How it works?

At Youthline Southland we offer an excellent personal development programme! This programme is designed to learn and grow; it is also used to get volunteers ready for working on our national Youth Helpline.

Personal Development 
This programme provides an opportunity for you to find out more about yourself, build better communication and relationship skills, and to learn about working in a team. You will learn about managing differences and conflict, building self-esteem, confidence, goal setting, and trust.

Participants who complete this successfully can then progress through to Basic Youth and Community Counselling. 

Basic Youth and Community Counselling 
After personal development training, youth and community counselling skills is where the skills-building really kicks in! Training for the helpline will include:

• An awareness of issues that face youth which include; grief, anger and aggression, depression and suicidality.
• Skills to practice the theories of person-centred and strength-based counselling.
• Skills for counselling on phones, text messages and emails within the Youthline support context.

​Participants are required to attend at least 80% of training sessions to become helpline counsellors. Progression to becoming a helpline counsellor is dependent on the commitment and appropriate skills demonstrated by participants during training.

This programme is run several times per year, so if the next one doesn't suit you, get in touch.

Programme Sign Up Form

More about volunteering at YLS