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‘tis the season of AGM‘s and I feel like a debutante with a full dance card. As uchooseit’s reputation grows there is an increasing stream of invites plopping through the letterbox – well, pinging into the inbox – but you get the picture.
We make an effort to go to all that we can. Offering, as they do, opportunities for networking, publicising what we are doing, finding out what others are up to and for being ‘seen’. They also – well amongst the better class of organisation anyway – have buffets which, when a Costa coffee is beyond your financial reach, is a major consideration.
For us at uchooseit what’s on offer is not just nibbles, it’s dinner.
And it is here that you enter the strange half-life of the volunteer (v word – geddit – well it amused me anyway). Of the world, but often unable to participate fully in it. A vital part of the recovery movement, yet not able to get involved in big parts of it due to lack of access – to technology, to transport, to conference fees, to smart clothes – and on, and on.
Now I am not so much talking about ‘employed’ volunteers here i.e those that have a job, although I am sure that they too balk at some of the costs levied on participation, but more about ‘unemployed’ volunteers, although there’s a misnomer if ever I heard one.
I’m talking about those of us who – because of our pasts – have a cat’s chance in hell of finding work through ‘normal‘ channels and have therefore made the decision to build or re-build our lives and our CVs through service to others.
I do not pretend that this is utterly selfless, as many of us hope that volunteering might open a chink in the wall that stands between us and ’normal’ life (the open sesame approach). But neither is it selfish, and perhaps that’s why it can get some of the ‘not unwaged‘ staff rattled (but that‘s another blog in itself – as is the whole issue of benefits and volunteering, more on these later).
I don’t have the answers here, I just want to open the debate, as I really feel that volunteering and volunteerism are fundamental issues within recovery on a whole range of levels and underpin the concept of a recovering community.
I have to confess I will be blogging more on this area as it is a subject close to my heart, in case you hadn’t guessed. You have been warned!
p.s A big thank you for your support in my new Wired In editing role.
Such an important issue Michaela, one that I hope we get lots of comments for and blogs on.
And thank you so much for being our current Editor. You are doing a wonderful job – it is amazing to see content appearing on the site without me having spent time earlier in the day sorting it out. A great feeling.
Thank you.
This is hugely important as an issue. I was approached by a couple of members of our aftercare group who had been invited to a conference as ‘service users’ at a reduced rate (from memory about £160 for the day).
There is just no way for them to look at that. I phoned the organisers and pointed out the paradox: great to invite service users, but not with a whacking barrier that they cannot overcome.
I’m hopeful that we might get some movement on this and there are other things we can look at if not, but it is daft in this new recovery world that we effectively exclude the folk that it is all about!
Recovery oriented organisations ought to be looking at job applications from folk in recovery with a wise eye. Our own organisation (NHS Lothian) offers job placements for our graduates through our partners Transition (part of Access to Industry).
By nature of addiction, everyone has a past and the enhanced level Disclosure Scotland paperwork which has to be done for working with patients will reflect this. There are ways to be flexible about this though.
Recovery means changed behaviours and values and I agree with you that volunteering allows a CV to build up where these can be demonstrated, opening up opportunities (or treasure caves!) for recovering people.
The skills and experience of recovering people make them valuable assets for organisations rather than liabilities or risks.
Well done on your editing role. If you find any spelling mistakes in my response, please use a red pen liberally.
Hi Michaela
I believe it is the Maori who have a saying “Nothing without us”, something which applies to users, carers and volunteers alike. It is like sometimes people forget that purpose in all this is not slavish adherence to form filling ones way to a succulent pension rather than some promotion and enabling of change. This also means practising what we preach. So yes if services and workers are suggesting employment as parts of recovery journeys, that is where they have seen beyond the green liquid and anatabuse, then that must include ourselves. Sometimes the nimby culture extends from the nuclear notion to the not in my office with regards to volunteering.
I have volunteered all my adult working and non working life. Yes, because like you say cos I get something from it, sometimes cv enhancement, sometimes an internal glow and sometimes just to be doing. I just wish we could have more opportunities closer to the drug and alcohol world, and without silly restrictions of dated times abstinent or since last arrested, cos we all different and you do not suddenly turn from unfit to fit over night or because 365 days have passed.
So bring your blogs on and lets have some honest debate about the need for, the role of and the support for volunteers. The example I came across the other day was a SMAT (welsh DAAT) offering volunteer and user places at conference for free, but with no accompanying travel or overnight accommodation, like one can just blast a giro on the visa card for the bill.
