Wil jij iets betekenen voor andere jongeren in Groningen? Dan is vrijwilligerswerk bij @ease misschien iets voor jou. Als vrijwilliger bied je een luisterend oor aan leeftijdsgenoten die even niet zo ...
Youth Welfare & Mental Health Professional in Groningen
Practical details
Volunteering opportunity • Temporary
Contact person
Maaike van Helden
Ask Maaike a question or contact the organiser directly at groningen@ease.nl or 0634796479.
Provided
Requirements
#119923
Scan me or visit en.link050.nl/o/ease1/vacatures--trainingen/Youth-Welfare--Mental-Health-Professional-in-Groningen/119923 to join
Interesting or nice about this vacancy
Do you want to contribute to the mental health of young people with your knowledge and experience? As a professional at @ease, you make a difference for our young volunteers: you are their coach, resource, and clinical compass.
About @ease
At @ease, young people aged 12 to 25 can get help for free when life is tough. Sometimes they get stuck in their heads, at school, at home, with themselves, or with others. It is then important that they have a place where they can go where they feel at ease and can share their story. This is how they regain control of what is going on.
The heart of @ease is formed by young volunteers: our peers. These are young people aged 18 to 30 who listen. This peer-to-peer approach is unique in the Netherlands and proven effective. Research shows that young people feel safe, seen, and heard at @ease – precisely because they are talking to someone their own age who does not immediately make a diagnosis, but simply listens.
@ease consists of a national office in Amersfoort and 15 locations spread across 10 cities in the Netherlands. Young people can go to any location for a conversation.
Tasks and duties
Your role as a professional within @ease
Within the scientifically grounded @ease methodology, peer volunteers collaborate with professionals: experienced youth workers, psychologists, neighborhood teams, and other social workers. As a professional, you guide and coach them, offer support in difficult situations, and join conversations when necessary. The volunteers are the primary conversation partners; you only become involved when a situation calls for it, for example, in the event of concerning signs or risks.
You support the volunteers (for example, volunteers with lived experience or students with a social background) during and after the sessions, monitor safety and the application of the @ease methodology, and ensure appropriate follow-up actions if necessary. If needed, you consult by telephone with the on-call psychiatrist and help consider possible referral to appropriate care or support.
Voluntary or in-kind involvement
Professionals at @ease always work on a voluntary basis. This can be done in two ways. Some professionals are seconded in-kind by the care organization where they are employed, often a local partner organization of @ease. Others sign up as volunteers on their own initiative, alongside their regular work or retirement. In both cases, your role is primarily advisory and coaching, not treatment-oriented. You believe in early prevention and want to build on the existing resilience of young people, thereby preventing them from suffering from symptoms longer than necessary.
Skills and qualities
What are you going to do?
- Coaching, guiding, and supporting young volunteers during the service
- Debriefing of conversations
- Stimulating reflection
- Monitor safety, methodology, and conversational conduct (both during in-person meetings and via chat)
- Consult with the on-call psychiatrist if necessary
- Act quickly and adequately in response to concerning signals, risks, or crises, and organize follow-up.
What are you bringing?
You are an experienced professional who feels secure in dynamic situations, with a warm heart for young people and a keen eye that remains sharp, even when things get tense. This role is a good fit for professionals who want to empower young people without directing them, who believe in the power of peer support, and who want to give space to the voice of our young volunteers.
- You have demonstrable experience as a care provider in mental health care, youth care, crisis care, the social domain, social work, etc.
- You have a relevant education in psychology, medicine, special education, social work, HBO Social Work, etc.
- You can adequately interpret risks and signals and act in crisis situations.
- You possess strong coaching and communication skills
- You are stress-resistant, empathetic, and can listen well without judgment.
- You are available for at least one Tuesday evening per month for a shift of approximately 3.5 hours.
Additional information
What do we offer you?
- A meaningful role in which your expertise directly contributes to the mental health of young people
- The opportunity to coach young volunteers and let them gain relevant work experience
- A special training on the scientifically validated and internationally recognized @ease training
- Collaboration with a passionate team of volunteers, professionals, and on-call psychiatrists
- A rapidly growing, nationwide organization where professionalism and innovation go hand in hand.
- Flexible deployment on a voluntary basis or via secondment
- A meal and a fun team activity twice a year
Related to
About @ease
Wil jij iets betekenen voor andere jongeren in Groningen? Dan is vrijwilligerswerk bij @ease misschien iets voor jou. Als vrijwilliger bied je een luisterend oor aan leeftijdsgenoten die even niet zo lekker in hun vel zitten. Dat doe je onze inloophuiskamer in Groningen en via de online chat.
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