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The Griefline Volunteer Portal contains all of the reference resources and technical tools you might need as a volunteer if you have any difficulties with Rosterfy or BRIA.
You can access the portal at https://griefline.org.au/staff-resources/
The password is Holidays21!
Griefline Helpline is staffed entirely by volunteers. Volunteers are based throughout Australia and are able to complete their Helpline shift either from the Griefline Hub (in Moorabbin, Victoria) or from their home.
Griefline utilises a number of technical tools to enable volunteers to complete their shifts remotely. These tools include Rosterfy (used for rostering onto a Helpline shift) and BRIA (used to enable Helpline calls to be received remotely via PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone).
Rosterfy is used to book in your Helpline shifts, and also to view your BRIA username and password before you start your shift.
All bookings for Helpline shifts need to be made via Rosterfy. This is to enable Griefline to see whether there are any gaps in the Helpline roster and identify if there are any periods of time where calls to the Helpline are unable to be answered (if there is no shift coverage).
Volunteers are requested to roster on for a minimum of one (1) three (3) hour shift per week.
Griefline greatly values the time and commitment of our volunteers to enable us to continue to support the community seeking support with their grief and loss.
After you have completed the Role Play workshop sessions, you will receive an email with an invite to log into Rosterfy and create your own password.
To login into Rosterfy:
1.Go to griefline.org.au and click on STAFF LOGIN
2. This opens a tab on your browser with the Rosterfy login home screen. Enter your email address:
3. Enter your password to continue. If you have forgotten your password, click on Forgotten your password? option underneath the password.
2. Click on Apply now.
3. Choose a shift and click on Select.
4. Click on Apply notification message of success will appear on your screen.
5. Click on Take me to the dashboard.
6. On your dashboard, the shift you applied for will show as Confirmed. Rosterfy will automatically send you an email to confirm your shift.
7. Rosterfy will automatically send you an email to confirm signup for your shift.
2. A popup message will appear with the Bria username and password, which will be used to login to the Bria app softphone.
Checking in and out of a shift is important to confirm that you have attended a shift. When checking-in, Rosterfy will date and time stamp the shift when you started and will again date and time stamp the shift when you have finished.
Griefline use the ‘check in’ and ‘check out’ process to verify volunteering hours on the Helpline. If the ‘check in’ and ‘check out’ process has not been completed for each shift, Griefline is unable to verify volunteering hours. This is important for any student requesting verification of the volunteering time with Griefline (as is this function has not been used, no volunteering hours will be recorded)..
Before starting a shift on the Helpline, login to Rosterfy and go to the Dashboard. Click on the Check-in tab which will automatically set your shift to Attended. Please note that the check-in tab will be available for only 30 minutes before the shift start time.
Login to Rosterfy when you have finished your shift. Click on the Check-out tab. Please note that the check-out tab will be available for only 30 minutes after the shift end time.
Click on Event History and select relevant Helpline roster. All shifts attended will display under My Shifts.
Shift cancellation via Rosterfy is possible up to 48 hours prior to the shift commencing.
Any late notification of cancellation need to be notified directly to the Volunteer Support Officer. This is to help identify gaps in the Helpline coverage and assist in finding someone else to cover the shift.
2. A message prompt will appear saying Are you sure? Select Yes.
3. You will receive an email notification confirming your withdrawal from the shift.
The role play workshop is a practical session where you will have the opportunity to use skills from the Griefline toolkit shared in Modules 1, 2 and 3.
The role play workshop is a series of interactive role plays using Helpline caller case studies and give you the opportunity to practice starting a call, ending a call, supporting a caller in a 10 min call, supporting a caller in a 20 min call.
Supervision and debriefing is an important part of self-care as a volunteer, and we recommend you use these options regularly. It can:
Supervision and debriefing is a relationship formed to support and care for you. It helps to protect you, improve your ability and provide value to the callers, while monitoring your own self-care.
The questions below are to aid the supervisor with exploratory questions that are thought-provoking and help with your own reflection.
Debriefing – available peer to peer and as a group
Debriefing is a structured process which assists the volunteer to work through a phone call which stayed with them, either immediately following the call or for some days since the call.
