Peer Support Facilitator (Helpline, Volunteer Intern)

Step Up For Mental Health’s mission is to support, educate, and provide services to empower families living with the challenges of mental health disorders is seeking a Volunteer Intern, Peer Support Facilitator (PSF) who is open to working with individuals and families who want a flexible schedule to provide peer support to clients who reach out to us via our helpline and website in various ways. We work with families living on the westside, Southside, Northwestside of Chicago, IL and nationally on outside resources. Some local outside home visitations drop-off expected. Peer Support is mostly offered by remote sessions. Some local in-person will happen for mentoring and special events with the supervisor. Remote raining and various office tools are required. 200 hours (six months to one-year) commitment needed minimum. 4-6 hours a week expected. Have access to a private space and a passion for supporting individuals, families, persons dealing with poverty or other marginalized groups.

Your Role & Responsibilities:

We ask our volunteer/Interns to commit to 200 volunteer hours over one+ year(s). (100 hours for special intern programs). Step Up For Mental Health’s internship program is an “unpaid” volunteer intern role for students who are applicants for general studies for Bachelor’s in Psychology, Masters in Psychology, Counseling, or Social Work. 

Our goal is to assist interns in learning the day-to-day workings of a diverse peer-to-peer nonprofit environment in administration, peer support, 1:1 peer facilitation, and our human services helpline. Along with our peer training mentoring program for children and adults who are dealing with mental health-related issues, such as poverty, civic justice, educational training, and life skills. It is our mission to showcase how families and their caregivers are dealing with issues surrounding their household and community. We hope that student(s) will learn and understand the many facets of social services that will define their next steps in their careers and show how peer support and the profession of psychology can work together in individual’s lives dealing with mental health-related issues. 

What You’ll Do (e.g. Your Job Duties):

• Interns schedule a regular weekly meeting time with their primary supervisor.
• Training and documenting aspects of peer support sessions, interactions to get to the root of supporting clients who ask for assistance and support.
• Phone, Live Chat, SMS, Video Chat Support: Engage in one-on-one conversations with individuals seeking mental health support through our online tools.
• 1:1 Peer Chat Support Sessions: Assisting with individuals who sign up for 1:1 Peer Chats for a (one-time only) 30-minutes session, 4 or 6 week sessions. 
• Resource Referral: Share information about relevant mental health resources, such as helplines, support groups, therapists, and community organizations, to assist individuals in accessing additional help.
• Active Listening: Practice attentive and compassionate listening skills to understand the concerns, emotions, and experiences of individuals reaching out for support. 
• Emotional Support: Provide a safe and supportive environment for individuals to express their feelings, thoughts, and challenges related to mental health.
• Co-facilitate peer support groups: General public who sign up for our weekly or monthly events.
• Promote Mental Health Awareness: Contribute to the organization’s mission by raising awareness about mental health issues and sharing educational resources, coping strategies, and self-care practices during chat interactions.

Desired Qualifications and Skills:

• Have basic computer and phone skills
• A high degree of organizational skills and problem-solving ability; specifically the ability to work as a self-starter – especially as it relates to calling on resources outside of the organization. 
• Resourcefulness and self-starter in finding information and answers from within and outside the organization.
• There will be some shift hours where you will be working on our website Live Chat, a digital phone system or HIPPA Compliant SMS text to assist live with questions or creating cases.
• Respect for details; ability to execute accurately at a high level without excess supervision. 
• Ability to prioritize/execute to achieve desired organization and project goals with a sense of urgency. 
• Excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Desire to learn and grow professionally in an organization environment. 
• General computer skills including Google tools: Sheets, Slides, Docs, Drive, and CRM Project management tools  and communications desired.