And way is it we always think the volunteers are going be the ones that will steal from the handbags
We need lots more volunteer support time and lots more resources to support folk to volunteer, but mostly we need a head space change that says volunteering has a place right in and amongst “professional” service provision and that such is most likely to enhance what goes on and is not about back door cheap jobs, but the provision of opportunity for both the volunteer and the folk receiving something from the volunteer.
We could of course have a bit more them and us, and call it unpaid work and have folk where orange jackets…em I wonder if Jack Straw has thought of that one?
Keep up the good work
Best wishes
Hi Michaela
Yes, you are opening an interesting discussion here I think:
the tension between selflessness and selfullness (just invented a word there I think) when it comes to work in this field generally.
My own view is that most endeavours in life are about a trade-off, a balance if you will, between these two states.
As you know, I’m in (well)paid employment in drug and alcohol work, and have been for many years.
But I started off in people-helping work as an unpaid volunteer in a mental health hostel in Canterbury back in 1984.
My motivation was mixed: I thought I had the skills and values to be able to support distressed people who had needs.
And I wanted to do that.
But I also calculated that from this relatively ‘lowly’ rung I could at least reach to the next rung of the ladder, which for me was that of formal training in health and social care work.
And that from there I might be able to embark on a career helping people.
And I was right, because that’s how it panned out for me.
I suppose my point here is that people do not only paid work but also unpaid work (volunteering) for lots of different reasons.
They aren’t all selfless and they aren’t all selfull.
And it seems to me that that’s fine.
Great to see you and Julie today.
As always, your energy astonishes me (well, shames me)!
All the best
Simon
When finally you reach the two year barrier your allowed to volunteer, sometimes this feels like metaphorical paying lip service, a pretentious attempt by service providers to assure you how well your doing and how valued your input is !
Now there is a value in volunteering as long as you do it for your benefit and under your own terms, but whether right or wrong the volunteer route is the main way forward to employment in the field of service provider.
I personally agree it’s positive to recovery to keep busy and it’s a pity that the one thing we have a great deal of knowlege in cannot be put to use for two years, also these first two years do seem a test of one’s resolve to keep clean.
Finally a word to providers, your prospective volunteers will see right through any condisending pretentious attitude, so my advice is be sincere even if you doubt your volunteers abillities.
as a former addict having been clean now for 10 years plus and having completed my counselling diploma i am still it seems unemployable as a drug worker yet i continue to volunteer in the vain hope that some day my skills will not just be utilised by the selfless organisations whose main aims seem to be these days targets rather than giving voice to service users and those who volunteer for them. It appears to me to be futile to continue at times the only thing that does keep me going are the service users who appreciate that someone who has lived through their nightmare is willing to help and understand them, they feel that those who haven’t been through this life are patronising towards them with little understanding. Volunteers play a crucial role in the treatment of those people affected it is just a shame that the voice of those volunteers is not heard or simply disregarded . well done for bringing this matter to others attention
I am glad to see someone has raised this issue. Volunteering can play a fundamental part in the recovery of many people, allowing them an opportunity to overcome a wide range of both personal and social barriers.
Volunteering gave me a chance to learn new skills, gain valuable experience, meet new people as well as helping to improve my self esteem and confidence which at the time had taken a fair knock.
It gave me a chance to do something worthwhile and meaningful, an opportunity to climb out of the very deep hole I had dug for myself over the 10 years previous and get the first job I’ve ever had that I’ve found rewarding.
I am not alone and can say that I have shared this experience with countless other ex-addicts.
I think that as much as possible should be done to provide meaningful volunteering opportunities for people in recovery. If managed properly and quality training is provided, it can lead to a win-win-win situation, for the volunteers, services and service users.
HY Michaela,
Just Short Update In Response Your Request.
Please Note I Am Prevented From Complying .
I Changed My System From Windows Vista To Linux, But Bugs In System. Fault: Server Index Is Broken This Is A Major Failure Of Softwear Management System. I Am Limping Along As Is, Because I Don’t Wish To Go In For Repairs At Present.
Best Wishes Everyone In Community.
Great to see you raising this issue Michaela. I’m sure our group members would have more to say on this if you want me to ask them!
Another issue I think sould be raised, even if you are accepted it is often as a source of cheap labour, taken for granted, taken advantage of because you can’t find paid work elsewhere and need the opportunity to prove yourself.
When more or less everything that is new, recovery focussed and needed by all is done on by unpaid staff it is time to start asking real questions. Especially when you find volunteein is actually leavng you out of pocket.
PS to Simon, making up new words is nothing new to you
Matt
Matt, very important point. It’s a really important issue – what sense of value and importance are we putting on the work that is done? And, we lose so many talented people because they need to spend their time paying the bills.
Mark sent me this link earlier – well worth a look
