Helpline Phone Volunteer

Helpline Phone Volunteer

Reports to

NAMI Glendale Operations Manager

Location

Glendale and surrounding cities. Service area includes Burbank, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Echo Park, Lincoln Heights, Highland Park and Crescenta Valley. This volunteer role is remote.

Hours

Part-time/ 3-6 hours per week. Hours are flexible, responding to Helpline inquiries as they come in, approximately 3-6 calls and texts per day.

Volunteer Position

This is a volunteer position. Your contributions will go a long way to provide support for those who benefit from NAMI Glendale programming: local mental health resources, support, political advocacy and stigma-free community.

Purpose

To share NAMI Glendale programs with people who need practical support. To refer out crisis calls and emotional support calls.

Responsibilities

• Answer calls to our NAMI Glendale Non-Crisis Helpline using our affiliate helpline cell phone (3-6 calls per day). This includes answering the phone, texting and calling back those who leave a voicemail.
• Consistently and reliably respond to voicemail messages within a 24 hour time frame.
• Identify need and direct callers to appropriate resources. Be able to distinguish between those who will benefit from NAMI programs, those who need emotional support, those who need linkage to mental health care and those who are experiencing an emergency.
• Appropriately refer callers to needed resources. Direct callers who need resources to our website resource pages. Direct crisis calls to the appropriate crisis lines. Direct people in need of emotional support to phone lines that are answered by trained counselors.
• Log data in the call log.

Skills Required

• Customer service, listening and communication skills.
• Time management skills to reliably manage a prompt response to each call.
• Ability to use a cell phone, including to text, to copy/paste links in a text and to listen to voicemail.
• Data entry into a spreadsheet.
• Knowledge of NAMI Glendale mental health programming, especially support groups and classes.

Desirable Qualifications

• Community engagement within the service area of NAMI Glendale, including Glendale, Burbank, Eagle Rock, Hollywood, Echo Park, Lincoln Heights, El Sereno, Highland Park.
• Language skills: Spanish, Armenian, Korean, Filipino to enable community engagement.
• Knowledge of local mental health resources, including Medi-Cal mental health programs through DMH/ local accessible treatment providers and local NAMI programs and resources.
• Familiarity with mental health diagnoses, symptoms, treatments a positive, hopeful and objective understanding of possible outcomes for those living with mental health conditions.

Reason to join our team

NAMI Glendale is in its 40th year and is growing from a healthy foundation of years of people with lived experience coming together in solidarity, support and empowerment. Because we are a mature organization, we are able to serve a large and ever-growing community.

When you bring your skills to this organization, you can get a lot done to truly help others, some in crisis, and many who are here for the sustained support and community. If you want to make a positive impact on this world, then apply for this NAMI Glendale volunteer role.

About NAMI Glendale

NAMI Glendale/ NAMI Greater Los Angeles County (GLAC) is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Over the past 40 years, NAMI Glendale has produced mental health programming, including classes, support groups and workshops led by people with lived experience. NAMI Glendale supports people and loved ones who are experiencing a mental health crisis in a uniquely personal and practical way. Our community-led programs offer confidentiality, acceptance and are free and accessible to all. For more information, visit www.namiglendale.org.

To Apply

For questions, or to express your interest in this volunteer role, email a few notes on why you are interested in this role to jobs@namiglendale.org.