Calgary Outlink provides support, information, resources and advocacy for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, two-spirited, asexual and ally community. In person peer support, referalls, and queer library open hours at the Calgary Outlink Centre starting in January 2012.
2012 Drop In Hours & Open Queer Library
Tuesday 11 am – 2 pm
Wednesday 4 pm – 7 pm
Thursday 3 – 6 pm
People can also call the OutLink office anytime Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and talk to Britt about resources, referrals or any thoughts/questions you might have. Outlink operates numerous peer support and social groups for the LGBTTQQI2SA community.
Community Cafe is the 2nd Friday of the month. January 13, 2012 at the Old Y main hall 223 – 12 Ave SW. All are welcome for coffee, tea and conversation 7pm -10pm.
Questionnaire_for_the_Out_is_Ok_Line
Hello! I’m Britt. I am the new Executive Director of Calgary Outlink Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. You may know me from my previous work with the Good Life Community Bicycle Shop and Two Wheel View, and I would like to let you know that I am maintaining my work and connection with these two organizations as a cycling educator and coordinator.
Calgary Outlink provides support, information, resources, and advocacy for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, two-spirited, asexual and ally community. I am doing in person peer support, referalls, and queer library open hours at the Calgary Outlink Centre starting in January 2012.
January 2012 Drop In Hours & Open Queer Library
Tuesday 11 am – 2 pm
Wednesday 4 pm – 7 pm
Thursday 3 – 6 pm
People can also call the OutLink office anytime Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and talk to me about resources, referrals or any thoughts/questions you might have. Outlink operates numerous peer support and social groups for the LGBTTQQI2SA community. Explore our website for details.
One of the first projects I am taking on as Executive Director is getting the Out is Ok Peer Support line up and running as part of OutLink. The purpose of this line is to offer peer support and referrals to people in the LGBTTIQQ2S community all over Alberta. Note: This is not a crisis line. Volunteers will not be expected to deal with crisis calls. We will refer to the Distress Centre and Calgary Sexual Health Centre.
Here are some examples of calls that might occur on this line:
•Someone is newly out and needs information about how to get involved in the community.
•Someone is transitioning and needs the contact information of a trans-friendly doctor.
•Someone is young, queer and closeted and living in a rural community and needs someone to talk to about being depressed.
•Service providers may call to get resource information for the people they support.
Outlink is seeking dedicated, responsible and empathetic volunteers to answer calls on the Out is Ok peer support line. Please see attachments for details. All volunteer applications (which must include resume and questionairre) are due back by December 29, 2011 to Director@CalgaryOutlink.ca . Applicants who are not able to meet this deadline are encouraged to apply and will be considered for future training sessions.
Please forward information about the Out is Ok peer support line widely. Word of mouth is our best option for this peer based support line.
Yours Truly,
Britt Aberle
Executive Director
Calgary OutLink: Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity
Office 303, 223 12 Ave SW
Calgary, AB T2R 0G9
www.calgaryoutlink.ca
403.234.8973
NEW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Out is Ok Peer Support Line
Calgary Outlink is taking on responsibility for the Out is Ok Alberta-wide, peer support line and is seeking dedicated and empathetic individuals within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, 2-Spirited (LGBTTIQQ2S) community to volunteer as on-call peer support.
The purpose of this line is to offer peer support and referrals to people in the LGBTTIQQ2S community all over Alberta. Note: This is not a crisis line. Volunteers will not be expected to deal with crisis calls.
Here are some examples of calls that might occur on this line:
• Someone is newly out and needs information about how to get involved in the community.
• Someone is transitioning and needs the contact information of a trans-friendly doctor.
• Someone is young, queer and closeted and living in a rural community and needs someone to talk to about being depressed.
• Service providers may call to get resource information for the people they support.
How this line works: Volunteers on the Out is Ok Peer Support Line will have a regular shift of between 2 and 7 days (to be negotiated among volunteers) where they have possession of the Out is OK cell phone and they answer calls. When volunteers have the cell phone they are “on-call:” they need to be available to answer calls all the time, excluding the hours of 11 PM to 8 AM. Volunteers will be transferring any crisis calls to the Distress Centre. Volunteers will be given a resource binder and a digital resource to help provide referrals.
Volunteers must:
• Be a LGBTTIQQ2S peer
• Demonstrate commitment to being empathetic, affirmative and supportive to people going through emotional duress
• Submit a current resume
• Answer a short questionnaire
• Be available for at least 3 training sessions in January. Volunteers will receive training from the Distress Centre in order to understand peer support methods better, specifically peer support over the phone. Necessary Distress Centre training includes: Crisis intervention (January 5), Suicide (January 12), and addiction (January 14) or relationships (January 7). Distress Centre training is offered free of cost on Tuesday evenings, Thursday evenings, and Saturday afternoons in January 2012. If applicants are not available for this training (or can attend some training, but less than 3 sessions), but are interested in and qualified to volunteering for this phone line, there may be circumstances where this may be waived, or waived in part. Qualifications which may exempt someone from attending this training include: prior training with the Distress Centre, being a trained counsellor/health services professional/social worker, etc. to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Alternative training may be available in February.
• Be available to answer the phone while they are responsible for it, and responsible for safe keeping of the Out is Ok cell phone.
• Be willing to do a police record check and a child and family services record check, and submit the paper work to have checks done in January.
• Be available to do a short, interview with the Out is OK Subcommittee and Director on January 2 or 3. If potential volunteers are very interested in volunteering for this position, and they are unable to make it to an interview on either of these dates, there is a possibility that other dates could be available.
• Be willing to commit to 6 months on the phone line.
Benefits of being a volunteer for the Out is Ok Phone Line:
• Change the world and make a difference in your community: one person at a time. Volunteering on this line means making LGBTTIQQ2S community members’ lives better. Oftentimes, all someone needs is a supportive person to talk to in order to feel better about their lives and connected to their community. You will get to provide exactly that.
• Free of cost, nationally recognized crisis intervention and peer support training through the Distress Centre. This training is in high demand and is useful to resolve personal and professional conflicts. Doing this kind of training elsewhere would be expensive and difficult to find.
• This is not a regular volunteer opportunity, but one in which volunteers have to be committed, dedicated and responsible. Volunteers on this phone line will be taking on leadership roles, will be connected to services within the province, and will be participating in a well know LGBTTIQQ2S service organization within Calgary. The experience you will gain on this line will be an asset to round out any resume. Outlink is happy to provide references to phone line volunteers.
Volunteer Application Deadline: December 29, 2011
Please submit your resume and questionnaire to: Director@calgaryoutlink.ca
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