Morris volunteer advocates needed for family court

FLORHAM PARK – Volunteers are needed to become Court Advocates and help victims of domestic violence properly utilize the court system.

The Rachel Coalition, a partnership of nine Northern New Jersey organizations, working together to provide services and support programs for victims of domestic violence in Essex and Morris County, is seeking volunteers for its Court Advocate Program.

The Court Advocates are placed in Essex County Family Court Waiting Rooms to explain the restraining order process to victims, assist with the initial application, provide information about community services such as legal, counseling and shelters, according to a press release from The Rachel Coalition.

A 40-hour hands-on training program will educates volunteers on how to assist domestic violence victims with emotional and administrative support as they await their restraining order hearing in Essex Family Court in Newark.

Training sessions begin March 15, and will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m., the release said.

No formal legal experience or education is required for this volunteer position and volunteers who have already taken a 40 hour domestic violence training class can qualify for an abbreviated training, the release said.

For further information on the Court Advocate Program and to schedule an interview, please contact Suzanne Groisser, Rachel Coalition Coordinator of Legal Services at sgroisser@jfsmetrowest.org.

Each year, the Essex Family Court Domestic Violence Unit in Newark, NJ, presides over more than 6,000 cases of domestic violence.

“The Family Court of Essex County has embraced Rachel Coalition’s legal court advocates and we are actively soliciting new participants to enroll in our next session and join our elite core of volunteers,” Groisser said. “If you are seeking a volunteer position with a difference, have an interest in the legal system and want to learn more about ways to assist victims of domestic violence, then this is your invitation.”

The Rachel Coalition partners include Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, National Council of Jewish Women: Essex Country Section, National Council of Jewish Women: West Morris Section, Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, MetroWest Rabbinic Cabinet, St. Barnabas Medical Center, Hadassah: Northern New Jersey Region, Jewish Women International: North Atlantic Region and JCC MetroWest.

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