Suicide Prevention - Peer Support Volunteering (Queanbeyan)

Peer CARE Companion in Community is a face-to-face, community-based suicide prevention service delivered by Roses in the Ocean, Australia’s national lived experience of suicide organisation.

The ACT program is growing across Canberra, Queanbeyan and nearby areas, and we are looking for local volunteers with a lived experience of suicide who may feel ready to support others in a safe, supported and non-clinical way.

You do not need come with a counsellor, therapist, clinician or crisis worker background.

This is a peer support role. It is about connection, listening, companionship and helping someone feel less alone.

A lived experience of suicide may include:


- having experienced thoughts of suicide

- surviving a suicide attempt

- supporting a loved one through suicidal crisis

- being bereaved by suicide

Peer CARE Companions meet people where they are at, locally and in community. Support may include meeting someone for coffee, going for a walk, having a chat, listening deeply, or gently helping someone connect with other services and community supports.

This role is not counselling, therapy, clinical assessment, case management, transport, emergency support or crisis response. Volunteers are not expected to hold crisis responsibility.

Peer CARE Companions are people who are:


- comfortable talking about suicide

- able to listen deeply and respectfully

- compassionate, steady and non-judgemental

- willing to work within clear role boundaries and safety processes

- interested in lived-experience-led suicide prevention in the ACT

Volunteers are supported through training, onboarding, debriefing and group co-reflection before beginning community-facing activity.

Training and onboarding includes:


- TouchPoints Workshop, approximately 4.5 hours

- self-paced online modules, approximately 4 to 6 hours

- Peer CARE Companion Workshop, approximately 6.5 hours

- service induction and practice calls, approximately 3 hours

- ongoing support and debriefing

Once training is complete, the minimum commitment is approximately 3 hours per month for at least 6 months. Volunteer availability is flexible and can be updated as needed.

The core Peer CARE Companion role is 1:1 peer connection. As the ACT program grows, there may also be other ways to support the program, including community stalls, group activities, walks, coffee catch-ups, events, awareness raising and lived experience input.

This role requires an ACT Working With Vulnerable People registration and a National Police Check before a volunteer can begin matched or community-facing activity.

The ACT Working With Vulnerable People registration is free for volunteer-only roles.

Volunteers are responsible for arranging and covering the cost of their National Police Check if they do not already hold a suitable current check that meets Roses in the Ocean’s requirements. Roses in the Ocean does not cover the cost of National Police Checks for this volunteer role.

Roses in the Ocean welcomes volunteers from diverse social, cultural, ability, age, gender and lived experience backgrounds.

To register your interest, please apply below. We will then send you information about creating your Volunteer Profile in Volaby and booking a Readiness Call with a Roses in the Ocean team member.

** Category **

Mental Health

** Commitment **

Regular
- more than 6 months

** Type Of Work **

Companionship & Social Support,Counselling & Help Line,Seniors & Aged Care,

** Time Required **

Once training is complete, volunteers need to be available for approximately 3 hours per month.

This may include 1:1 peer connection, community walks, coffee catch-ups, information stalls, workshops, group activities, debriefing or volunteer check-ins.

Volunteers also need to be available to complete onboarding and required training before beginning community-facing activity. Some training and induction activities are offered at set times.

Volunteer availability is versatile and can be updated

** Training **

Structured onboarding, suicide prevention training, service induction, practice activities and ongoi Apply on Kit Job: kitjobau.com/job/3qbz0r