Bereavement Peer Support Volunteer

(Acclaim Health, Community Support Services)

Position ID: V-HVC0093
Last Full Update: 08 Feb 2024

Opportunity Details: Bereavement Peer Support Volunteer

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The next Free ONLINE Bereavement Training is scheduled for Winter 2025. 

Have you experienced a significant loss in your own life and been through your own grieving experience and are interested in supporting others as they grieve? As a trained volunteer, you can help those with the loss of a loved one, work through their grief and find a way to move forward. Visits are taking place on the phone and in person. Wonderful training in one-on-one bereavement peer support is provided. After training, our Bereavement Counsellor will match you with a client to visit for a period of 3 to 12 months (depending on the client's needs), making all the difference in their journey through grief. 

 

Contact Tanya Peche-Hopley, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, Acclaim Health; Phone: (905) 827-8800 ext 2329; Email: tpeche-hopley@acclaimhealth.ca
Duties

Bereavement Peer Support Volunteers Needed! 

Apply to volunteer today to start your FREE ONLINE Bereavement Peer Support Training! 

About the Bereavement Peer Support Program:

In this program, you will play a crucial role in helping to normalize the grieving process for individuals struggling to cope with the death of a loved one. As a Bereavement Peer Support Volunteer, you will provide a safe, non-judgmental space for clients to share their stories and express their feelings. Your role will involve offering comfort, support, and assistance in finding meaning and healing. Additionally, you may provide information and strategies to help clients learn to live with their loss.

Requirement:

In our Bereavement Peer Support Program, we recognize the unique strength that comes from shared experiences. Therefore, we are specifically seeking volunteers who have personally encountered a significant loss in their lives. This program operates on the principle of peer support, emphasizing that our clients often benefit immensely from sharing their challenges with someone who has navigated a similar journey of loss and grief.

The Strength of Peer Support:

Being a peer support program, we understand the profound impact that a volunteer with personal experience can have on someone struggling with grief. Your own journey through loss enables you to connect with clients on a deeper level, fostering a sense of understanding, empathy, and shared resilience. Clients often find solace in knowing that they are not alone in their grief, and your presence as a peer support volunteer can provide a source of strength and inspiration.

Your Personal Journey as a Source of Comfort:

As a Bereavement Peer Support Volunteer, your lived experience becomes a valuable asset in providing comfort and reassurance to those in need. Your ability to relate to the complex emotions of grief can offer a unique form of support, helping clients feel understood and validated in their own struggles. Through the sharing of your personal journey, you contribute to the creation of a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can openly express their feelings and find solace in the knowledge that they are not alone.

Matching Volunteers and Clients:

To further enhance the effectiveness of our support, we make efforts to pair newly trained volunteers with clients who have experienced a similar type of loss, where applicable. This matching process is designed to create a more profound connection between volunteers and clients, as it allows for a shared understanding of the specific challenges and emotions associated with a particular loss. By aligning personal experiences, we aim to create a supportive and empathetic environment that promotes healing and growth. 

A Shared Path Towards Healing:

In joining this program, you become an integral part of a community that understands the transformative power of shared experiences. Your willingness to give back by helping others navigate their grief is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Together, as a community of volunteers who have walked similar paths of loss, we aim to provide comfort, support, and the hope of healing to those who seek it.

Training commitments:

Our upcoming Bereavement Peer Support Training is scheduled for winter 2025. Training details are as follows:

Dates: Mondays

Time: 1 pm – 3:30 pm 

Delivery mode: ONLINE via Zoom link

Course duration: 10 weeks

Ongoing: Following training, volunteers are typically asked to commit 1 hour per week, matched with a client for approximately 3 months.

More Info Link https://acclaimhealth.ca/volunteer/bereavement-peer-support-volunteer/
Benefits Free 10-week training in one-on-one bereavement support (Certificate provided when training is completed and matched with a client) 
Ongoing support from your Acclaim Health Bereavement Counsellor 
Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition Program 
Special Volunteer Events 
Optional and ongoing Volunteer Educational workshops
Clients To visit and support individuals in the community facing the loss of a loved one. 
Our Bereavement Counsellor will take the time to match you with the right client, based on yours and the client's needs.
Ages 18 year(s) and up
Suitable for Highschool Credit Hours No
Suitable For Adults (18+) ; Seniors (55+) ; Post-secondary students ; Persons with a physical disability ; Persons with a visual impairment
Areas of Interest Counselling ; Distress / Crisis / Bereavement Support ; Social Interaction
Skills/Experience Communication & Interpersonal Skills ; Confidentiality ; Counseling & Support ; Dependability & Trustworthiness ; Listening Skills ; Patience ; Positive / Cheerful Demeanor ; Excellent listener, compassionate, kind, supportive, patient. Having experienced the grief journey yourself is a requirement.
Commitment Length Long Term - Minimum 1 year ; Volunteering only takes 1-2 hours per week, but will make all the difference. 
We ask for a minimum of 1 year commitment, upon completion of your Bereavement Peer Support training.
Interaction Level One-on-one ; One to one support with client. Ongoing communication with Bereavement Counsellor.
Minimum Hours 1 / Week
Dates and Times We'll work with you and your schedule to make sure you have the best volunteering experience possible!
Seasons Year Round
Location Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Georgetown, Acton
Number of Positions Acton: 3 individual(s) ; Burlington: 3 individual(s) ; Georgetown: 3 individual(s) ; Milton: 3 individual(s) ; Oakville: 3 individual(s) 
 
15 individual(s) needed in total.
Training Orientation ; Training is provided ; Scheduled training ; A 10 week training program is provided, along with ongoing support from the Bereavement Counsellor.
Cost The cost of Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) is not covered, but you get to keep the original copy
Police Check Required
Additional Requirements Interview; 2 reliable references (professional or personal); vulnerable sector check (VSC);, attend a mandatory Volunteer Orientation session (ONLINE).
Start Date On or after 20 Nov 2023

Agency Details: Acclaim Health, Community Support Services

Office Phone 905-827-8800
Toll Free Phone 1-800-387-7127
Fax 905-827-3390
E-Mail pblakeley@acclaimhealth.ca
Website www.acclaimhealth.ca
Address & Map
2370 Speers Rd
Oakville, ON L6L 5M2
 
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