What You Will Need:

• Empathy and Compassion: Demonstrate genuine empathy and compassion towards individuals experiencing mental health challenges.
• Communication Skills: Strong written communication skills to convey empathy, understanding, and guidance effectively in a chat-based setting.
• Emotional Resilience: Ability to maintain emotional stability and practice self-care while providing support to individuals facing mental health difficulties.
• Boundaries and Confidentiality: Respect for confidentiality and commitment to upholding ethical guidelines to protect the privacy and well-being of individuals seeking support. 
• Cultural Sensitivity: Awareness and respect for diverse backgrounds, cultures, and identities, ensuring exclusivity in your interactions.
• Training and Commitment: Willingness to undergo any required training or orientation provided and commit to a consistent schedule for peer chat support. 
• Self-Care and Growth: Engage in regular self-care practices to maintain your emotional well-being, and participate in training sessions or supervision opportunities to enhance your skills and knowledge as a PSF.
• Connect with our mission: Empathetic listening skills
• Provide a safe and nonjudgmental place for our clients to share
• Practice open and honest communication

Remote volunteering requires access to: (Quiet, private place)

1. A computer (we recommend a PC or Mac)
2. A headset or headphones with microphone
3. Reliable high-speed internet service.
4.  Must have all client interaction in a private, quiet, confidential space
   
5. Minimum of  two, 3-4-hour shifts per week for 200-hours during the year. (Note: Special program partnership can be 100-hours.)

Join our dedicated team at Step Up For Mental Health! This remote role offers a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of families.

Weekly Community Meeting (Optional for Volunteers) 

As a Volunteer Intern, you will have a scheduled weekly meeting to go over the important tasks, projects, and events with your supervisor. Our mission-driven goals are peer support, groups, our helpline, meeting/interacting with clients to solve their concerns and lend support, working on crucial community projects, and assisting and supporting our events assigned tasks. Interns will have the opportunity to share their experiences within the organization, and bring ideas and thoughts to the table on how we can improve our services, peer support, and programming. Community meetings will help you understand how our professional organization and environment runs, along with working on collaboration and learning our mission of service.

Individual Supervision

As a Volunteer Intern, you will have a scheduled 1:1 weekly meeting with your supervisor to help support your projects and help you with any issues, thoughts, or concerns you have with a client you might be working with. In addition, to assist you with your project assigned to you. You will be asked to share your thoughts, ideas, and issues you might be facing at this time so we can work together to find a solution.

What You’ll Learn

• How to build relationships and work cross-functionally within an established non-profit organization
• Role-specific training to thoroughly prepare you for clients facing support and their diverse needs
• How to use system helpline support tools that will support your goals in assisting our community

Step Up For Mental Health® is a peer-to-peer advocacy group providing support, assistance and education to families and their caregivers, dealing with mental health-related issues. We also mentor and partner with other nonprofits, and organizations in various mentoring and educational events. We have four (4) Programs we provide services. Our mission and goals are to assist families in ways the whole family might need assistance. We are committed to helping meet the challenges families are facing with regard to peer support, transgenerational trauma and poverty due to racism, and finding professional support and providing access to services. 

Mental Health First Aid Training 
We are officially a MHFA Hub and require all helpline roles to take an 8-Hour course that will support you in peer support and assist you in learning the tools of Mental Health First Aid. The course will be a two part Blended Delivery. Two Hour On-Demand training and in-person or virtual Instructor-led training (5.5 or 6.5 hours). 

Our goal is to assist our helpline team in learning the day-to-day workings of a diverse peer-to-peer nonprofit environment in administration and peer support. Assist in organizing our peer support in a group setting, in-person and our online meetings. 

Special knowledge or skills that are expected for interns.

We train all interns on digital tools and applications will be needed to do the job well. Technology Tools: Communications and Project Management Tool, Chat/Spaces/Drive and other tools (Sheets, Docs, Slides). Assist with business development matters including marketing material preparation for the public and on our social media channels. Must be digital savvy or open to learn advance skills, telehealth tools, phone communications, PII/HIPPA compliant using tools, CRMs, Chrome browsers, Live Chat communications, mobile applications and field work.