Mental Health Association in Orange County, Inc.

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  Volunteer Opportunities

Do you have some time available?  Would you like to make a positive difference in your community?  Mental Health Association in Orange County, Inc. has a variety of volunteer opportunities available in 2001, over 21,000 volunteer hours were provided by over 400 volunteers.  With their help, MHA provided over 24,000 Orange County residents with free mental health services.  If you are able to spare one hour per week, several hours a month as a hotline listener, being on-call to provide emergency assistance to a rape survivor, or have scattered days available to help with fundraising, Mental Health Association can find the perfect spot for you.  It is possible to work from your own home in some cases; other opportunities require you to be able to travel around Orange County.  To explore any of these opportunities, please contact the Volunteer  Coordinator at (845) 294-7411, ext. 250.

The following programs rely heavily upon volunteers.

Compeer - A one to one match of a volunteer friend with a person who has a psychiatric diagnosis and is recovering from a mental illness.  Compeer staff interviews, trains and matches volunteers with a waiting client.  The time schedule is flexible-volunteers and friends agree to get together and participate in activities they both like to do.  Enjoyment of each other's company is the key to the relationship.  It's not what you do together, but the sharing and building of a friendship that is important.  There are occasional group outings for all Compeer participants that you might enjoy participating in.  The compeer program always welcomes new volunteers.  Please call for new information on volunteering for the compeer program.  (845) 294-7411.

HelpLine- Available 24 hours a day as a crisis intervention, information and referral telephone service that is anonymous and confidential.  Volunteers undergo training in a myriad of personal, emotional and social issues.  Volunteer shifts are flexible, with at-home or in-office schedules available.  Whether a caller is in need of a referral to a self-help group, private practitioner or agency, or whether a person just needs to talk, Helpline is there to assist people in Orange County.

Rape Crisis Services - Available 24 hours a day, volunteer advocates are trained to accompany sexual assault survivors to the hospital emergency rooms, police stations and courthouses.  Advocates attend to the needs of the survivor, intervening with the service providers when necessary, as well as answer to the questions or concerns of the co-survivor who may be with him/her.  This program creates the supportive link between survivor and the other community professionals that serves to ensure positive interactions throughout the treatment and reporting process.

Fundraising Events-  Throughout the year, MHA holds a variety of fundraising events.  Most of these are quite labor intensive, and could really use an extra hand.  If you have a few days available to share, please give us a call.