Want to volunteer? 

Check out the three basic attributes required of our volunteers and explore opportunities below. Sow the seeds of kindness today!

有意愿当志工吗？

查看成为我们志工的三大基本条件，并探索以下不同的志工机会。今天就播撒善意的种子吧！

If you believe that you fit the profile of the ideal volunteer we are looking for, send us a message through the webform and we'll be happy to have a chat. Please remember to tell us your name, skillset and motivation for applying in order for us to consider your application.

If you have missed our general volunteer call which ended on 31st December 2024, we will be assessing applications on a rolling basis throughout 2025. So don't worry about it, we will contact you if there is a suitable position that fits you.

Please do refrain from badgering us repeatedly for a response as we are overwhelmed by applications and can only reply to those who meet the requirements or apply for the right reasons. Patience and humility are virtues that we look out for in the screening phase. 

We do not tolerate narcissism or moral grandstanding.

We sometimes need to step away from messages because we are burnt out so we ask for your kind understanding.

We hope you will consider joining us if you have the heart to serve. Importantly, we hope to provide you with a one of a kind volunteer journey which allows you to bring your hopes and dreams to fruition. 

Thank you. 

Last volunter call for 2024!  

Gentle Reminder for Applicants

NOTE: Please remember to send us an introduction of yourself (including name), specific skillset, and motivation for applying so that we can process your application successfully. We ask that you be honest and sincere when you apply, so having a public profile (photo of yourself and actual content) and providing unambiguous answers to any follow up are non-negotiable.

Due to the large number of applications, we are unable to respond to every single message. Thus, we ask for your kind understanding that all the required information mentioned above is provided if you are keen to be considered. Additional information is also much appreciated if you are keen on specific roles.

If you have provided all the information but have yet to receive a response, please be assured that we have been actively reviewing each and every application. We will get back to you if you are selected for a further interview.

We do not comment on the commitment until you have been interviewed. It is also not feasible for us to explain all the roles to you or respond to inappropriate questions/comments which are abusive or intrude on privacy.

Applying does not mean you have signed up as a volunteer as you do need to be selected. To increase your chances of being selected, we do need volunteers to exercise responsibility and accountability. We do not encourage volunteers to try out for fun or come as they want. Our training is free but please do not come to us simply for free training or practicum hours.

If you did not get an invitation, it is because we only have limited positions at any one time. It is not a reflection of your attitude or aptitude. On the contrary, we are heartened by your kindness and generosity. We hope that we will get the chance to work with you in the future or alternatively, you will bring your passion to the other places that you choose to volunteer with.

Thank you for your willingness to make a difference to those around you!

With love, Safe U Team 

About Volunteering

Volunteers are always directly and ethically responsible for the consequences of their own actions and behaviours.

Disclaimer: Release of liability

By joining as a volunteer, you hereby indemnify and agree to keep The SAFE U Initiative, its management team, other volunteers and partnering organisations fully indemnified against all claims, loss or damage whatsoever in respect of death, injury, disability or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from any cause in 
connection with all programmes within the initiative.

A Note to Volunteers

We screen you predominantly by your performance on the job. We need to determine if you can react to different situations in a safe, responsible and kind manner. These attributes are in line with our values.

If you think we simply screen you based on a few basic questions or an interview, you will be wrong. We can question you and receive exemplary replies, but it doesn't guarantee that you can perform well in your role. We give opportunities to individuals who may not have the necessary qualifications and training but who have shown promise and a willingness to learn and improve. Conversely, prior experience at other mental health organisations and a recognised qualification are desirable but may not be enough to progress to further training. This is because we need volunteers to be receptive to adapting the ways they do things such that they can combine their knowledge and experience with what we are trying to achieve here at the initiative. If you are a person who likes comparing and criticising organisations for your own pleasure, you should not be applying because we will not condone any nonsense which takes time away from the work we do. 

We do not tolerate destructive criticism. We also discourage snooping or prying behaviour which causes intrusion and annoyance. 

We always offer opportunities for volunteers to provide constructive feedback. If you refuse to be constructive and take full responsibility for your words and actions, we reserve the right to expel you and/or take legal action. Always reflect upon your own behaviour before lashing out and wronging people for your own inadequacies and misdeeds. 

We discourage meddlesome or prying behaviour because it distracts the volunteer from focusing on their work. It is okay to ask pertinent questions related to volunteer work but not irrelevant ones which intrude into another volunteer's privacy. It can be extremely annoying to deal with inappropriate questioning so please refrain from such behaviour. There are times for socialising but this is definitely not it. 

Concentrate on doing a good job as someone's life depends on it.

Why so serious? If you cannot interact properly with us, chances are that you will find it extremely difficult to interact and even help a person with mental health difficulties. For example, an individual diagnosed with a mental disorder can suffer from oversensitivity to words, feelings and thoughts. You need to be able to help them without accidentally triggering overstimulation through thoughtlessness and causing them to feel overwhelmed. Such a nonchalant act can actually be a tipping point in an episode of emotional distress or suicidal crisis. Think before you speak, read more before you think.

If you expect to be taught step-by-step on how to deal with every single mental health situation, we can't teach you since we do not advocate or provide rehearsed responses. 

This is because rehearsed or scripted responses can be easily detected as insincere. If you tried a text service or a crisis hotline, you may be wondering why the person on the other side of the line is parroting every single thing you say. This is active listening done badly. We ask you to respond as you would a friend or family member. Worried you might make a mistake? We are always on hand to support you. We also encourage you to take up mental health workshops to build up your knowledge. This is the frontline and not meant to be a place for spoon feeding. We can help you with volunteer work but we cannot change your attitude towards learning. 

You learn the most by taking responsibility and seeking timely assistance from the team. Learn to ask the right questions at the right time. Learn to treat someone you help humanely and not as a target of your inner fears. 

Our training model is heavily geared towards on-the-job training. We prefer you to learn while doing so that you will better understand your strengths and limitations. While we can give you a textbook size manual and ask you to memorise, seeking advice directly from our team allows you to internalise important bite-sized lessons in a highly efficient way. There is literally nothing we cannot help. We cannot help only when you don't have the courage to ask or fear the person you are helping. If you fear your own buddy for reasons other than abuse, maybe you are here with the wrong expectations. 

This is why our mental health programmes are also positioned as a preparatory phase for volunteers who wish to go into advanced suicide support training. If you find yourself struggling to cope with your emotions or we find that you lack accountability, you may not be suitable for further training.

Not all volunteers are suitable for further training. Volunteers may lack the character, sense of responsibility or even have some form of misconception towards people with mental health problems. This is why we find it absolutely necessary to screen volunteers based on their on-the-job performance in the buddy programme. This is a guidance-on-demand form of training process to allow you to experience mental health up close and personal without adulteration. We do not put on a show for you to rehearse. When instructed to, you must be able to muster the courage to call IMH or the police to avert a possible life-threatening event. 

If you can't work comfortably with people with mental health issues or overcome your own fear and misconceptions towards them, you won't have the capability to handle suicidal cases. 

We do not actually aim for a large number of volunteers just to support our services. We would rather have a smaller number of committed, passionate and kind-hearted volunteers who can remain calm under pressure and be responsible for people under their charge. If free training and certificates are what you want, you can consider other mental health organisations. Further training here at the initative, while free of charge, will be given priority to people who are humble, composed and have proven themselves to be capable. 

Important Points to Remember at All Times

We ask that you fully understand and always remember these pertinent points in your duty as a volunteer of The SAFE U Initiative:

1. Understand that there is always an element of risk: Dealing with mental health issues and/or suicide is challenging. Individuals may not be honest about their diagnoses and you may not always do or say the right things. These are considered human factors and do not necessarily reflect badly on you or diminish the value of the work we are doing at The SAFE U Initiative.

2. Always maintain a low threshold of suspicion because it is not easy to assess the person's acute suicide state: Maintaining a low threshold of suspicion is not the same as reporting someone to the police whenever you panic. It means always keeping a lookout for warning signs no matter how insignificant they may seem. For example, sudden behavioural changes from anger to calmness. Consult your senior volunteers if you are unsure, no one will scold you for trying to save a life. It is not encouraged to guess what is a person's critical state for suicide. Everyone's tolerability to adverse life events is different. When you think from your own perspective, you miss out on the subtle signals of distress that you are supposed to monitor.

3. It is your ethical responsibility to report harmful behaviour and seek help in a timely manner: When you feel that the person you are helping has safety concerns, do not wait it out and see if you can handle it yourself. You may not be able to assess the situation accurately. Suicide is notoriously known for having a very short suicide ideation to attempt time interval. Even if the person is not in immediate danger, reporting and seeking help is important in taking precautionary measures to avoid or minimise harm to self and others. This is about being ethical and having a sense of responsiblity. We cannot teach you how to be ethical or how to be more responsible. We can only support you to make the right decisions if you seek help immediately.

4. Please do not have a confrontational attitude: If you want people to take you seriously, behaving in a self-righteous and unfriendly manner is the last thing you should do. What we do here is not meant to serve your needs. We serve the needs of the whole community. If you don't follow the safety precautions, you will be deemed unsafe and asked to leave.

When a situation escalates, you are often directly responsible since the volunteer is the first point of contact. Did you say something to induce suicidal behaviour? Did you forget to seek advice from us at the earliest warning sign of suicide? Reflect if you have been overconfident and perhaps harbouring the idea that you are above everyone else? You take responsibility for the consequences of your own actions and behaviours. No one will ever blame you if you did nothing wrong.

5. Lived experience should not lead to self-entitlement: We are more than happy to provide volunteer opportunities to individuals who have lived experience. Unfortunately, we had a terrible encounter with one volunteer with lived experience who had a sense of self-entitlement and wanted to determine how the programme should run. Such an attitude reveals a lack of capacity to reflect upon one's limitations and maintain openness to new experiences.

6. Please do not flaunt your previous experience at other mental health organisations: We are also very happy to have volunteers with diverse experiences and skills. However, previous experience is not an advantage when it comes to selection of volunteers.

If you do not wish to start from scratch and embrace a new learning journey with us, your skills will remain stagnant. We need volunteers who are eager to learn new things so that the clients will ultimately benfit.

7. Take the time to learn from the people you help: Volunteers often have the opportunity to learn from individuals in need. Vicarious resilience has been observed in which volunteers develop enhanced appreciation for one's advantages in life, increased compassion and empathy and re-ordering of personal goals and priorities. When you are helping others, you are also learning how to help yourself. So please do not waste this opportunity to learn. Know when to put down your ego and be humble. 

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.”

Meister Eckhart

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