Program Volunteer Interview

Program Volunteer Interview

Purposes

1.  Identify "Fit". Determining the motivation and abilities of the potential volunteer: Are they suitability for the tasks required of this volunteer position? Are they the 'Right Fit' for the organization, its style of operation, and its mission?

2.  Recruit. This includes answering any questions or concerns that the potential volunteer may have and 'selling' the volunteer on their ability to make a contribution to your affiliate, derive personal satisfaction from helping, and begin to orient them to the services, activities and resources of your affiliate.

Since a volunteer interview requires a greater exploration of personal characteristics, site selection can be critical. Three attributes are critical:

1.  Accessibility

2.  Friendly atmosphere

3.  Privacy

Remember the old adage: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." What the potential volunteer sees and feels during the interview may shape their attitude toward your affiliate. I know everyone is a volunteer, with limited time. Consider locations near your home/work that are easily accessible to you and your potential volunteer. Some suggestions would be to reserve a private room at the public library, or agree to meet at a Panera or other upscale chain that has tall booths providing privacy. Coffee houses are good locations if you can arrange for a less busy time and find a quiet corner with privacy.

Pre-Interview Preparation

The following items should be completed before the interview:

·  A completed application form by the volunteer.

·  If the volunteer has indicated they attended a course in the past, contact your volunteers for their input on the person’s suitability in the teacher role.

·  An initial phone conversation briefly highlighting the program volunteer position, needs and basics requirements. If satisfactory, make arrangements for interview.

·  Print and pack this interview guide. Consider your program and jot down a few role play scenarios to offer the volunteer.

·  Pull together information and materials on the program of interest and your NAMI to leave with the volunteer to help him/her become more connected/oriented to your affiliate. Pack a business card when possible.

·  Pack an affiliate membership form.

Opening the Interview

The beginning of the interview should focus on:

·  Making the applicant feel welcome. Express appreciation for them coming to meet with you.

·  Building rapport. Share something about yourself; consider sharing what brought you to NAMI, your history with NAMI, etc. Share your role with the program and explain what you would like to accomplish and how the potential volunteer fits into the process (either in starting up, expanding volunteer pool, or expanding services). This is a good time to provide them materials on the program you’ve brought. Let them know that their determination of whether volunteering would be suitable, or a good fit for them, is the intent of the discussion. Let them feel 'in charge.'

·  Giving them background about your affiliate. Ask them what questions they have about the affiliate and its purpose and programs. This is a good time to reference the materials you’ve brought again.

Conducting the Interview

Getting down to business!

Exploration of the applicant's interests, abilities, and situation.

Find out how they heard about NAMI and the origins of their interest in getting involved

·  How did you hear about the volunteer opportunity? (ideally looking for course graduates)

·  What is your relationship to mental illness?

·  What is their relationship to the armed forces?

Deal Breakers – those not personally affected by mental illness through a loved one or like-family friend and those who are interested solely in using this as a continuing education opportunity. The commitment is far too demanding for anyone not in it for the people first and foremost. Gently educate them on these elements as needed. If you have questions about this please contact the NAMI Virginia office. Those no connected to the armed forces to the degree that they are familiar with VA services and the unique challenges of this population.

Make sure their understanding of recovery reflects the NAMI beliefs (please refer to the NAMI VA mission, vision, values document and NIMH 10 Components of Recovery Document for guidance found at the end of this outline)

·  What does mental health recovery process mean to you?

·  Have you accepted your loved ones mental illness?

·  Why do you want to be a volunteer with this program?

·  What is one thing you would like people to know about having a loved one with mental illness?

Deal Breakers – if they do not see recovery as a possibility, or if they are hoping to get ammunition of sorts to use against their loved one. You can gently educate on this but make sure they are on board with NAMI values and beliefs about recovery.

Discussion of the program position.

·  Education course designed to offer family members the information, skills, resources, and support to further develop their ability to support and advocate for their loved one.

·  Taught by two trained family (or like-family) members of a person living reasonably well with their mental illness. Desire is to help fellow parents feel less alone and more confident in helping their child.

·  Offered at no charge, meeting once a week for 6 consecutive weeks.

·  Elements of hosting a course included,

o  Planning – finding a location, setting a date, arranging supplies, etc.

o  Promotion – marketing the course and screening participants

o  Teaching – reading aloud, professional, confidential, good role model

o  Reporting – starting, graduating numbers, evaluations, reporting link.

·  Your teaching supplies and course materials will be provided to you at no cost. The volunteer experience is designed to cost you little outside of your time and energy.

Make sure they are willing and able to meet each element of hosting a course. For each element ask

·  What is your comfort level?

·  How would you approach this aspect? (Allow for slight exchange, useful teaching moment)

Deal Breaker: Not able to agree to various elements, not willing to discuss their approach or open to discussion.

Discussion of program requirements:

Make sure they are at a point with their loved ones recovery where they can succeed in this volunteer role

·  Where is your loved one in their personal journey towards recovery?

·  What are some coping strategies you use to deal with the sometimes stressful and challenging aspects of living with/caring for a sick relative?

·  If they have not mentioned yet, is their love one currently in treatment with a psychiatrist, therapist, or other health care provider?

·  Have you ever shared your loved ones story with others? If yes, how? If no, will you be able to?

·  What makes you feel the timing is right for you to get involved with community support and education?

·  What previous volunteer experience do you have?

