advocate and facilitator of the training program, Navy Chief Petty Officer Quincy Jackson, shared his perspective on SAVI advocates during a recent training. "We are not counselors, but victim advocates. [Advocates] help to empower victims after an assault," he said. Jackson emphasized that the advocate needs to be, "sensitive to each individual situation and use tone and pace to help guide the victim and help them to regain their power."

During the SAVI training seminar, the facilitators and advocates shared experiences and ideas about compassionate listening, basic steps in caring for assault victims, important procedures and the legal process. Guest speakers from Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the legal office and FFSC, as well as the Chaplain, all who provide services to victims, were available to share their expertise in advocating for sexual assault victims. Guest facilitator Carol Leaphart, a family and domestic violence advocate and program leader from FFSC, shared, "Advocates needed to know they were appreciated and deserved thanks for the job they were going to undertake." Leaphart reminded the advocates, "you represent kindness and are good people for providing comfort for victims of sexual assaults," she said.

Practical aspects of the training included role-playing different victim scenarios. C.C. Lowery, a family advocate representative for FFSC, created a scenario for the advocate students to interpret during the training. Lowery reminded the advocates about their role in supporting victims. "We are here to help victims get back on balance." "This traumatic assault has knocked [the victims] off their game. A moment ago, they were walking along in their life, then something changed," said Lowery. "Being an advocate is not about changing or fixing the situation for the victim, but to help normalize their situation and validate the victim's feelings," continued Lowery.

A sexual assault victim at Guantanamo is able to receive medical care and mental health services through a network of medical doctors, psychologists and social workers through the naval hospital, Joint Stress Mitigation and Restoration Team and FFSC. This was important information for Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James Hollenbeck, who has acted as a help line advocate in the past. "It was important to be with people and learn the logistical process, and make sure that victims had the same access to resources," he said.

Victims of sexual assault are not required by law to speak with a SAVI advocate, but can find it beneficial to have a support person. Someone to listen and help them to understand they are not alone can be the key to helping a victim heal from the assault and the stigma often associated with sexual assault. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Zina Shannon shared how she wanted to make a difference in the way victims are viewed and felt it was important to become involved, "It is important to help others, especially sexual assault victims."

Although not a paying job, being a SAVI advocate has its own benefits for volunteers. You have the satisfaction of knowing you helped out a fellow service member, gained critical interpersonal and communication skills and developed a support system of like-minded service members. This was the case for Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jamel Jones, who became an advocate because he wanted to help in any way he could. By the end of the training, Jones could see the group of service members from different duty stations acting with the same common purpose. "You can see there is a sense of family with the group. We are here for the same reason. That's a good feeling to support something so important," he said.

JTF senior leadership views the SAVI program as instrumental and finds it supportive to have service members in place who are trained and visible at the command level. It is just as important for enlisted service members to see the benefit of SAVI advocates. This is a focus for one Navy petty officer who sees the program as instrumental for service members, "People need to realize how important SAVI advocates are and how they can really help when we need them. When you are in a crisis, we will be there for you no matter what."

A SAVI advocate candidate should possess the following character traits; maturity, patience, problem solving skills, compassion, good listening skills, and have no unsettled psychological issues in their past, according to Jackson. Although a college degree is not needed, SAVI advocates do need a certain degree of psychological strength to cope with the victim's trauma.

For more information about Joint Task Force Guantanamo, visit the Web site at www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil.