Mental Health Legal Centre Inc.
Volunteering for the Telephone Advice Night Service
The Mental Health Legal Centre offers a telephone advice service to consumers on Tuesday and Thursday nights between 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
We rely on volunteer solicitors to run this Night Service.
What will volunteering for the Night Service Involve?
Volunteers are trained to answer telephone calls and provide legal advice to consumers. Training involves attending three one-hour sessions and observing a session. The Night Service Coordinator will assist volunteers with any calls they receive. The majority of enquiries can be resolved in the telephone call. Volunteers will not be asked and are not expected to take on any file work arising from telephone calls they take. Some matters may be suitable for referral to the Centre's day service.
How often must volunteers commit to taking telephone calls?
We ask volunteer solicitors to commit to taking telephone calls on at least one night service (two hours: 6.30 - 8.30pm) per fortnight.
Why get involved?
As well as assisting in meeting an overwhelming demand for services, and gaining exposure to a broad variety of stimulating issues, there can be great satisfaction in working in one of the most tangible domestic areas of human rights law. Consumers of mental health services often experience human rights abuses: from being detained and treated involuntarily, to being denied humane and dignified care, the highest standard of healthcare, an adequate standard of living and participation in the workforce, to being denied decision making capacity in relation to their finances or lifestyle issues. Further, most callers are extremely grateful for whatever assistance can be provided to them, as without the service they may not have access to any legal advice whatsoever.
Getting involved also offers a real opportunity to provide high quality, responsive legal advice to members of our community who are amongst those most likely to experience human rights abuses.
Interested in volunteering?
If you would like to submit an expression of interest to volunteer or if you have any other queries about volunteering for the night service, please contact:
Janette Nankivell
Night Service Coordinator
Mental Health Legal Centre Inc
janette_nankivell@clc.net.au
Tel: 9629 4422 (Fridays only)
