Support for volunteer's well-being
Selfless helping is empowering, but you may also become burdened if you do not take care of yourself. We take care of our volunteers' well-being proactively. The better we take care of our volunteers in every form of the organization's activities, the stronger our readiness to respond to the Red Cross's helping tasks.
As a volunteer for the Red Cross, you help others of your own free will, in the way and at the time that suits you. Selfless helping is empowering, but you may also become burdened if you do not take care of yourself. Different people have different conscious and unconscious ways to promote recovery from volunteer tasks. Effective methods include, for example
- being together with close people
- talking with another volunteer
- a moment in nature
- exercise, music, crafts, or art
- humor
Some volunteer tasks touch or burden more than others. If you feel that you need support for recovery or would like to discuss the topic, you can always contact a district employee.
Also, familiarize yourself with the Red Cross's Psychological First Aid pages.
Methods to support the well-being of volunteers
Well-being, helpful volunteers are the core of our preparedness. Well-being support is both continuous activity that maintains good spirit and special support after a single event, encounter, or helping task.
Check-out round talk
Check-out round talk (fiiliskierros) is a simple, routine way to take care of the well-being of participating volunteers. It is advisable to make Fiiliskierros a habit in all activities, whether after a department board meeting, in activity groups, or after a helping task.
Instructions for holding a Check-out round talk (Fiiliskierros) (currently only in Finnish)
Debriefing
The goal of a debriefing, led by a trained facilitator, is to ventilate shocking and difficult experiences from a mentally taxing event, provide understanding, and get help with one's own feelings and reactions. The debriefing is held with the group that worked together as soon as possible after the event.
A debriefing is always held when any of the participants feel the need for it. The person responsible for the activity has the duty to ensure that the debriefing takes place.
Instructions for ordering a debriefing (currently only in Finnish)
Necessary additional support
If the debriefing is not sufficient, contact the employee responsible for the activity in the district to arrange the necessary additional support. HUP's employee acts as a contact person for the psychologists' readiness group, which is alerted through the central office.
You can also direct the volunteer to public health services (health center, school health care, student health care) or occupational health services, where additional help is available for dealing with stressful situations.