Interested in Volunteering?

Steps To Becoming a Crisis Center Volunteer

  1. Contact the Training Coordinator, Alexandra Martinez, at 352/264-6782 to find out more details, and make sure you have an application packet. You can access a printable version (pdf) of the application, or you may apply online.
  2. Submit a completed application.
  3. Attend and graduate from our Training Program. The Training Program typically runs three times a year (beginning in May, September, and January) for six weeks. Training usually consists of one full Saturday (8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) followed by six weeks of Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Please view our Fall 2008 Schedule for more information.
  4. Make a 24-shift volunteering commitment.

Crisis Center Volunteers

Crisis Center Volunteers represent a cross-section of the community - students, business persons, homemakers, teachers, retirees and so on, ranging in age from 18 to 60+, male and female, with varying degrees of experience and training. They have in common a desire to help others and a willingness to give of themselves, investing their time, energy and emotions in an endeavor they believe is worthwhile.

The Crisis Center is founded on the premise that it can only be as effective as its Volunteer Counselors. Not all applicants, motivated as they may be, will make effective counselors. For example, having experienced serious problems in one's own life may or may not be useful in terms of helping someone else. Applicants are carefully screened in order to determine whether a successful adjustment has been made to such problems, or, as is sometimes the case, they are attempting to avoid their own problems by helping someone else. Experience has taught that in the latter case, Volunteers become increasingly frustrated, anxious and unhappy by adding stress to their own difficulties.

Applicants who possess the necessary initial qualifications (see attached sheet) begin a six-week training program. There is a strong emphasis on the serious nature of the commitment and the significance of the class as a probationary period -- that is, the class is a time to determine whether the trainees� needs and skills are compatible with the Center's needs and skill requirements. The training program is designed to provide each person with adequate skills to perform effectively on the phone. Sessions are arranged in logical progression. In a manner consistent with the goals of the course, two four-hour observation shifts are also required. Here, trainees have the opportunity to experience the realities of telephone counseling. It is a time for learning about community resources, of actual phoneroom activities, and for observation and listening. Additionally, three supervised shifts follow, which allow trainees to perform the duties of the Phone Counselor with the support and coaching of experienced Volunteers.

Once training is completed, Volunteer Telephone Counselors are asked to make a commitment to working regular hours - one four-hour shift per week - for at least 6 months (24 shifts). During this time, they are also encouraged to attend in-service training sessions. An annual event combines training, recreation, fellowship and reward.

The feeling of commitment experienced by the Volunteer is complemented by an awareness of the responsibilities and duties assigned to him/her. The Counselor is expected to respond with confidence in an empathetic, caring manner. Empathy and caring are expressed from the first words of greeting spoken by the Counselor to the closing of the call. Secondly, the Counselor is expected to be sufficiently knowledgeable of the referral information and references utilized by the Center. By the time a Volunteer becomes a Phone Counselor, (s)he has been deemed capable of performing these duties with minimal assistance from the Staff. This is not to say, however, a Counselor should feel hesitant in consulting with others (Staff or CARE Team). In fact, there are circumstances (such as when there are duty-to-warn considerations) under which the Counselor should consult the person on-call (Staff or CARE Team) as a matter of course.

From the time a person makes application to be a Volunteer for the Crisis Center, throughout training and for the duration of his/her work here, it will be apparent that much is expected of him/her. Volunteers are expected to be unpaid experts in crisis and suicide, and the Staff believe that a high degree of competence can be obtained within certain prescribed standards. Moreover, it seems to be true that the more a person puts into an endeavor, the more (s)he will get out of it. Being a Volunteer Phone Counselor can be one of the most rewarding and enlightening experiences a person can have. It provides an excellent opportunity for personal growth, increased self-awareness, and improved sensitivity to others.

Volunteer Pre-Requisites

Prior to training, a potential trainee must fall within the following guidelines:

  • Minimum age 20 preferred
  • Within six months prior to beginning the training process, preferred that trainee not have made a suicide attempt, had a major crisis in his/her life or been a client of the Crisis Center;
  • Must have a genuine desire and willingness to help people who are in need;
  • Does not require a high school diploma or special training.

Immediately following training, the potential volunteers will be:

  • Required to have successfully completed the Alachua County Crisis Center Phone Training, including Observation and Supervised shifts,
  • Sign the Confidentiality Agreement
  • Commit to 24 regularly scheduled volunteer phone counselor shifts (usually over a period of approximately six months),
  • Attend three In-Service sessions per 12 months;
  • Must follow Code of Ethics adopted by the Alachua County Crisis Center;
  • Must put effort into following all Phone Room and Scheduling procedures.

Potential Volunteer Characteristics

Regardless of education and experience, a person seeking crisis intervention training should have the following characteristics:

  1. A desire to help people and the potential to empathically understand others;
  2. The ability to think logically and to demonstrate mature judgment;
  3. The ability to cooperate with co-workers and personnel in other agencies;
  4. A willingness to spend the time required for pre-service training, in-service training, and the provision of crisis intervention once trained;
  5. An ability to be discrete and an absence of the need to proselytize while functioning as a crisis worker;
  6. An appreciation for the complexity of human dilemmas and avoidance of pat, simplistic solutions;
  7. An ability to accept supervision; and
  8. A stable personality with a balance of optimism and realism.