How to Become a Mental Health Volunteer

How to Become a Mental Health Volunteer with NAMI Contra Costa

To find out more about the volunteering process at NAMI and how one can get involved, I interviewed Michele Okeefe, the volunteer coordinator at NAMI Contra Costa. Michele started at NAMI in 2016 as a volunteer. I asked her, “What are some typical roles and responsibilities for NAMI volunteers? And what kind of opportunities are they able to volunteer at?” Michele explains the volunteer opportunities.“Volunteers can either sign up at the front desk on a regular basis, look at upcoming events, help set up and clean up, or get the event materials ready to do that. We have events where we feed a shelter or we go out to the community. We always do donations where we’re doing little Christmas packages like hand sanitizer, socks, other things like that, and then we wrap it up, and then we bring it to the community, or [to] people that are in a shelter, we need a lot of help with that. There’s different opportunities throughout the year that we’re always looking for volunteers.”Aside from these yearly opportunities, Michele told me about the different volunteering positions that are listed on the NAMI Contra Costa website. These positions entail community outreach, office roles, fundraising, and support for NAMI programs such as Peer-to-Peer or family support groups. There is even the opportunity to teach a course, which Michele explains how to do, “So for a peer, if someone has lived experience, they would have to take the class. And then if they’re interested in being a teacher, they will sign up to do that as well. There’s a teacher training. And again, all of our classes are free, and our support groups are free, we’re always looking for that lived experience to be able to teach that, because it’s one thing to read the book, but it’s another to understand […] the feeling that goes along with that.” Having the chance to teach a course on an experience that resonates with you could be a rewarding volunteer experience because you can then connect with other individuals who come from a similar background. Michele herself volunteered to facilitate the program that helped her and her family in 2016, which is why she decided to get involved in teaching a family-to-family course.

Who Benefits the Most from Being a Volunteer?

While volunteering can be for anyone in any age group, Michele urges young adults to devote their time to mental health volunteering so they can contribute to combating mental health stigma within their age group.“As you know, it’s really important for us to be able to break that stigma and then to do the outreach because one in five people have mental challenges. So we see a lot of those young adults have that little anxiety or depression and then end up coming home and not finishing college about that, right? If I went to school and told people about mental health, I’m not going to connect with them. But when we have our younger people going in, saying, ‘Hey, I identify with it and use my feelings, and this is what I get to go do,’ they would better understand them and maybe get the help available by talking to their own peers. And that’s our whole goal here, [which is] to educate and talk about it. It’s just really important for young adults to help their peers talk about what’s going on. Sometimes they can’t talk to your teachers or your parents, so maybe it’s easier for them to talk to other people that are going through the same thing.”As a young adult interning with NAMI Contra Costa, my experience was extremely rewarding and educational. I am someone who is incredibly passionate about mental health advocacy, and being a part of an organization that prioritizes advocacy was deeply fulfilling for me. Being in the office and working with NAMI Contra Costa Staff on advertising their peer support groups, and helping peers who come into the office looking for mental health resources gave me the opportunity to see the direct impact of our advocacy efforts and the importance of providing accessible resources to those in need. This hands-on involvement not only deepened my understanding of the mental health challenges faced by our community but also reinforced my commitment to continue advocating for mental health awareness and support.

How to Become a Mental Health Volunteer with NAMI Contra Costa

To join NAMI Contra Costa as a volunteer, you can begin by emailing Michele Okeefe at michele@namicontracosta.org, and she will send you the application. From there, a background check will be completed, then you can register for the volunteer modules. Volunteer modules include five classes that discuss Volunteer Orientation and History of NAMI Contra Costa,  Mental Health 101, Navigating the Behavioral Health Care System in Contra Costa, Better Understanding of Conservatorship and Other Legislation and Criminal Justice Issues, and Cultural Responsiveness, Ethics and Self-Care. These modules take place a few times a year, and there is a makeup meeting scheduled for volunteers who join the program later. Currently, our volunteer coordinators are overhauling the application process so that interested volunteers can directly apply to become a NAMI CC Volunteer through the website in a more streamlined way.

Conclusion

Ultimately, becoming a mental health volunteer is not just about giving back to the community; it’s about standing in solidarity with those who experience mental health challenges and working together to create a more compassionate and understanding society. Through volunteering, you can gain a sense of community amongst those you are working with, and within the cause you are dedicating time for.

References

Mayo Clinic Health System. “3 Health Benefits of Volunteering.” Mayo Clinic Health System, 16 April 2021, www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/3-health-benefits-of-volunteering. Accessed 14 Aug. 2024.