Volunteer Program

ABOUT OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health is looking for enthusiastic people to donate their expertise and time to a variety of projects. The Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health encourages volunteerism to support the department’s mission to help clients achieve and maintain their optimal level of healthy personal and social functioning. Whether someone is interested in volunteering in the clerical field, providing peer to peer support (in person or by telephone), helping with transportation of clients or co-facilitating community activities; we have opportunities for everyone. The available opportunities will help volunteers gain experience and give back to the mental health community.

Volunteers can also help raise awareness about mental health issues by hosting informational sessions. If you are bilingual, your skills can be utilized to reach out to non English speaking communities and help clients and family members communicate with administrative and clinical staff. No matter what your expertise is, there are a wide variety of opportunities within the Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health Department.

The following are a sample of volunteer categories within the Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health:

Children Services and Parent Support Program / Adult and Youth Volunteers
Under this category Adults and Youth interested in volunteering with the Mental Health Department will have the opportunity to share their abilities in a variety of tasks. These tasks may include volunteering in the Resource Library,at Outreach events and/or in clinic settings. Volunteers may also have opportunities with annual Parent Support Special Projects, which include the School Supply donation drive, the Thanksgiving Food Basket Project and our Snowman Banner Holiday Snowflake Project.

Cultural Competency Program
Volunteering includes assisting the program with office duties, such as making copies, using the fax machine, using Microsoft Office Suite, minute-taking and answering phones. If bilingual, volunteers will be able to provide assistance with translation of various mental health documents into Spanish language as needed, and attend committee meetings. Volunteers will also help coordinate cultural competency, taskforce, community activities/events and meetings with staff, consumers, community and committee members.

Family Advocate Program
A Family Advocate volunteer provides support for the Regional Family Advocate by performing numerous duties such as assisting in mailing out packets to families in need of support and information regarding the mental health system, placing reminder phone calls for events, answer phones, assists in outreach and engagement; assist in facilitating support groups, Family to Family classes; assists with reports; attends peer driven classes, or community groups; provides support to families in need, staff, clinicians, and psychiatrists.

Behavioral Health Commission 
The Riverside County Mental Health Board (MHB) is an advisory body, composed of volunteers who are consumers, family, and public interest members appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Members work in conjunction with the Riverside County Department of Mental Health to ensure citizen and professional involvement for all stages of the planning process of mental health services.

Peer Support Specialist Program
Peer Support Specialist Volunteers are people who have live mental health experience. As a Peer Support Specialist Volunteer, one would have graduated from a 72 hour college level course called “Peer Employment Training”. The training is provided free of charge by the County of Riverside Department of Mental Health. This training course is designed for people in recovery who wish to be of service to others peers. As a Peer Support Specialist Volunteer, individuals have the unique opportunity to work in clinic settings, providing group assistance as “the voice of recovery” and being the welcoming presence for those visiting the clinic with mental health challenges.

Internship/Trainee Ship Program (GIFT Program)
Typical clinical activities a student will participate in may include mental health screenings, psychosocial assessments, diagnosis, treatment planning, individual, group or family therapy, case management and crisis interventions. Student caseloads are kept small to allow students to focus on
developing their clinical skills.

HOW TO APPLY:
We are currently accepting applications! To apply CLICK HERE TO APPLY ONLINE or download the volunteer application by clicking here.

QUESTIONS:
Any questions regarding the Volunteer program at Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health, please contact any of our Volunteer Services Coordinators: