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?

Primarily, you will be working for 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 of 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.

As well as working for the Helpline, there are many other tasks which can be matched to your specific skills and requirements. When you join the Fellowship as a Telephone 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.

Will I receive training?

Full training, consisting of two and a half hours per week over a six week period is provided. Training is presently conducted on Tuesdays between 10 am and 12.30 pm. Topic covered include information about schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, medication, 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.

What kind of commitment do I need to make?

Volunteers usually take a morning or afternoon shift of four hours, either once a week or once a fortnight, depending on their other commitments. 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 nonprofit 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 Volunteer Coordinator or by the Director of Services after the volunteer has served a minimum of six months and has carried out their work reliably and well.

What will is 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 on-line application form. You will be contacted shortly by the Volunteer Coordinator to discuss your application further and will be invited for an interview in our offices in Gladesville.