Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

Catholic Charities' Crisis Response and Support Network (CRSN) is in urgent need of volunteers to serve as First Responder Crisis Counselors - providing compassionate support to the families and friends of homicide victims in Oakland. These volunteers are the heart and soul of their support system for homicide survivors. They respond to calls from the Oakland Police Department and CRSN First Responder Team Leaders and go the scene of homicides, hospitals and the homes of survivors to provide immediate support in the first hours following the traumatic death of a loved one. They are part of what we call a "ministry of presence" and are trained to provide information that helps families understand what is going in, but most of all they function as a compassionate friend offering practical support. First Responders are "on-call" during hours they identify but must be prepared to respond to a call-out and arrive at the designated location within 30-45 minutes. Volun...