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Want to Volunteer? Call the
Ear today!
Crisis Volunteers
We are always looking for
volunteers to join our staff. The Ear runs two or three training
sessions every year to teach prospective crisis counselors the necessary
skills.
In order to become a volunteer, you must first attend
an orientation (check the
Calendar for upcoming orientation dates and
locations ). Orientations take about two hours, and
include:
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Filling out an application
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Learning more about the
organization
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Participating in a small group
where you meet other potential volunteers as well as current crisis
counselors
Someone from the Ear (generally
our Recruitment and Orientation Director) will contact you to let you know
if your application was accepted. If so, the next step is to complete
the training program itself.
The Listening Ear's training
program has been called one of the most effective programs in the country
for teaching empathy, crisis intervention skills, and active listening.
Many volunteers describe training as the most powerful life-changing
experience they've ever been through. The 60+ hour program, spread
over two weekends, consists of:
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Lectures
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Exercises
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Small group interactions
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Role plays
Want to Volunteer? Call the
Ear today!
Orientation and Training
Q&A
Question: What exactly is The Listening Ear?
Answer: The Listening Ear is Michigan’s longest running crisis
intervention center. The all volunteer staff provides free crisis counseling
to telephone and walk in clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Volunteers
also offer sexual assault counseling free of charge. All services offered
are anonymous and confidential.
Question: What do I have to do to become a volunteer?
Answer: New volunteers must first attend one orientation session in
order to learn more about The Listening Ear and fill out an application.
There is no need to sign up in advance for an orientation session. After
orientations are complete you will receive a call to find out if you have
been accepted into training. If you are accepted, you must successfully
complete the two-week training program before you can begin answering calls.
Question: How long is training? Will it interfere with my school or
work schedule?
Answer: Training consists of approximately 60 hours spread out over
the course of two weeks. All weekday training sessions are in the evenings
(7PM) in order to avoid most school and work conflicts. Weekend sessions run
throughout the day. New volunteers must attend every training session in
order to become a staff member.
Question: What topics are covered in training?
Answer: Topics are centered on the types of calls received at The
Listening Ear. Skills learned will revolve around helping with such issues
as loneliness, depression, suicide, sexuality, sexual orientation, sexually
transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, alcohol, drugs, and sexual assault.
Question: Once I become a staff member, how much time must I devote
to your organization?
Answer: The Listening Ear asks volunteers to give one 4-hour shift
per week to answer the phones. This may seem like too much for some, but
keep in mind that on most shifts you are not constantly on the phone
(although this can happen). Many volunteers bring work to do while on shift,
making the four hour commitment much easier to fit into the week.
Question: I am especially interested in becoming involved with your
sexual assault counseling program. How do I do this?
Answer: All sexual
assault counselors must first go through regular training and work at
least 6 shifts answering the phones before they are able to go through the
additional 40 hour sexual assault training program. : How long is
training? Will it interfere with my school or work schedule?
In case you are
wondering what it looks like inside the ear, here is a picture of the
phone room where all the calls are taken:
Non-Crisis Volunteers
As with any organization, a
great deal of work is required to keep The Listening Ear functioning.
These responsibilities include word processing, data entry, building
maintenance, and many various office-related tasks. The regular
volunteers try to keep these duties under control, but our primary
responsibility is always to our clients. As a result, we're always
looking for those people willing to help out by taking on non-crisis duties.
Non-crisis volunteers are not
required to attend any orientation or training sessions before beginning
their work, but they are bound by the same confidentiality clause as any
volunteer. Being an NCV is also a good way to earn community service
hours. If you've been thinking about becoming a crisis volunteer but
aren't sure yet, becoming an NCV is a good way to get acquainted with the
Ear.
To apply for a position as a
non-crisis volunteer, stop by the Ear or call the business line to set up an
appointment with our Office Manager.
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