Have you been caught in the middle of a crisis like a fire, anxiety, depression, suicidal feelings accident, etc., and need to write that SOS text message? If yes, you know how desperate you are as you wait for the response on the other end of the phone. You want it to be answered immediately and respond fast.
It’s a crisis volunteer’s role to respond to your crisis text message. They answer texts and provide you a calming chat to offer short-term solutions as they connect you to resources that will help long-term and future.
They help people in an emotional or mental health crisis. Do you want to become a crisis volunteer? Read on.
What Is a Crisis Volunteer?
A crisis volunteer is a person that answers crisis texts 24/7. Whether you have a mental health crisis or an emotional crisis, regardless of whether small or big, don’t allow dying silently.
Call for help through a text, and you will be responded to and receive immediate support in the short term while arrangements are being made to refer you to long-term support.
Moreover, you don’t have to worry about being identified as your texts are anonymous. Whether it is a break-up, bullying, drug or alcohol addiction, anxiety, suicidal feelings, depression, or emotional breakdown, crisis volunteers are available 24/7 to offer you emotional support and calm you down.
Qualities of a Crisis Volunteer
You must be kind and a good great listener. You need to be passionate about people and helping them during a crisis. Always keep an open-mind so that you can listen to people’s problems without judgment.
Crisis volunteers are dedicated. All information that you receive from people you need to keep private. You should have the ability to think on your feet and provide a solution amidst pressure.
You need to control your emotions since you will be dealing with outraged or scared people. A good crisis volunteer should be empathetic and provide a reliable and calming short term solution.
Roles of a Crisis Volunteer
- A crisis volunteer provides crisis intervention, peer counseling information, or referrals to callers on their agency’s 24-hour crisis lines.
- Reliably follow assigned schedules with punctuality-those working in brick-and-mortar-offices should arrive in time for their crisis line shift.
- They should obey all policies and procedures.
- They should attend all mandatory monthly meetings, read and understand monthly newsletters and crisis line communications.
- Depending on the organization, a crisis volunteer should commit about 6 hours of service weekly during their first year of service.
- Also, you should submit crisis line paperwork within 24 hours of the end of your shift.
Qualifications of a Crisis Volunteer
You must be at least 20 years of age. You must have a clear telephone voice and be fluent in English. You must have completed or ready to undertake a suicide prevention course. Note that if you are found to be inappropriate for volunteering, you can be screened out.
You must be psychologically and emotionally ready for crisis intervention: a high school diploma or GED. Strong listening and empathetic skills.
You should have a phone with texting capabilities and respond to texts within 6 hours or sooner. You must be able to respond to check and respond to emails from SPY staff.
Organizations that Need Crisis Volunteers
There are very many organizations that need crisis volunteers. They include the military, Police, Red Cross, Medical facilities, Rehabilitation Centers, Community emergency response teams, Disaster preparedness organizations, Crisis response teams, churches, schools, factories, businesses, etc.
Why it Looks Good on a Resume
A crisis volunteer role looks good on your resume because most organizations need this service. A crisis can happen to any employer anywhere, anytime.
When this happens, a crisis volunteer’s services will be needed, and since you already have them as your employers, it’s easy to access help.
Also, people who have received the training have their emotions controlled, helping their personal and professional lives.
Final Thoughts
A crisis volunteer is a person that responds to people’s texts during a crisis. They offer an immediate calming solution as they make arrangements for the long term and lasting solution.
They have been trained to be empathetic, kind, and creative in offering solutions. Moreover, they are available 24/7.
