Mental Health Illness: Diagnosed and Undiagnosed

Our mental health is just as important as our physical health. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community”.

Source: Supporting volunteers experiencing mental health difficulties - Touchstone

Example

Background: An enquiry via email received from Paul expressing an interest in becoming a volunteer. Paul did not quite know what he was looking for regarding a specific role. He had to give up his paid work several months ago due to personal issues which impacted his mental health.

Volunteer Role: Creative group

Volunteer Recruitment: The Charity arranged to meet him at a coffee shop local to where he lives. They had a discussion about the services they provided as an organisation and what opportunities were available. Also discussed what experience the individual has/interests/hobbies etc. It became apparent that the person is creative, and their skills learnt towards supporting one of their community-based groups.

Support Provided to the Volunteer: The charity’s project manager arranged for Paul to complete their mandatory training. Support given throughout the process included 1-1 support and regular supervision once the volunteer was in post. He undertook further learning through his volunteering to enhance his curriculum vitae (CV).

Impact: Paul tells the Project Manager that he is thoroughly enjoying his role with them as a charity. He feels valued within his role, feel part of the team and his self-esteem has grown significantly. The charity continues to help Paul with his personal development by signposting him to other sources of training and support which they have found valuable. The project manager expresses her pleasure to be supporting volunteers in general on their journey back into employment.