Deal Breakers – if they are not able to openly share about their loved one and their emotions related to caring for their loved one, we need strong models who promote open sharing of this illness, like any other. If they do not support and promote a positive recovery model for their loved one, recognizing that their loved one may not choose to live that model. If their personal situation is so hectic it is clearly impossible for them to meet the commitment, we need folks with the time and clarity to offer a quality service. If the person, consistently highlight a failure to follow through on previous commitments/endeavors, we are all volunteers, we need to be able to rely on our program volunteers.

Make sure they understand the commitment and can, with good conscious, agree to them. Make sure they individually agree to each element and provide additional information as needed to help them understand the reasoning.

·  Will you agree to teach the course 2 times in the next 2 years? (Timing can be adjusted but emphasis needs to be placed on coming through on their commitment to provide peers in their community with the information and support the course provides)

·  Will be able to work as a team player with the program? (The course is lead by 2 teachers and assisted by a coordinator, communication and cooperation among all is imperative)

·  Will be able to reliably attend the course for the entire 6 weeks? (Understands teachers must attend all courses and has reliable transportation)

·  Will be comfortable speaking in front of others in the class?

·  Will you agree to keep confidential the disclosures of other participants?

·  Will do everything within your power to ensure a successful course, based on the training and model provided, the support of the affiliate and your own ingenuity?

Make sure they understand that as a NAMI program volunteer, they will need to remain active, dues paying NAMI members. If not already a member, have them sign up then or schedule a time for them to do so.

Make sure they understand the expectations of training

·  Will you be able to attend the entire three day training? (Date, Time available, transportation?)

Keep an eye out for personality indicators – remember your program is a team effort and everyone needs to be able to get along! If you think there may be conflict, consider introducing the applicant to the current program volunteers for feedback on compatibility.

Utilizing role play scenarios (NOT required but strongly encouraged)

Develop a scenario situation which relates to the volunteer tasks to be undertaken. The simplest way to begin this process is to either think about past experiences with the program itself (identifying past difficult situations that a volunteer encountered or previous disasters) or by asking current volunteers about the types of difficult situations, problems or quandaries they have had to deal with. The problem situation identified should relate to several of the qualifications that have already been identified as crucial to the program success.

For example, the responsibility of recruiting for the course is largely the responsibility of the teacher. Who would you reach out too? And what materials and information would you need to develop adequate marketing materials?

You will note that the above scenario question was not introduced as a role play situation but was simply asked as a somewhat complex question. This is intentional. As the volunteer starts to respond to the question they will commonly say, "Well, I would need to know the organization’s mission, and I’d need to have a flyer…”

When possible, change a theoretical question (above example) into a hypothetical situation, (i.e. what would you do if you got an interview with your son’s psychiatrist?). Doing this allows you to learn much more about the volunteer. General answers are often vague; precise words give a much clearer impression of exactly what the volunteer is trying to do.

Advantage of Role Play Scenarios:

·  You can also 'see' how well the volunteer actually handles the situation, not just how well they talk about it. You can thus better judge interpersonal skills and style.

·  Role play scenarios make excellent training tools, making notes about areas that need to be addressed during orientation or about additional skill training when the volunteer returns from training.

·  The best part is how easy it is to construct such scenarios. All you really have to do is remember the difficult situations that volunteers have encountered in the past. Even if the situations weren't 'solvable' they will make good training tools because they are, in fact, representative of the types of real world problems the volunteer must learn to deal with.

Closing the Interview

The interview should be concluded by:

·  Depending how you feel you can:

o  Encourage/require them to attend the program to help them further decide if they wish to move forward,

o  Making an offer of a possible position to the volunteer. If you choose this, let them know the next steps for finalizing their registration.

o  Politely explaining that you have no suitable openings for them at this time with HF and reconnect them to the affiliate for other potential volunteer roles.

At your earliest convenience, contact the state office to alert them of your decision by filling out the waiting list.

Our Mission: To promote recovery and to improve the quality of life of Virginians living with serious mental illness through support, education, and advocacy.

Our Vision: envisioning a world free of stigma and discrimination where all people impacted by mental illness get the help, hope and support they need.

Our History: Begun first as a loose federation of a few like-minded local groups seeking a national presence for federal-level advocacy, NAMI has grown to become the largest grassroots mental health advocacy group in the nation. NAMI strives to epitomize the very concepts of recovery and resiliency that it supports: we are empowered, holistic, strength-based, respectful, responsible, and person-centered. Above all, NAMI represents hope. NAMI harnesses the considerable passion of thousands of local volunteers who are dedicated to transforming America’s experience and understanding of serious mental illness.

Our Principles and Values: NAMI principles are support, education, advocacy and research. These are the “four pillars” of NAMI and have long been the foundation upon which we have built the NAMI movement. In meeting these principles

o  NAMI values the lived experiences of people affected by mental illness. We are most effective when we give voice to those experiences through our programs and in our advocacy. NAMI Programs are grounded in the lived experience of consumers and families; our publications and advocacy speak with the clear voice of those who live every day with the reality of mental illness.

o  NAMI values recovery and resiliency and those programs and policies that support people who live with mental illness in their paths to a fuller and more rewarding life.

o NAMI values confronting the profound injustices associated with mental illness. These injustices

are often expressed as the deep-rooted stigma associated with mental illness, which NAMI combats on many fronts. Injustices also take the form of systemic constraints in housing, employment, access to care and self- determination. NAMI fights hard against these injustices and organizes itself to be most effective in the face of these unacceptable barriers.