• Make sure you understand the commitment involved in becoming a Crisis Supporter
• Register your interest and/or attend an information session
• Complete and submit your application (you will be asked to provide reference details, a Working with Children/ Vulnerable People Check and a Lifeline Police Check. Note that these checks are at your own cost).
• Accept our offer to join the Lifeline family.
• Join the next available training date (we will notify you of the date once you have accepted your offer)

When volunteering for the Lifeline Text Service, either a PC or Mac computer can be used, requiring the latest operating system available. The minimum system requirement for a Mac is macOS10.14 or later; and a free app to connect to the remote desktop, Microsoft Remote Desktop. For PC the suggested system requirement is an up-to-date version of Windows, general a computer less than 6 years old.

It is highly recommended to have two computer monitors/screens, to run the text platform on one monitor, and on the second monitor to the program that we use to communicate with each other on shift. If you don’t have two monitors, then having a smartphone on shift as a back-up is important so that you can keep in contact with your shift supervisor. It is also good if you have a camera with your computer, so that during training and once volunteering, you are able to chat face to face with your team leader or shift supervisor.

Having a stable and reliable internet connection is very important when considering volunteering for the Lifeline Text Service. It is useful to know the upload and download speed of your internet, and this can be easily checked using any internet speed check tool.

Becoming a Digital Crisis Supporter is perfect for those living in regional/remote areas in Australia. You can be located anywhere Australia-wide as long as you have the appropriate computer equipment and a stable and reliable internet connection.

Unfortunately, due to our security requirements and IT systems, we are not able to accept overseas applicants.

Lifeline provides one off crisis support to people who could benefit from immediate and short-term assistance to cope with crises or distress. Lifeline does not provide long-term or ongoing assistance.

Lifeline’s one-off service means that a crisis supporter will be unaware of what has taken place following their interaction with the help seeker. This includes when Lifeline escalates a situation to emergency services due to issues of risk. Due to these challenges and others, Lifeline places high importance on providing debriefing and supportive supervision to all staff and volunteers.

Help seekers contact Lifeline with a variety of issues and crisis situations. This may include relationship issues, loneliness, family concerns, substance issues, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, domestic and family violence situations, and child safety concerns. Crisis supporters help to address a range of feelings including anxiety, depression, loneliness and disconnection.

All support services experience a small proportion of unwelcome interactions from people who are misusing the service to harass or intimidate. Debriefing and supervision play a pivotal role in seeking support during or after these often-challenging interactions.

We find most people who volunteer with Lifeline as a volunteer crisis supporter find it very rewarding, knowing they are contributing to saving lives. Most of our volunteers contribute to the Lifeline community for years after completing training.  We ask our volunteer crisis supporters to commit to a minimum of 4 hours per fortnight.

Many of our volunteers fit shifts around full-time jobs, study, or family life. Evening, overnight, and weekend shifts are available.

Lifeline has 43 centres around Australia in regional, remote and metropolitan areas. We also offer the opportunity to volunteer online via our Digital text and online chat services.

To volunteer at your nearest Lifeline Centre or Lifeline shop, please contact your local Lifeline Centre to find out more about becoming a volunteer.

What if I'm nervous about interacting with people in distress?

If you would like to volunteer again, please contact your local Lifeline Centre to find out what you need to do. If you have been away from volunteering as a crisis supporter for a long time, you many need to do some training again.

We're looking for people who are:

• empathetic and open-minded
• emotionally resilient and reflective
• good listeners
• committed to learning and growth
• available for training and ongoing shifts.

If you would like to do your placement with Lifeline, please contact your local Lifeline Centre to find out what you need to do. Doing your placement with Lifeline will depend on the capacity of the Centre to be able to supervise your placement.

If you are going overseas, or maybe you have a stressful time coming up, e.g. university exams or work commitments, it is best to start the training after you have completed those commitments. The training is a continuous commitment, with internship and placements required so you can practice the skills you have learnt.