Lifeboat by NOMV Volunteer Companion

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Position

Since 2014, NOMV pioneered online peer-to-peer support and mentorship in the veterinary community across our Facebook forums. Lifeboat extends this model further by providing anonymity for users as they are paired with a team of veterinary professionals trained in peer support who will accompany and mentor these individuals through their crisis. The program modifies the concept of a "warm line" where individuals can expect to receive an asynchronous response from their peers once per day at a minimum (i.e. this is not a synchronous chat service). The Lifeboat volunteers are supported by partnerships with the
Veterinary Social Work program at University of Tennessee and the Department of Psychological Sciences at Auburn University.

Lifeboat relies on a community of trained volunteers who help provide reciprocal accountability to their peers seeking support. Through Lifeboat, veterinary professionals help each other by listening to and validating each other’s experiences. Interactions are anonymous. We made this decision deliberately to facilitate a sense of safety. We want people to feel they can share what is bothering them without fear of repercussions.

Tasks

• Complete Lifeboat by NOMV asynchronous training program (approximately 10-15 hours)
• Complete background check, per NOMV policy for volunteers with access to sensitive information
• Collaborate with other volunteer companions to provide support to peer users through Lifeboat by NOMV proprietary application
• Through cooperation with other companions, ensure that all messages from peers are responded to within 24 hours
• Review updates from NOMV staff regularly. Respond within 7 days if requested
• Attend recommended debrief meetings with the mental health consultants quarterly. They are offered monthly and companions may attend as many as desired
• Be prepared to engage as a companion for 12 months unless you encounter extenuating circumstances. If a leave of absence is needed, volunteers should communicate and coordinate with NOMV’s Programs Administrator
• Maintain anonymity with peer users
• Always act with compassion and understanding toward yourself, your fellow companions, and the peers you are supporting
• Share in NOMV’s mission to transform the status of mental wellness within the profession so veterinary professionals can survive and thrive though, education, resources, and support

Skills

• Excellent online communication skills, including the ability to convey active, non-judgemental listening to someone in distress in a text environment.
• Must be a current or recent veterinary professional. Recent is defined as having attended veterinary/tech school, having an active license, or being currently employed in some aspect of the field. All team members in areas of veterinary medicine are welcome, but as this is a peer based program, you must have worked in veterinary medicine in some capacity.
• A commitment to personal growth and self care.

Setting

• Custom online app developed specifically for Lifeboat by NOMV.

Schedule/Commitment

• The exact scheduling will be left up to the carepods to determine. We will ask that the inbox be monitored daily. On average volunteers can expect 1 hour of volunteering, 2-3 days a week. The chat is asynchronous, so continual monitoring and communication is not expected nor encouraged.

Training/Supervision

• Lifeboat by NOMV’s online training module is self directed. Volunteers are asked to complete the training at their own pace within 14 days. However, more time is allotted if necessary. Most volunteers complete the training in approximately 10-15 hours.
• Direct supervision is provided by NOMV’s Programs Administrator as well as other volunteers serving as Mental Health Consultants in the Lifeboat program. Volunteers are expected to collaborate and cooperate with NOMV staff and other volunteers to promote the values of the Lifeboat program and NOMV’s mission.