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About the Position
Position:
1748 - Supporting Seniors - Outbound Telephone Support > Remote
Organization:
Position Address:
Specific location is confidential until training is completed, PLUS remote/virtual from the volunteer's residence
Location:
Mississauga, Virtual

Goal

Distress Centres of Greater Toronto's three Outbound programs (TeleCheck, Touching Base and Client Reassurance Program) provide ongoing telephone support for isolated clients in the GTA. Our regular calls provide safety check-ins, medication reminders, and social calls. We also focus on offering clients a chance to be heard by providing emotional support, companionship and a sense of community. Our Outbound programs reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, provides positive coping skills, offer informational referrals to community services, and keep people safe. We rarely have clients that are experiencing a crisis: most clients want to connect about their day or talk about a challenge they may be having. However staff is always available to offer you guidance and support on your calls.Our recruitment of volunteers in this posting focuses upon assisting SENIORS. COVID-19 has caused many older adults to experience increased isolation, and as the DESCRIPTION below outlines, the role of Support Seniors seeks to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, as well as helping in other ways.


Description

Under the supervision of professional staff, all volunteers are carefully screened and fully trained prior working with our clients. Volunteers also receive ongoing professional support and in-service education sessions. Experienced volunteers learn many life and communication skills which enable them to function more effectively in other aspects of their lives.

We are seeking remote volunteers to make phone calls to our registered clients, to offer a supportive ear, reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, or to help with medication reminders. We offer flexible shift times and lengths, from 1 hour to 4 hours.

SPECIAL LANGUAGE SKILLS NEEDED:

DCGT provides our programs and services in 7 languages other than English. Currently we are seeking volunteers who can understand and speak fluently in the following languages: CantoneseMandarinPortugueseSpanishHindiPunjabi and Urdu. (These 'links' will provide access to our brochures in those languages.)

To apply, volunteers with profiles in Volunteer MBC's Referral System can click the yellow box 'Apply Now!' (above/below) to gain immediate access to the DCGT volunteer application process, plus your name/contact info/ will be added to a list of 'Applicants' for this role. If you do not have a 'profile', you are invited to create one, or you can access the organization's website (and its 'Volunteer' page). 


Benefits

Help Others: Give back to the community; help those with mental health issues cope; and feel less stigmatized, change peoples’ lives (including your own)

Connect to Your Community: Increase knowledge and understanding of prevalent issues and challenges faced by many in our community; developing greater social awareness; Feel more socially connected to others and develop a stronger sense of belonging

Improve Interpersonal And Communication Skills: Develop new listening and communication skills you can use in all aspects of your life (i.e. both professionally and personally); Improve your understanding of your own personal strengths, values and beliefs; Develop patience and an empathetic approach to dealing with those in crisis


Qualifications

To ensure volunteers are fully equipped to effectively manage our various support lines, they are carefully screened and are required to complete comprehensive training before starting on the lines. We do not require any specific educational/professional qualifications, however there are certain criteria our volunteers are expected to meet:

  • At least 18 years of age
  • A kind and caring heart, patience, empathy and a desire to help those who are struggling in the community
  • Compassionate and able to provide listening support without judging
  • Able to accept and respect differences of opinion, values, views and beliefs that may be different from your own
  • Able to complete online in-class training, supplementary training materials (i.e., e-book, videos), and a mentoring shift with on-the-phones coaching
  • Able to commit to 12 hours per month 
  • Available for shifts scheduled between 9-5 Monday to Friday
  • Agree to complete the police verification form given by DCGT, or submission of a recent police records check from a volunteer organization (i.e. within 6 months of validity period)Agree to abide by and sign DCGT’s confidentiality agreement
  • Payment of a non-refundable training fee
  • Have access to a confidential space for volunteering
  • Have a computer and reliable internet access (please ask us about the devices and software that you will need for this 'role')

SCREENING of applicants will be remote (Tel/Email/Online interviewing). After you apply, please monitor your 'Junk/Spam' email folders and leave space on your voicemail for communications from DCGT.

Min Age: 18
Max Age: 99   
Police Check: Required   
Resume:Not required   
Driver's Licence: Not required   
Proof of Vaccination: Not required


Time Commitment
This is a Long Term (More than 6 months) commitment
Shifts are available on the following days
 - Monday Morning, Monday Afternoon, Tuesday Morning, Tuesday Afternoon, Wednesday Morning, Wednesday Afternoon, Thursday Morning, Thursday Afternoon, Friday Morning, Friday Afternoon

English-speaking Outbound Volunteers: Monday to Friday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (Other languages may have different shift times)
Volunteers are required to complete 12 hours a month (until you have accumulated 100 hours), and then you must complete 8 hours a month to remain an active volunteer with DCGT


Training

DCGT provides a comprehensive, remote training, that prepares volunteers for making outgoing calls for each of our outbound programs.

DCGT uses adult learning practices and incorporates lecture, role-play, scenarios, exercises and supplementary reading into our training program. Post in-class instruction, responders will receive between 4-8 hours of one-to-one on-the-line coaching. All training, coaching and reading assignments are mandatory. DCGT’s training prepares you for your volunteer role, and is designed in such a way that all the skills learned, and knowledge gained can be applied to your day-to-day life – personally and professionally.

Curriculum Highlights: Active Listening and Solution Focused Conversations, Diversity and Cultural Competency, Mental Healthe, Abuse (including Elder Abuse), Crisis and Suicide Assessment and Intervention, Peer Support

Mandatory supplementary readings are assigned for each module. Further, additional supplementary readings are also provided to help you grow your knowledge in preparation for supporting Outbound clients.


More Details
Areas of Interest: Crisis, Distress & Emergency Response, Counselling & Mental Health, Life Skills & Accessibility, Senior Support, Multilingual
Accessibility: Unknown, Fully Accessible Workplace
Ideal for: Individuals, Co-op Placements, Newcomers, Older Adults



How to Contact
Send an Email Message
Social Media
https://www.dcogt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DistressCentresGTA
https://twitter.com/distresscentres
https://www.linkedin.com/company/distress-centres-toronto/
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