5. Professional Support for COSA

2003

As a professionally supported volunteer initiative, COSA must meet regularly with professionals in their community.

This is critically important in the early, formative stages of a COSA. Professionals should be consulted as soon as the COSA is formed. Locally based professionals such as victims and survivor service workers, lawyers, psychologists, social workers, police officers, healthcare professionals, community and institutional correctional officials, educators, pastors and counselors should be consulted widely. Indeed, many of these professionals should be recruited for advisory boards or steering committees that are established to provide oversight and accountability for the COSA.

It is critically important that COSA develop a good relationship with their local Community Corrections (Parole) office and senior staff at these centres.

Professionals should also be recruited to augment the skills of COSA volunteers. A good relationship with the local professional community is essential.

Professionals voluntarily share their expertise and their humanity with the COSA and assist in the fulfillment of the COSA's Mission. They are called upon to provide specialized training, advice, and support to COSA. These professionals may not be able to attend all COSA meetings, nor is it a requirement. The COSA should be able to call upon professionals for advice or specialized training as needed.

A. Professional Confidentiality

It should be acknowledged that many professionals who provide advisory support for a COSA function out of a set of ethics particular to their professional associations. For example, lawyers and medical health professionals are bound by lawyer/client and doctor/patient confidentiality. Police officers are bound by the instructions of their superior officers. Pastors and clergy of some denominations are constrained by the secrecy of the confessional. The COSA must honor the ethical constraints of the professionals with whom they seek to work.