Volunteers
Griefline relies on the generous support of volunteers to enable us to help people find courage through their grief and discover hope and healing after loss.
Volunteering at Griefline
Volunteering at Griefline can be a rich and rewarding experience for people seeking to contribute to improving community wellbeing.
Griefline volunteers are compassionate individuals who are fully trained in grief and loss. They are people of all ages, from a variety of backgrounds, who have a breadth of personal experience. Non-judgemental, they are all exceptional listeners.
Many of our volunteers have lived experiences with grief and loss. Some are studying to become counsellors or mental health practitioners, while others are community members who are driven to support others through their experiences of grief and loss.
Griefline volunteers need to be prepared to commit to a 3-hour shift each week for at least 12 months after completion of their training for the Helpline.
The goodwill and generosity of Griefline volunteers starts at the top and filters right throughout the organisation. The entire Board is voluntary and all paid staff provide pro-bono support beyond their salaries and contracts.
“Being a volunteer at Griefline is an integral part of my life and is my way of giving back to the community. I have over the years volunteered in different roles and capacities and Griefline is different. Every time I volunteer, I get the privilege to support someone in their time of need, to be part of their journey. I have an opportunity to use my skill set, my experience to empower and help others.”
– Rebecca, Griefline Volunteer Telephone Counsellor
Grief and Loss Course
All Helpline Support Volunteers are required to undergo Griefline’s Grief and Loss training, which is conducted by senior clinical health professionals and provides participants with the knowledge and skills needed to support callers to the Helpline.
The course covers all theoretical components of Grief and Loss, and the practical application of these with callers to the Helpline.
The course is a combination of online and face to face components. The online self-paced learning and full day role-play practical workshop (conducted via Zoom).
From Sept/Oct intake, a $600 investment is required to complete the Griefline Grief and Loss training. A non-refundable deposit of $100 is required to secure your place in the training, and full payment is required on or before the role-play workshop date.
In recognition of the significant volunteering commitment to Griefline and our community of help-seekers, a $100 service rebate is returned to volunteers after 12 months of continuous service.
Our next volunteer intake will occur:
- SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 (expressions of interest close 17th September 2021)
Proposed 2022 volunteer intakes:
February, June and September
Are you ready to take the next step to becoming volunteer telephone counsellor?
Complete the Volunteer Expression of Interest here
Note: you must present a current police check before commencing any volunteer work with Griefline.
Get started now