Please see above.

Lifeline support workers are there to listen to the service users, whoever they might be and whatever they might want to talk about, (within some boundaries). You would be using the skills to listen to someone’s experience, try to understand what this experience means to them, and following the user’s lead concerning their priorities, what they want to do today or what they think they could do, alongside confirming their immediate safety. You would not be giving advice or sharing your opinions, personal experiences or being a friend.

TELL Lifeline is a generalist line, people can contact us about anything and everything, whether that is to be connected to information and resources or to talk about what they are going through, whatever that might be.

• Being over 18 years of age 
• Having an excellent command of English
• Computer and reliable internet access necessary for training, and later to take shifts
• A private space where you would not be overheard or interrupted during shifts to protect the confidentiality of the service

There is no exhaustive list of characteristics that make a perfect support worker. However, some things that can be helpful are:

• • Empathy – can you put yourself in someone else’s shoes?
  • Flexibility in your thinking
  • Comfort with uncertainty  – being on a lifeline, you have no control over what you will be asked to talk about each shift
  • Basic competence with IT
  • Self awareness
  • Open and nonjudgmental attitude

• During the 10 week online course: 8-10 hours of work per week
• During the second half of the course: Additional time to work on longer role play practice and supervised shifts

• We ask for a minimum commitment of 12 months post graduation from training.
• For as long as you remain a Lifeline volunteer, there is a general expectation to commit 10 hours per month, (two 4-hour shifts on the lifeline and to join a 2-hour supervisory meeting).

• After you submit your application form, if your application meets our criteria, you would be invited for an interview. After the interview, if you are successful, you would be invited to join the next available training course.

If you are not living in Japan, and have no plans to be in Japan in the near future, then unfortunately we cannot accept your application.

There is a fee for the training of 35,000 yen.

Typically we ask people to pay by the first day of training but if this presents a problem, please let us know and the Training Team will be happy to discuss your options.

Yes, it is possible to break the payment down into installments. Again, please discuss your payment plan with the Training Team.

We understand that we are charging a fee to train for volunteer work, and that this may seem strange. We do this because we are a non-profit organization, and we must meet all costs incurred while running the training. The training does not generate any profits; it only meets part of its own associated costs. There are many volunteering opportunities that people can participate in instantly or with minimal training, but a crisis line support worker is not one of these roles. The safety of our service users is paramount and so we are asking volunteers to pay for the course to equip them with the skills they need to take shifts effectively.

We also feel confident that the quality of the training is high and that it can provide participants with important personal learning and skills development. This fee is also quite reasonable compared to prices for similar educational or skills courses that could be taken, either here in Japan or in other countries.

While there are costs involved in running the training three times each year, we do not want the fee to present the sole barrier to anyone being able to participate. If your circumstances do not allow you to make this payment at this time, please discuss this with the Training Team.

The English speaking population is still relatively small, so we ask that you keep your involvement as a support worker, (even from the point of application), a secret from anyone who absolutely does not need to know. Our goal is not to imply there is shame or stigma in seeking support from a lifeline, rather to remove discomfort or inhibition from those who might want to interact with the service and who may be concerned someone they know will hear about their conversations.

• Personal and professional growth
• Giving back to your community
• Ongoing support in your work with Lifeline
• Learning new skills and experiencing new things
• Meeting new people and making new friends
• Belonging to the TELL community
• Training and development opportunities
• Knowing that by volunteering you are making a real difference!

We take our responsibilities to our volunteers seriously. To be present with our service users and listen to potentially very emotionally challenging issues can take a toll on our volunteers. If you become a Lifeline volunteer, you would be required to join an online supervisory meeting each month where you would be able to talk over your recent experiences as a volunteer with experienced support workers. This is an important part of ongoing learning, but also a vital outlet for you and other volunteers to process your emotions and experiences. Volunteering should not be something that negatively affects your wellbeing.

In addition to these meetings, you would also be able to connect with Lifeline staff and your supervisors on an as needed basis. You are not taking on this responsibility alone.