Volunteer Co-trainers – Time to Change
We are looking for volunteers who can help us end stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems and now need to recruit 15 Volunteer Co-trainers to deliver training to professionals working with young people.
Our objective is to enable young people who have personal experience of emotional or mental health problems to tell their story. Our aim is that sharing these experiences as a co-trainer will help professionals working with young people, understand what it is like to be a young person living with a mental health problem.
As the purpose of the project is to enable young people to share their first hand experiences our co-trainers are likely to be between the ages of 14 to 25 and should live in the West Midlands.
If this sound like you and you think you can help us, the following information explains a little more about the project, what the role offers and gives details on how to apply
If you are unable to commit to being a co-trainer at present you can still act to end mental health discrimination by making a pledge. Visit the Time to Change website
Time to Change
Time to Change is England's biggest programme to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems. The programme is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health and Comic Relief.
We aim to work with all sectors and communities to encourage more open conversation about mental health and ensure that people with mental health problems can be equal and active citizens.
The role
We need young people with personal lived experience of mental health problems who can present their personal testimony to professionals who are working with young people. The training sessions will also include question and answer sessions and you’d also need to engage with these.
What we can offer
A real chance to make a difference!
All our volunteer co-trainers will undertake a three day training course aimed to build and improve key skills. The course will include presentation skills, confidence building, personal boundaries and personal testimony structure and delivery.
Successful applicants will be able to help us shape and develop the education element of time to change.
If you are asked to co-host one of our training event, You’ll receive out-of-pocket expenses such as travel costs, and £50 each time you attend.
What we need from you
If you are shortlisted for this role you’ll need to attend an interview in central Birmingham on 25, 26, 27 or 28 September 2012.
If you are successful at interview you will need to attend the training course. This will be held over three days, 15, 16 and 17 September 2012 10.00am to 4.30pm at a central Birmingham location.
The training course is an opportunity for you to assess for yourself whether the role will suit you. Should you decide it isn’t for you, you can drop out at this stage. All applicants who complete the training course will receive a certificate of training completion regardless of whether they go on to become volunteer co-trainers.
You’ll need to prepare a personal testimony describing your lived experiences of mental health problems as part of the training course. Support in doing this and for safeguarding boundaries in this process will be given.
After completing training you’ll need to be available to co-deliver training during working hours which may include School / University / College term times and vacation periods.
The Time to Change project is funded until 2015, although we realise that not everyone will be able to continue volunteering for the full three year period. This also means that we are likely to recruit more volunteer co-trainers over the next three years.