Crisis Line Volunteer
About The Samaritans Cape Cod and the Islands The mission of The Samaritans is suicide prevention. A nonprofit organization with decades in volunteer public service and proven expertise in the field, The Samaritans provides support to people who are either contemplating suicide or who have been personally affected by suicide. Our focus is not solely on those people who are at imminent risk for suicide. Our goal is to provide pathways to healing for our whole community. We do this by providing caring, sincere, and attentive listeners who rekindle people’s lost sense of hope, de-escalate situations from a crisis level, and provide the connections that make day to-day living manageable through compassionate interaction in a safe, comfortable, and anonymous environment. We promote an inclusive environment where differences are acknowledged and celebrated, communication is open, conflicts are addressed early and resolved, and where there is a shared mindset of supporting our communities, we serve. Reports To The Crisis Services Volunteer will report to the Director of Crisis Line Operations. Volunteer Overview The Crisis Line Volunteer provides support to the Crisis Line program by answering calls for approximately 10 hours per month. Responsibilities and Duties The functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.
- Answers crisis calls from those who are seeking emotional support including those who may be at risk of suicide
- Adheres to performance measures in attending to call volume
- Thorough and accurate documentation of completed calls
- Participates in staff meetings and supervision, schedule permitting
- Attend continuing education and training as needed
Requirements
- 18 years of age or older
- High school graduate or GED equivalent
- Minimum of two years of professional experience preferred
- Experience working on a crisis helpline a plus
- Ability to respect confidentiality
- Ability to be empathetic and engage in active, non-judgmental listening with our users
- Ability to work with sensitive and confidential information
- Must be able to display good, sound judgment
- Must possess strong communication skills
- Ability to resolve conflicts appropriately
- Ability to tolerate different beliefs and opinions
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively to maximize teamwork across the organization
- Some flexibility in working hours
- Must keep time commitments
- Displays willingness to learn
- Ability to accept direction
- Successful completion of the Volunteer Crisis Line Associate Training and assigned learning shifts on the helpline after hire
- Other responsibilities as assigned by supervisor
Internet & Equipment Speed Requirements
- A minimum of
10-20 Mbps download
and
5 Mbps upload
is required for a single user.
- Due to fluctuations in ISP performance, a
recommended speed of at least 50 Mbps download
and
10 Mbps upload
is advised.
- Multiple devices using the same network (e.g., computers, TVs, smartphones, printers) may impact call quality.
- For optimal performance:
- Run a speed test using Jitter; your latency should be
less than 100 ms
.
- Packet Loss should be
less than 1% for faxing
and
between 1-2% for calls
.