Volunteer

What is volunteering?

Volunteering is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society, local communities, individuals outside the immediate family, the environment or other causes. Voluntary activities are undertaken of a person's own free will, without payment, except for the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.

Are there any benefits?

Yes! Becoming a volunteer is probably one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. People decide to volunteer for many different reasons. You may decide to volunteer because you want to enhance your studies at university, because you want to gain experience in the field of mental health, becuase you have a personal experience of schizophrenia or other mental illnesses and the way they affect individuals and families, or simply because you gain personal satisfaction from helping others. Whatever your reason, you will meet lots of interesting people and learn plenty of new skills.

Should I volunteer?

Before offering to volunteer, you should think about:
• Why you want to volunteer
• What type of voluntary you would like (and wouldn't like!) to do
• What skills, experience and enthusiasm you can offer
• How much time you can give
• Other practicalities, such as when you can volunteer and how long you are prepared to stay with the Schizophrenia Fellowship as a volunteer

Becoming a volunteer for the Fellowship is a rewarding experience but it is also a big commitment - people will be relying on you so you will need to think it through before you apply.

What kind of work will I be doing?

Our volunteers assist in a variety of roles at many of our sites around NSW. Some assist with our Recovery Services, some with our Helping Hands service at Nowra and others with our state-wide telephone helpline based in Gladesville.

When you join the Fellowship as a volunteer, you will be offered the option of developing your own career plan, which will take into account your long term ambitions and will determine what kind of extra responsibilities you may wish to take on in order to help you in your chosen career path. Some of the different roles available are listed below:

Helpline volunteers
Volunteers working at Gladesville staff the phones on  the Fellowship's Telephone Information and Referral Service (Helpline). This service is available to the public free of charge from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

Callers to the service may have a mental illness or they may care for someone with a mental illness. Health professionals and other referral agencies also use the service. Calls range from people wanting to find out where they can get access to accommodation, rehabilitation and medical services, to simply wanting to talk.

Helpline volunteers also work on the Fellowship’s Telephone Outreach service providing social contact and emotional support to consumers who are often socially isolated or simply enjoy having a chat with someone who understands. As well as working for TRISS, there are other tasks which can be matched to your specific skills and requirements.

Helping Hands Volunteers
The Helping Hands Program is a volunteer support service for people living with mental illness in the Shoalhaven LGA. The volunteers support the consumers in social, recreational and work search activities both individually and in group situations.

The volunteers also support the consumers to access rehabilitation services and hospital or doctor's appointments. As you can visualise, this is a very worthwhile service to the people living and recovering from mental illness.

Day to Day Living Volunteers
Volunteers assist many of the Fellowship’s recovery services around the state. Volunteers working on our Day to Day Living Programs, of which there are 6 sites across NSW,  have the opportunity to work directly with people living with severe or persistent mental illness, especially those experiencing isolation or loneliness.

Activities here are aimed at building new skills, developing healthy lifestyles, and social interaction and can include cooking groups, gardening, arts & crafts, music, lunches, and armchair travel. People who volunteer with us have the opportunity to develop their skills in facilitating groups and working directly with people affected by mental illness. Volunteers could also potentially begin new groups which are tailored to their interests and knowledge base.

Will I receive training?

Before commencing training potential volunteers must attend an interview with the coordinating staff member. Upon success in the interview process, a full 20 hour training program is provided. Topics covered include information about schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, psychosocial rehabilitation and mental health services, the Mental Health Act and suicide awareness. You will learn about active listening skills, making referrals and talk about the most frequently asked questions, as well as the rights and responsibilities of volunteers. Training is run twice a year in February and September at Gladesville and at other times in regional areas.

What kind of commitment do I need to make?

Volunteers must take a morning or afternoon shift of four hours  once a week in TRISS or at least offer time one day per week in the other programs. We ask that each volunteer make a commitment to the Schizophrenia Fellowship for twelve months (or longer if desired). As the Schizophrenia Fellowship is a non-profit organisation, resources are limited - therefore we need to ensure that volunteers who receive training and other resources make a commitment of time to our organisation.

Will I get a reference?

References from the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW Inc are highly sought after but can only be provided by the senior manager of the program after the volunteer has served a minimum of six months and has carried out their work reliably and well. Written references are only given in specific circumstances.

What will it cost me?

Fortunately, not much! We ask for an up-front fee of $33 (GST inclusive). This will partly cover the cost of the training program, as well as all of the resources you will receive. Additionally, you will receive a complimentary one-year membership to the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW. You will also be able to participate in refresher courses throughout the year and attend some of the other in-house training programs that are run by the Fellowship for free.

What now?

If after having read this information you are interested in becoming a volunteer for the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW, simply fill out our application form and send to - Coordinator of Volunteers, SFNSW, Locked Bag 5014, Gladesville NSW 1675 for TRISS applications and to the Coordinator of the local program for which you are applying. You will be contacted shortly by the Volunteer Coordinator to discuss your application further and will be invited for an interview.