We’re searching for Victorian-based family, carers and supporters of someone with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviour to volunteer on our suicide prevention call-back service, the Peer CARE Companion Warmline.
**To volunteer for our national Warmline service, please click here.**
When a person is experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviour, it can be a very worrying time for their family, carers and supporters. Family, carers and supporters who are supporting somebody experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or behaviour benefit from speaking with people who have had a similar experience.
The Peer CARE Companion Warmline has been created by Roses in the Ocean to provide a safe place for people with a lived experience of suicide to connect with others with a similar lived experience of suicide. The service provides people with an opportunity to connect, be heard, and for their distress to be compassionately explored and understood by another person through the mutual understanding that comes with meaningful shared experience.
Staffed by trained volunteers (Peer CARE Companions) from a range of backgrounds, life experiences and identities, the Warmline service provides vital support for those who need it, by connecting the caller with a volunteer that has similar lived experience. As a volunteer with lived experience of supporting someone with suicidal thoughts or behaviour, you will be connected with callers to the Warmline who are living a similar experience.
Volunteers will not provide counselling or advice. They may assist in providing relief from emotional distress by exploring coping strategies and provide suggestions for online resources and/or information about support services, including counselling.
***This is NOT a crisis line, If you are in crisis or someone you are with is in crisis, please call a crisis line, such as Lifeline on 13 11 14, or others you will find on our ‘I need help now” page that may suit you better.***
CARE stands for our dedication to listen with Compassion, Acceptance, Respect and Empathy.
Volunteer Peer CARE Companions (family, carers and supporters) will:
- Have a personal lived experience of supporting someone with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviour.
- Have a current Police check and a Working with Vulnerable People check; Working with Children Check; Blue Card; or other state-based required check that allows you to work with vulnerable people (not needed to register to become a volunteer).
- Be comfortable talking about suicide and sitting with another person’s distress.
- Be able to listen deeply and let people talk about their experiences.
- Be based in Victoria.
Benefit of participating as a Volunteer Peer CARE Companion:
- Value of giving back to others that have similar lived experience to you.
- With access to the Roses in the Ocean structured support system and training, some of our volunteers have found this work helped them process and provide meaning to their own lived experience.
- Privilege of listening to someone else’s story and using your lived experience to bring comfort and hope.
- The power of connection and sharing at a human level.
- A role to play in suicide prevention.
“The benefits of volunteering for the Peer Warmline are two-fold. I connect with other carers to let them know that they’re not alone, and it gives a difficult time in my life immense purpose.” – Rochelle, Peer CARE Companion Warmline volunteer, lived experience as family, carer or supporter
What to expect as a Volunteer Peer CARE Companion:
- Peer CARE Companions will be supported to complete:
- Roses in the Ocean’s self-paced Volunteer Peer CARE Companion online learning and accompanying 1 day facilitated online workshop
- Ongoing support and debrief via the Roses in the Ocean team
- The opportunity to participate in group co-reflection sessions
- Professional development opportunities through a Community of Practice
- Volunteers will work from home with policy and procedures in place to ensure privacy and confidentiality whilst creating an environment to support conversation.
Please ensure you have read the ‘Readiness to be Involved in Suicide Prevention’ document before completing your registration, which you can find here.
Once you have completed your registration, you will be contacted by a member of the Roses in the Ocean team. We will answer any questions you may have and discuss your readiness to be involved. It’s an informal chat to ensure that this is the right opportunity and the right time for you.
You can contact the Peer CARE Companion team at: [email protected]
Please click below to register your interest in becoming a Peer CARE Companion (family, carer or supporter) and select Peer CARE Companion Warmline as your preferred program to volunteer in.
Support Lines
Should completing this process raise any strong emotions for you and you’d like to speak with someone, here are some National helplines and websites:
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 | kidshelpline.com.au
Lifeline: 13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 | suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Roses in the Ocean SP Peer CARE Companion Warmline: 1800 777 337
Beyond Blue: 1300 24 636 | beyondblue.org.au
QLife: 1800 184 527 | qlife.org.au
Open Arms: 1800 011 046 | openarms.gov.au
13YARN: 13 92 76 | 13yarn.org.au
Headspace: 1800 650 890 | headspace.org.au
ReachOut: au.reachout.com
Everymind: everymind.org.au/need-help-now