I joined the JVN programme as a Mentor in July 2017 in a phase of my life when I was adjusting from a busy work life to retirement.
The JVN Chief Executive suggested I should be a mentor on this programme so I did, albeit with some reservations about working with vulnerable people who had mental health issues. My concerns were mostly regarding where the boundaries lie for a volunteer with regard to responsibilities, safeguarding and issues around data protection. This was in a climate where, despite much publicity about mental health, the rhetoric did not match the capacity for services to address the growing need, especially for people who did not reach the NHS threshold for support.
The JVN Programme Co-ordinator is excellent and readily offered support always responding to my enquiries. She gathered the volunteers together forming a supportive networking group and there was a wealth of professional expertise and experience in this group which I found extremely useful.
Training in Mental Health First Aid was given as well as Data Protection, which was excellent and as it turned out extremely relevant as I found myself facing a man who had expressed some thoughts of self harm in one session and previously he could not get a timely service from the NHS. The eventual outcome for this person, who also had mild learning disabilities, was that he did achieve a volunteer placement and now he is looking for paid employment.
I have also worked with an extremely vulnerable woman who had suffered from domestic violence and had lost all confidence to function in the workplace. Following her harrowing experience she suffered from depression and was referred to the JVN programme. Over time, working to rebuild her confidence and remind her of the skills that she possesses, she was successful in gaining a volunteer placement in a children’s centre which is what she wanted; eventually she hopes to pursue a course in nursery nursing.
I have learnt much over the time I have volunteered for JVN, which gave me not only a sense of purpose but satisfaction that I was able to support people who need time, consistency and care within a supportive framework. In turn, I have felt properly supported in this role and the JVN staff have been excellent. Listening to the experiences of others in our network group I do wonder what would happen to these people if JVN did not undertake this preventative work.
Hilary Rosen, December 2018
For more information on the JVN Supported Volunteering Programme or becoming a Supported Volunteering Mentor, please click here.
