How can volunteer managers support the mental health and wellbeing of their teams?
Volunteering is a rewarding and meaningful way to contribute to your community, but it can also come with some challenges and risks. As a volunteer manager, you have a responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of your team, as well as your own. In this article, we will explore some of the factors that affect the mental health and wellbeing of volunteers, and how you can support them effectively.
Volunteering can have many positive effects on your mental health and wellbeing, such as boosting your self-esteem, social skills, and sense of purpose. Volunteering can also help you cope with stress, anxiety, and depression, by providing you with a supportive network, a meaningful role, and a sense of achievement. Research has shown that volunteering can improve your mood, happiness, and life satisfaction, as well as reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases and cognitive decline.
However, volunteering can also expose you to some difficult and demanding situations, such as working with vulnerable or distressed people, facing ethical dilemmas, or dealing with limited resources and support. These can cause you to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or emotionally drained, and affect your mental health and wellbeing. Some of the common challenges that volunteers face include burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and role ambiguity. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of these issues, and seek help if needed.
As a volunteer manager, you play a key role in creating a safe and healthy environment for your team. You can do this by providing clear guidance, training, and feedback, as well as ensuring that your volunteers have adequate supervision, resources, and recognition. You can also foster a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration, where your volunteers feel valued, supported, and empowered. By doing so, you can enhance the motivation, engagement, and retention of your volunteers, as well as their mental health and wellbeing.
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The volunteer manager should identify the times when a volunteer ought to be compensated, and they should advocate for such compensation (bus tickets, stipends, mileage reimbursement, training, etc.). Volunteers ought to be compensated for work that a regular employee would normally do, for tasks that are hazardous, for out-of-pocket expenses related to their duties, and for rare skills or experience. The volunteer manager should never let their organization use volunteers as an alternative to proper staffing.
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This was one of my favourite roles I look back on. I had a varied team of volunteers, mainly older men, but I built connections through the whole team by arranging things to do as a team outside of their volunteering. Plus training days where they could all get together and chat through their individual challenges, or things they were happy about. So they felt valued and able to give feedback, which was listened to. Followed by changes to the structure of how things were run and we would keep amending things as things progressed. You can't manage volunteers the same as you would paid members of staff! I really enjoyed seeing them progress in not only their volunteering, but themselves and remain in contact with a lot of my previous team.
To support the mental health and wellbeing of your volunteers, you can conduct regular check-ins and surveys to monitor their needs, expectations, and satisfaction. Encourage them to set realistic and achievable goals and celebrate their successes. Offer them flexible and diverse volunteering options, such as online, offline, or hybrid modes, as well as different types of tasks and projects. Connect them with other volunteers, staff, and stakeholders, and facilitate peer support and mentoring. Additionally, provide them with access to information, resources, and services that can help them cope with stress or trauma. Lastly, model healthy behaviors and boundaries while encouraging them to take care of themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally.
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One thing I've found helpful is scheduling regular debrief times where you can meet with your volunteering team and hear feedback from their shifts on what has and hasn't been working. These times provide a tangible opportunity for setting individual and group goals as well as building a sense of community that helps boost the mental wellbeing of volunteers. Volunteer managers should also openly communicate their willingness to meet individually with volunteers should specific questions or challenges arise.
If you are looking for more information and guidance on how to support the mental health and wellbeing of your volunteers, there are some useful resources available. Volunteering Australia's Volunteer Wellbeing Toolkit is a great source of practical tips, tools, and templates for volunteer managers. Additionally, Volunteer Canada's Volunteer Management Toolkit covers various aspects of volunteer management, such as recruitment, retention, recognition, and risk management. NCVO's Volunteer Mental Health and Wellbeing Guide offers advice on how to identify and address mental health issues among volunteers. Finally, Lifeline's Volunteer Support Services Network provides free counselling, coaching, and referral services for volunteers who are facing personal or work-related difficulties.
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