Volunteer Emotional Support Helplines
Encyclopedia
Volunteer Emotional Support Helplines (VESH) is a planned combined international network of telephone counseling
services being formed by the 3 largest international services (Befrienders/Samaritans, IFOTES & Lifeline). In their roles of emotional support service networks, they have agreed to develop a more effective and robust international interface.
VESH represents 1200 member centres in 61 countries. Their goal is to ensure maximum access to effective services for people in distress http://www.thesamaritans.org.au/about/affiliations.html. They agreed to:
Together, the VESH partners have around 1,200 member centres in 61 countries. They have outlined a commitment to information sharing and joint activities. Part of this includes annual meetings and quarterly telephone conferences to plan and implement collaborative projects.
At the International Association for Suicide Prevention
(IASP) Congress in Ireland in 2007, VESH members
Since then a number of joint initiatives have been undertaken including joint platforms at international conferences of the International Association for Suicide Prevention and joint involvement in planning for the suicide themed World Mental Health Day
2006, a European Single Number project (116 123) and European Green Paper on Mental Health.
is now run by Samaritans
, who took on the work of Befrienders International in 2003. They have members worldwide.
International is run by Lifeline Australia. Member organisations are from countries in the Asian & Pacific Islands region, some African nations, and Canada and the USA.
This would be to both provide a common platform, as well as an information exchange hub taking advantage of the enormous diversity of the combined members experiences - both geographically and in terms of innovative responses in providing emotional support. They believe that a combined network can build on and take advantage of member diversity, whilst also ensuring members feel connected to each other and feel an identity with such a network.
Members have limited resources, and to have most influence and impact at a national, regional and international level want to improve links between all members, at all these levels. This could, for instance, include joint regional workshops and other activities; or to better take advantage of the materials available in various languages.
Telephone counseling
Telephone counseling refers to any type of psychological service performed over the telephone. Telephone counseling ranges from individual, couple or group psychotherapy with a professional therapist to psychological first aid provided by para-professional counselors...
services being formed by the 3 largest international services (Befrienders/Samaritans, IFOTES & Lifeline). In their roles of emotional support service networks, they have agreed to develop a more effective and robust international interface.
VESH represents 1200 member centres in 61 countries. Their goal is to ensure maximum access to effective services for people in distress http://www.thesamaritans.org.au/about/affiliations.html. They agreed to:
- encourage the development of new services in areas of need
- promote best practice
- increase information sharing between member associations and externally
- represent members’ experiences internationally
- promote communications skills which contribute to emotional health.
Together, the VESH partners have around 1,200 member centres in 61 countries. They have outlined a commitment to information sharing and joint activities. Part of this includes annual meetings and quarterly telephone conferences to plan and implement collaborative projects.
At the International Association for Suicide Prevention
Suicide prevention
Suicide prevention is an umbrella term for the collective efforts of local citizen organizations, mental health practitioners and related professionals to reduce the incidence of suicide....
(IASP) Congress in Ireland in 2007, VESH members
- were asked to consider leading the re-establishment of an IASP Task Force on Best Practice in Helplines.
- agreed to provide one person to be on the Scientific Committee planning the content of the 2009 IASP International Congress.
- agreed to produce two draft booklets along the lines of ‘Setting up a New Emotional Support Service’, and ‘Best Practice Guidelines’ (following a request from WHOWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
)
History
In 2002 IFOTES, LifeLine International and Befrienders International (and later adopted by Befrienders Worldwide) signed a Memorandum of Understanding - with a view to maximising joint impact in terms of emotional support services.Since then a number of joint initiatives have been undertaken including joint platforms at international conferences of the International Association for Suicide Prevention and joint involvement in planning for the suicide themed World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day , is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.This day, each October...
2006, a European Single Number project (116 123) and European Green Paper on Mental Health.
Befrienders Worldwide
Befrienders worldwideBefrienders Worldwide
Befrienders Worldwide is a charity that helps people worldwide who are tempted to suicide or despair. They listen without judging people or telling them what to do. If there is someone to listen, this can sometimes keep a person alive who might otherwise die...
is now run by Samaritans
Samaritans (charity)
Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, often through their telephone helpline. The name comes from the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, though the organisation...
, who took on the work of Befrienders International in 2003. They have members worldwide.
- Befrienders links to member helplines (also links to "non-member" Lifeline International helplines)
IFOTES - International Federation of Telephone Emergency Services
Founded in 1967, IFOTES brings together National Associations of Telephone Emergency Services, mainly from Western Europe, along with Israel and some Eastern European countries- IFOTES Website (click on Country Members to find member services)
Lifeline International
LifelineLifeline (Counselling service)
Lifeline is a free, 24 hour telephone counselling service in Australia. Volunteer counsellors provide suicide prevention, crisis support and mental health services via telephone. This service can be accessed by calling 13 11 14 within Australia....
International is run by Lifeline Australia. Member organisations are from countries in the Asian & Pacific Islands region, some African nations, and Canada and the USA.
Future plans
Members recognize the enormous common ground between them and feel there would be great advantage in having an international network within 5–10 years, to which all members would belong. This would be something along the lines of an ‘International Network of Emotional Support Services’.This would be to both provide a common platform, as well as an information exchange hub taking advantage of the enormous diversity of the combined members experiences - both geographically and in terms of innovative responses in providing emotional support. They believe that a combined network can build on and take advantage of member diversity, whilst also ensuring members feel connected to each other and feel an identity with such a network.
Taking collaboration to a new level
Each VESH member already values their activities, and the role they've played in influencing best practice and raising the profile of the combined networks. They want to take this collaboration to a new level, to enable them to respond effectively to new opportunities and responsibilities.Members have limited resources, and to have most influence and impact at a national, regional and international level want to improve links between all members, at all these levels. This could, for instance, include joint regional workshops and other activities; or to better take advantage of the materials available in various languages.
- members work in an increasingly mobile and global society, with rapidly developing technologies. They want to improve their capacity to respond to these trends, and ensure effective cross-border activities.
- members want to engage with such international bodies as the World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, the International Association for Suicide PreventionSuicide preventionSuicide prevention is an umbrella term for the collective efforts of local citizen organizations, mental health practitioners and related professionals to reduce the incidence of suicide....
and the World Federation for Mental HealthWorld Federation for Mental HealthThe World Federation for Mental Health is an international membership organization founded in 1948 to advance, among all peoples and nations, the prevention of mental and emotional disorders, the proper treatment and care of those with such disorders, and the promotion of mental health. Members...
. They seek to take up crucial opportunities that have already been presented to represent and advocate, using the extensive experiences of their combined membership - VESH seeks to explore opportunities with Child Helpline InternationalChild helpline internationalChild Helpline International is a global network of telephone helplines and outreach services for children and young people. Working in over 150 countries, CHI was founded on the belief that children and young people have rights, and that they alone are the best individuals to identify their...
(CHI, formed in 2003). VESH members recognise that they have many issues in common with CHI, and also that there could be further opportunities for joint working with a 'whole life' approach.
External links
- Primary Source: The International Emotional Support Helpline Discussion Paper http://www.contact-usa.org/Newsletters.htm
- IFOTES VESH Brochure (PDF)