Volunteer Peer CARE Companion — Warmline

Roses in the Ocean is seeking people in the ACT with a personal lived experience of suicide who may be interested in becoming a Volunteer Peer CARE Companion for the Peer CARE Companion Warmline.

The Warmline is a non-clinical peer call-back service for adults impacted by suicide. It provides people with an opportunity to connect with someone who has a similar lived experience, be heard without judgement, and have their distress compassionately explored and understood through the mutual understanding that can come from meaningful shared experience.

Roses in the Ocean defines lived experience of suicide as having:

• experienced suicidal thoughts
• survived a suicide attempt
• supported someone through suicidal distress or crisis
• been bereaved by suicide

As a Volunteer Peer CARE Companion, your role is not to be a counsellor, clinician or crisis responder. The role is about listening deeply, sitting alongside another person’s experience, and offering connection through Compassion, Acceptance, Respect and Empathy — CARE.

Volunteer Peer CARE Companions should:

• have a personal lived experience of suicide
• feel comfortable talking about suicide and sitting with another person’s distress
• be able to listen deeply and allow people to talk about their experiences
• understand the importance of boundaries, confidentiality and safe peer practice
• feel ready to use their lived experience purposefully and safely to support others
• be willing to complete the required onboarding, training and checks

#Training and support Volunteers are supported through a structured onboarding pathway designed to prepare them for the role safely and confidently.

This includes:

• a Readiness Call with a Roses in the Ocean team member
• self-paced Volunteer Peer CARE Companion online learning
• a facilitated Peer CARE Companion workshop
• service induction and preparation for the Warmline role
• ongoing support and debriefing from the Roses in the Ocean team
• opportunities to participate in Group Co-Reflection
• professional development and Community of Practice opportunities

The Readiness Call is an informal conversation where we can answer questions, talk about your readiness to be involved, and make sure the role and timing feel right for you.

A current National Police Check and ACT Working with Vulnerable People registration are required before volunteering activity can begin. You do not need these before submitting your expression of interest. If you are approved to progress following your Readiness Call, we will talk you through the required checks.

ACT WWVP applications are currently taking around 8 weeks on average, so volunteers progressing after readiness approval are encouraged to start this process promptly to help avoid delays later in onboarding.

Volunteers are not expected to do this work alone. Support, debriefing, clear boundaries and ongoing connection with the Roses in the Ocean team are built into the role.