volunteering

NAMI Arizona - National Alliance on Mental Illness of Arizona

Volunteering

Volunteer Form

At the state office, there are many opportunities to volunteer. Volunteers are highly appreciated
and valued. Below is information about volunteering at the state office (2210 N. 7th St, Phoenix,
AZ, 85006); for information about volunteering for an affiliate that is closer to you, please
contact your nearest affiliate.

Some volunteer jobs include:

- Answering phones
- Making referrals
- Working in the library
- Completing general office details
- Attending to walk-ins
- Making brochures and other informational handouts
- Running errands
- Participating in fundraisers / special events
- Working on the NAMI Arizona Newsletter
- Participating in bulk mailing

Volunteer Times and Days:

At the office, general volunteer times occur between Monday and Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
Generally, volunteering occurs at our office location, which is 2210 N. 7th St, Phoenix, AZ,
85006 (on 7th St., just north of McDowell).

The majority of volunteers offer to come in once a week either for a morning (9 am to noon) or
for an afternoon (noon to 5 pm). Other volunteers stay longer, and others stay shorter periods
of time. Some volunteers come every other week, while other volunteers come multiple times
within a week. Volunteers are also known to volunteer even more hours then they are
scheduled to; they may stay later, show up earlier, or even show up on a day that they have
free. Whenever someone wishes to volunteer during office hours, we will gladly find jobs for
him or her to work on.

If you would like to, you can also volunteer after hours and on weekends. These volunteering
jobs do not occur on a general basis and are scheduled ahead of time with staff. They usually
pertain to fundraising and special events.

Volunteer Training:

Volunteers are not required to be trained for many of the volunteer jobs at the office; however,
volunteers who wish to answer phones are trained. Volunteers who go through this training
are shown how to answer phones, make referrals, and handle walk-ins. To be trained to
answer phones, there are two training options:

1. Volunteer Training.
Volunteer training is a training that helps volunteers understand their role and their tasks in the
office. Particular attention is given on how to answer phones, make referrals, and handle
walk-ins. Staff head these trainings. Dates of trainings occur once enough interest is
obtained. They last typically from 10am till 4 pm, and are on a weekday.

2. Sitting with an Experienced Volunteer.
One can be trained to answer phones by sitting with an experienced volunteer who has been
making referrals over the phone for a long time. They learn by observing the experienced
volunteer, asking the experienced volunteer questions, and answering phones themselves
with the experienced volunteer there to assist them. It is recommended that one sits with an
experienced volunteer a few times or until one feels comfortable answering the phones and
making referrals by themselves. Typically sit-ins will occur from 9am till noon and when an
experienced volunteer is available at the office.

Of the two types of trainings, one can typically be trained to answer phones at an earlier date by
participating in option 2, Sitting with an Experienced Volunteer, than option 1, Volunteer
Training; however, one may spend more time being trained with option 2 then with option 1.

Becoming a Volunteer:

To become a volunteer, we ask that you fill out the volunteer form. Once completed, please
mail the form to :

NAMI Arizona
ATTN: Volunteering
2210 N. 7th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85006

Once we get the form, we will contact you about scheduling your volunteer times and days, any
training you would like to participate in, etc.