Description
We would like to meet people who live with bipolar disorder and who have reached the point that they are managing their bipolar well. If you would like to spend a little of your time helping someone who has recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, then we would like to hear from you.
Volunteering collaboratively with the Peer Staff and other colleagues, our Peer Support Volunteers provide complimentary practical and emotional support to those who have been newly diagnosed with bipolar.
Our volunteers are able to utilise their lived experience of living well with bipolar disorder, to inspire and empower those who use the service to acquire and enhance skills to improve their personal resilience and enable them to live well with bipolar too.
They will draw on their knowledge and skills to provide practical support in areas such as personal finance, budgeting, social inclusion, employability and education to support individuals to achieve their goals, to create meaningful and sustainable connections with other sources of support within their communities and instil a sense of hope for the future and what they can achieve.
Volunteering times are flexible on any day, either morning, afternoon and evenings, to mutually suit the volunteer and the person benefitting from peer support. We would expect approximately 2 hours per week time commitment.
Volunteering in on-to-one peer support, done on-line via our free 'Near Me' on-line platform.
Organisation aims and objectives
We are Scotland’s national charity for everyone who lives with bipolar disorder and those who care for them. We challenge stigma and discrimination while representing the views of people who live with bipolar to politicians, professionals and others.
Availability
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Frequency and commitment details
This role is relatively flexible and the frequency of your volunteering session will be agreed with your peer.
Restrictions
Experience required: It is essential that you have bipolar disorder and are well, ready and able to support others. This can be an emotionally demanding role and it’s important you feel stable in your mood before considering this role.
A belief that everyone can work towards their own personal mental health recovery, and an understanding that this will look different for each person.
Excellent listening skills.
Familiarity with a range of wellbeing and self-management tools and strategies.
Good IT skills and the means to be able to meet with peers online (using your own internet connected device and Wi-Fi).
The ability to commit to regular meetings with a peer – reliability is essential.
A commitment to confidentiality.
Travel details: This role is a remote / home-based position.
Minimum age: 18
Support
Expenses paid: Yes
Expenses details: Bipolar Scotland will cover reasonable travel expenses as agreed with your role manager.
This is a remote / home based volunteer position so traveling will be in-frequent.
Where you have to travel to training or volunteer events, Bipolar Scotland will cover reasonable out-of-pocket travel expenses.
Training details: 3 x 2 hour training sessions online, safeguarding training and an induction period.
Support:
Named Contact For Volunteer,
Wheelchair Access/Disabled Access Toilet