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If life is in danger call Triple Zero 000
If life is in danger call Triple Zero 000

Crisis Supporter Training

Crisis Supporter Workplace Training is a nationally accredited workplace training program for members of the general public to learn the skills required to become Lifeline Crisis Supporters.

Click on the three tabs below to find out about volunteering as a Crisis Supporter

Lifeline’s Crisis Supporters provide support to people in Australia who are having difficulty coping and may be at risk of suicide.

At Lifeline Ballarat we have an amazing team of volunteer Crisis Supporters (CSs). We are serious about providing the best training and ongoing support to our CSs. Lifeline Ballarat CSs receive comprehensive initial training, which is supplemented by tailored PD sessions that enable the CSs to consolidate their knowledge and skills, as well as provide opportunities to enhance their practice.

Why do people volunteer to become Crisis Supporters?

  • To connect with others
  • To offer hope
  • To give back to the community
  • To volunteer locally and have an impact nationally
  • To make new friends
  • To develop new skills for personal and professional growth
  • To join the Lifeline community

To read more about what Lifeline Ballarat volunteers say about being a Crisis Supporter, click here.

Anyone is eligible to apply, provided the following criteria are met:

  • Must be 18 years or over
  • Must be willing to undertake a Criminal Record Check prior to acceptance into training, and provide evidence of Working with Children/Working with Vulnerable People Check as required
  • Must meet Australian residency or visa requirements
  • Must complete a Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) Assessment
  • Must demonstrate the relevant attributes as outlined in the Crisis Supporter Position Description
  • Must be willing and able to meet all annual accreditation requirements, including regular shifts, logged in hours, professional development and supervision

The Crisis Supporter Workplace Training (CSWT) has been created to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to undertake the Crisis Supporter role.

The CSWT training program is divided into three Stages:

  • Stage 1 Initial Training (blended learning)
  • Stage 2 Student Placement
  • Stage 3 Internship
Timeline demonstrating training pathway

Units of Competency

Training is delivered on behalf of Lifeline Australia RTO 88036 (see our Compliance Manual here), under the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). Lifeline Australia contracts Lifeline Centres to deliver nationally recognised training and assessment services in accordance with the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Quality Framework.

By undertaking Lifeline’s Crisis Supporter Workplace Training (CSWT) program, students will not only be trained as a Lifeline Crisis Support Worker, they will obtain a nationally recognised qualification for the CHCSS00113 Crisis Support Skill Set upon completing the required assessments successfully and achieving competency for each of the following units:

  • CHCCCS003 Increase the safety of individuals at risk of suicide
  • CHCCCS019 Recognise and respond to crisis situations
  • CHCCCS028 Provide client-centred support to people in crisis

Annual Accreditation Requirements

To maintain your accreditation as a telephone crisis supporter it's important to remember that you must:

  • Have a minimum 92 logged in hours on the phone per year
  • Have a minimum 8 hours of professional development per year
  • Participate in regular supervision and call coaching
  • Undergo a Criminal Record Check every two years

Crisis Supporter Volunteering FAQs

To become a telephone volunteer crisis supporter for Lifeline's 24-hour Crisis Support service - 13 11 14 - you'll need to undertake extensive training, make a commitment to shifts, and meet further selection criteria. This is to ensure you'll be confident, skilled, and able to provide support to Lifeline's callers in their time of emotional distress and crisis. This is a very rewarding volunteer opportunity.

No, the training provided to our volunteer Crisis Supporters will ensure you are qualified to offer a high standard of crisis support that keeps people safe.

Yes, all volunteer roles require a National Police History Check and relevant state Working with Children Check. The Police Check is at no cost to the volunteer.

We find most people who volunteer with Lifeline as a Crisis Supporter find it very rewarding, knowing they are contributing to saving lives. Most of our volunteers contribute to the Lifeline community for years. We ask our volunteer Crisis Supporters to commit to a minimum of 4 hours per fortnight, for a minimum of 2 years.

The cost of providing training across the three stages of the CSWT is significant and Lifeline recognises the value of the time commitment volunteers provide to Lifeline and to help seekers, and therefore provides the training at a substantially subsidised cost. The co-contribution fee for undertaking the training is $550 (inclusive of GST). By prior arrangement, a payment schedule may be agreed.

Concession Rate and Eligibility

The concession rate is a reduction of 10% of the co-contribution fee. We offer a concession to pension card holders, and students/applicants in receipt of the following payments:

  • Parenting Payment

  • Youth Allowance

  • Austudy/Abstudy

To claim the concession rate, the student/applicant must provide a copy of their Centrelink card, or their Health Care Card and a letter confirming they are in receipt of one of the above Centrelink payments.

We do not offer a concession for Low Income Health Care Card holders. The reason for this is that these cards are valid for 12 months, the eligibility to receive this is not attached to a Centrelink income payment, and eligibility for the card is only reviewed every 12 months.