CLVs are key liaisons between the Embassy and U.S. citizens in the Dominican Republic.  As a CLV, you will be an important point of contact for post within the private U.S. citizen community, providing a direct window into the concerns, interests, and needs of U.S. citizens in your ALN zone.

Although not comprehensive, your roles and responsibilities as a CLV include:

Disseminate information as directed by the Embassy to the U.S. citizen community in your ALN zone;

Be an on-the-ground resource to help the Embassy understand the issues of concern to U.S. citizens and share information that might further post’s consular operations;

Report on available local resources for U.S. citizens in your ALN zone, identify gaps, and when possible, seek solutions to fill those gaps;

Identify risks for potential crises and security issues in your ALN zone, identify gaps in preparedness for the U.S. citizen community;

In exigent situations only, and at post’s explicit direction, help post provide emergency services to U.S. citizens;

Maintain local contacts in your ALN zone, including U.S. citizen and non-U.S. citizen expatriates, which might be of use to the Embassy’s consular operations;

Engage with other CLVs to share experiences through the Embassy’s ALN online forum, by email, or by meeting in person;

Keep in mind posts may not share contact information of U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident CLVs with other CLVs unless we have a Privacy Act Waiver from the CLV allowing us to do so.

Encourage U.S. citizens to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP);

Identify for post’s consideration individuals who may be willing to serve as a CLV in another part of the country.

Important:

CLVs are not representatives of the U.S. government or U.S. Embassy.

CLVs are not compensated for performing this role.

CLVs are not government employees, are not spokespersons, and are not consular officers or consular agents.

You must refer all media or legal inquiries to the Embassy.

You also must refer to the Embassy all general requests to explain policies, procedures, or services beyond what is publicly available.

Some of the information that you receive from the U.S. Department of State (“Department”) is subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, when it is in a system of records maintained by the Department.  You are expected to maintain any such information that you receive from the Department consistent with the Privacy Act, as if the provisions of the Act applied to the information in your possession.

In the event of a crisis, our foremost concern is your safety.  Do not put yourself at personal risk to deliver messages, information, or services.  When you are in a safe location, you should contact the consular section so that we can confirm your welfare and whereabouts.  Be aware of your surroundings and report information that can help consular officers assess the situation.  This will help the Embassy and the Department of State understand where there are needs to be met and how best to respond.

The consular section transmits several types of Alerts to U.S. citizens electronically, but there may be instances during crises where local infrastructure fails or inhibits the delivery of timely messages.  If necessary, these messages for the local U.S. community may be relayed from the Embassy to you for dissemination by any means available to you.

Distribute Alerts and other messages for the local U.S. community as relayed from the Embassy to the members of your ALN zone.  The Embassy will relay Alerts to you via email, fax, or telephone.  Arrange the fastest mode of dissemination of information possible in your ALN zone (this might include forwarding the Alert to a group email list, a cascade telephone system, faxing, or “buddy” system, depending on the distribution of citizens within your zone and being mindful to protect individual email addresses and other contact information.)

Remain accessible by email, telephone, or fax.  If possible, the Embassy will email information directly to your email address.  You can then distribute this message by the means you previously set up.  In addition, identical information promptly will appear on the Embassy’s website at https://do.usembassy.gov/.  CLVs who do not have internet access can call (809) 567-7775 and press 1 upon hearing the Embassy recording.  You will hear our pre-recorded emergency message automatically.

Distribute Alerts and other such messages from the Embassy regarding the status of the emergency and suggested actions to be taken.  Alerts and other messages must be transmitted verbatim without interpreting, paraphrasing, or expanding the message.

Coordinate with Embassy personnel in choosing assembly areas and movement routes, should it be necessary to move people to a central location to facilitate communication, documentation, and/or evacuation.

Report back to the Embassy the results of efforts to contact the members of your ALN zone, information as provided by the local U.S. community, and any situational information about your zone via SDOCLVRecruit@state.gov.  CLVs who do not have internet access may call (809) 567-7775 press 1 upon hearing the Embassy recording, and then leave a recorded message.

We are recruiting new CLVs for the following areas: Samana, Barahona, the MLB network, and other community organizations that have a large population of United States Citizens.