Applying To Be A Volunteer At Reachout

Who we are:

Reachout is a 24-hour, 7-day a week crisis intervention and information referral hotline. We handle over 25,000 calls a year, and help people cope with all kinds of problems: loneliness, alcohol, mental illness, poverty, sexual difficulties, rape, domestic violence, suicide, family problems, drugs, etc. Our volunteers receive over 100 hours of training in crisis intervention, listening skills, problem-solving and information and referral.

What we're looking for in our volunteers:

Reachout is a confidential service dedicated to treating all callers, regardless of their situation, as human beings worthy of dignity and respect. We need caring, patient, intelligent people who can accept others without judging. We need good listeners who can stay calm in a crisis. We need people who are stable in their own lives who are ready to take on the emotional and intellectual challenge of becoming a Reachout volunteer. This doesn't mean we want all volunteers to be the same, or to hold exactly the same beliefs and opinions. Reachout volunteers are a diverse group; we all have different backgrounds, religions, lifestyles and interests.

What you get out of becoming a Reachout volunteer:

People seek Reachout training for different purposes. Helping others and making a difference in their community draws many Reachout volunteers to this work. Even for those who don't want to pursue a counseling-related career, it's extremely valuable work experience: working with people, handling difficult situations, and thinking on your feet. You'll also meet interesting, like-minded people. Many lifelong friendships started at Reachout.

What Reachout training entails:

The basic requirements for all Reachout applicants are listed below. Review them. However, these are not the only criteria used to select applicants. We're very selective about the people we choose for training. It's emotionally and intellectually demanding work that's not right for everyone. If you apply and you're not chosen, it doesn't mean you're a bad person. It probably means this work isn't right for you at this time.

If you pass the first three steps of the application process (shown below), you will be invited to attend our training weekend. This is a full weekend of workshops presented by local professionals and Reachout administrative staff on a variety of special topics. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory.

If you are accepted for further training after Training Weekend, you will be assigned one 5-hour shift or two 2 1/2 hour weekly shifts, during which you will come to the Reachout office to work. Training includes reading and worksheets, as well as hands-on experience on the phones about six to eight weeks after you start to train. Your training will be supervised by current Reachout volunteers, and usually takes three to four months.

Thank you for showing interest! Please feel free to call or email us any time. If you have any questions about Reachout, the application process or training, please ask!

Basic Requirements for Reachout Applicants

  • You must be at least 18 years old.
  • You must plan to volunteer for a length of time equivalent to at least two college semesters. It takes approximately one semester to train each volunteer, so it is important that you try to work at least one semester after completing your volunteer training, so we can recoup our training time.
  • If you have been in treatment for serious mental illness, depression, substance abuse, alcoholism or similar problems, you must have been out of the inpatient program and outpatient follow-up program for at least one year before applying. If you have overcome serious personal problems, you can be a real asset to Reachout. However, you must be at a stable point in your life and be able to handle the emotional and intellectual challenge of Reachout training. If you are recently out of treatment, you need your time and energy to readjust to the world and be fairly certain that your problem won't recur. (Please note: the kind of treatment we are talking about is long-term therapy of the type that often includes hospitalization.)
  • If you are a student, you must be in good academic standing with your college at the time of application. Reachout training is very demanding and a student on academic probation cannot afford to take that kind of time away from his or her studies.
  • If you do not live within walking distance of Reachout, you must have access to reliable transportation.

    • Tools Used to Screen Applicants

    We use four tools to screen applicants. The first three tools are the application, the interview and the references. Acceptable references are adults who know you well (examples: employer, co-worker, professor or teacher, pastor). Please do not include very close friends, relatives, significant others, or current Reachout volunteers or staff.

    The Applicant Review committee meets after the application deadline to review these three sources and decides who to accept for Training Weekend. At Training Weekend, you are further evaluated by current Reachout volunteers. After Training Weekend, the Applicant Review Committee meets again to decide whom to accept for further Reachout training.

    Copyright ©2004 by Reachout of St. Lawrence County, Inc. All rights reserved.