Hotline Volunteers Save Lives!

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POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Contact Hotline is a safe place to talk. It provides free, confidential, 24-hour service for anyone who is depressed, in crisis, going through a hard time, thinking about suicide, or just needs to hear a caring voice. Hotline volunteers complete 4-hour shifts between 7am and 10pm during which they answer Hotline calls and make outbound calls to clients enrolled in TeleCare, our telephone reassurance program. All volunteer work is completed at our East Syracuse office.

ESSENTIAL VOLUNTEER FUNCTIONS

• Support callers/clients by exhibiting strong active listening skills
• Maintain caller and colleague confidentiality
• Attend required basic and advanced trainings
• Participate in other continuing education opportunities as they are offered

REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be at least 19 years old
• Must be reliable and have sincere desire to help others
• Must show respect and compassion for people affected by mental health conditions and life challenges
• Comfort using a computer and telephone
• Ability to complete 40-hour Hotline Basic Training
• Commit to at least three 4-hour shift per month for the first six months of service, and then two 4-hour shifts per month thereafter
• Attend twice a year 2.5-hour long Volunteer Advanced Trainings
• Commit to 12 months of service

TRAINING:

Our required 40-hour Hotline training instills active (or reflective) listening skills, teaches crisis and suicide risk assessment, and prepares volunteers to intervene in an emergency. Components of Hotline training include: Observation (12 hours), online training modules (16 hours), and Apprenticing (16 hours).

APPLY:

To apply please fill out our online application: https://form.jotform.com/233624271917155

CONTACT:

For additional information or help with questions or concerns, please contact Kristine Knutson, Program Manager, at 315-218-1915 or kknutson@contactsyracuse.org