Become a Distress Line Volunteer

Volunteers are the lifeline of our service! Our volunteers make a difference in    the lives of those in our community who are lonely, in crisis, or experiencing emotional stress.

Before applying, please read the information on this page in order to decide if this is the right time for you to apply.

Things to consider before applying:

• Due to the nature of volunteering on a Distress Line, if you are currently experiencing emotional difficulties or trauma this is not the best time          for you to volunteer in this position.  If you have experienced emotional difficulties or trauma within the past 2 years we ask that you wait at least        1 year before applying. 

• We are not a peer-to-peer support agency, which means that we are not able to share our own personal experiences or opinions with clients who use our services.

• Please consider carefully if you have the time to attend all 8 training sessions, and volunteer 12 hours a month for at least 1 year. 

Distress Line volunteer qualifications:

• 19 years of age or older
• Able to Handle Crisis
• Good Listener
• Empathetic
• Non-Judgmental
• Patient
• Self-Aware
• Respectful
• Common Sense
• Responsible and Reliable
• Able to volunteer 12 hours a month for at least 1 year
• Able to obtain a Police Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening

Distress Line volunteer responsibilities:

• Provide telephone and online support to clients in accordance with the policies and guidelines learned in training.

• Volunteer 12 hours each month during your first year of volunteering (for a total of 144 hours), and 2 shifts a month in subsequent years.

• Be reliable in fulfilling your shift commitments (you can choose the shifts that best suit your schedule).

• Attend ongoing training and workshops provided by the Centre.

Our Training and Volunteer experience will:

• Improve your active listening and communications skills.

• Teach you crisis prevention and suicide risk assessment skills.

• Increase your knowledge of community resources, social issues, and mental health issues.

• Develop and improve skills useful in personal and professional situations.

• Provide you with valuable work experience, and once you complete 144 volunteer hours you can request a letter of reference.

• Certify you as a safeTALK Suicide Alertness Helper.

Training Dates

Oakville Location

Meeting & Interviews (by invite only, please submit application first): 

7pm Wed, May 2, 2018

7pm Tues, Jul 3, 2018

Training Dates:

7-10pm Wed, May 9 to Jun 27, 2018

7-10pm Tues, Jul 10 to Aug 28, 2018

Fall training dates TBD

Georgetown Location

Meeting & Interviews (by invite only, please submit application first):

7pm Wed, Apr 18, 2018

Training Dates

7-10pm Wed, May 2 to June 13, 2018

Fall training dates TBA

FEES FOR TRAINING

There is a $50 fee for training. This fee covers the cost of training materials.

Note: Each Training Session has 8 classes and all are mandatory.