Join a wonderful community organization doing free and confidential human rights work for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. Volunteer to empower people living in nursing homes and licensed assisted living facilities to protect their state and federal rights and receive training and certification from the Indiana State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program to work with your area long-term care ombudsman program.
The Indiana Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is a state and federally funded program under the auspices of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. We serve long-term care residents by providing resident rights education, visiting facilities, investigating complaints, and advocating for policy changes. We are currently seeking volunteers across Indiana who are interested in serving adults who are older, disabled, or rehabilitating who live in nursing home and assisted living facilities. Our goal is to offer flexible and rewarding volunteer experiences for people who enjoy empowering residents in long-term care to live with dignity, improve the quality of care they receive, and utilize skills to advocate for their rights.
Volunteers collaborate with a local area Ombudsmen to match their interests and expertise to the needs of residents and/or the program. The following volunteer experiences are offered:
- Observation of conditions and care in nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
- Providing resident rights education to residents and resident councils.
- Advocating for changes to improve residents’ quality of life and care.
- Educating and informing consumers and the community about the Ombudsman program.
- Providing program services (clerical, marketing, technological, research, etc.)
- Internship and practicum opportunities for students in relevant college programs.
Volunteers receive free comprehensive training to become a Certified Volunteer Ombudsman. This is a 36-hour certification training that involves 16-20 hours of training in the classroom, independent study, and at least 10 hours of interactive field mentorship with a local area ombudsman. Once certified, volunteers will be provided 15 hours of additional training annually.
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Fill out the information below to inquire about becoming a volunteer with the Indiana Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
Personal Information
Our Community Partners Include
Non-criminal, civil legal issues including public benefits such as food stamps, SSI/SSDI terminations, unemployment, land sale contracts, etc.
The application should take about 20 minutes to complete. You will need to answer questions about your income, assets, and household size. Submitting an application does NOT mean that we will accept your case. You should hear from us within about 14 days with a decision on whether we will be able to take your case.
Indiana Legal Services, Inc. (ILS) is a nonprofit law firm and the largest provider of free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income people in Indiana. ILS helps clients who are faced with legal problems that harm their ability to obtain basic needs such as food, shelter, income, medical care or personal safety. ILS also handles cases in other areas including family law where there is domestic violence, housing, consumer law, access to health care, and access to government benefits. ILS does not handle any criminal matters.