The process of debriefing supports the volunteer in putting the experience or the event into perspective and aims to normalise reactions and works with existing strengths and capacities.
Debriefers are long term volunteers with experience on the type of calls and callers to the Helpline.
Peer debriefing – is a reciprocal engagement in which you and your fellow telephone support volunteers work together for mutual benefit where developmental feedback is emphasised and self-directed learning and evaluation is encouraged.
Working independently with a qualified practicing psychologist where you focus on you and your experience on the calls (triggers, skills, emotions).
While on your shift it is a good idea to have a journal to write thoughts and feelings down as the call finishes.
In this way you can track specific moments and note your reactions and response to debrief with later.
The following shares some helpful reflecting questions to help you notice the mind-body connection, alerting you to your own emotional triggers and responses.
Find purpose in what you are doing and remember why you are here.
Network with the Volunteer Village to share experiences, receive and give support to each other.
Be focused and determined in developing your skills and being the best, you can be in any moment.
Be positively realistic. You can’t help everyone and not every caller is going to feel better after contact. Be present not perfect.
Know where you are in the call and what you are doing. Register triggers and work on them.
Take time out after a shift to wind down. Look after yourself. Seek supervision and debriefing when you need. Stay connected with the Volunteer Village. Manage your times and commitments and be ready for your shift-physically and mentally.
No matter how ready we are, we can be triggered unexpectedly during a call. These focus questions are an immediate acknowledgment that you are feeling an emotional impact related to your own personal life experiences.
Note what is the reaction to the content of the call.
What do you need to remind yourself about, to anchor the heightened response you are feeling (e.g., End the call asking the caller to phone back? Redirect the focus of the call?)
Where in your body do you feel the impact (what muscles or body part holds this trigger for you?)
Finally, why are you feeling this emotional experience now? What was said that triggered this response?
Utilising the Trigger Worksheet is a good way to track your own personal experiences and a record to bring to the debriefing or supervision sessions.
We suggest you download a few of these ready to use, just in case.
Processing a triggering moment is a healthy way to download the emotional response and gain some level of clarity.
Remember to always book a group or individual supervision session if you feel affected by a call.
Some unhealthy ways we downplay the effect on our mental health, helping others can have.
The theory of trauma is centered around the realization that no matter how mentally prepared or strong we believe ourselves to be, trauma happens in life and we cannot pretend it doesn’t. The healthiest way is to learn to build your coping and resilience team.
Build your team to shield you. Know who has your back and who you can rely on when times get tough and demonstrate the same to them. Be fearless in asking for help and support.
We have mentioned journaling a few times and there are many ways to use writing as a wellbeing tool.
A journal for tracking your wellbeing can be used for self-discovery, managing emotions and/or feelings of anxiety and depression.
It can be a helpful record of your own emotional journey as a volunteer and for supervision or debriefing sessions. The following are some specific question you may like to use to focus your writing and reflections.
Source: https://witanddelight.com/2020/03/20-journaling-prompts-i-swear-by-to-get-you-out-of-your-head/
“Triggers are external events or circumstances that may produce very uncomfortable emotional or psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, panic, discouragement, despair, or negative self-talk. Reacting to triggers is normal, but if we don’t recognize them and respond to them appropriately, they may actually cause a downward spiral, making us feel worse and worse.” https://www.mentalhelp.net/recovery-and-wellness/triggers/
Being a Helpline volunteer is a very giving and generous act of service to support the community. Listening and holding space for others stories, may trigger reactions in yourself that you were not anticipating. Awareness and self-reflection of your reactions during and after each call are as important as the call itself.
The ‘triggers and my experience’ circle can help guide self-reflection and identify where additional support from a debriefer or supervisor is needed.
Where a caller, the issue or your own management of the call stays with you, it is helpful to explore the ‘why.’ Ask yourself, why this call, why this time?
Sit in the moment and ask yourself what was different this time, what happened in the call and what do you think is important to drill down on?
Mentally distance yourself from the call and think objectively about the situation, as if you were watching it on film. What were the players doing and saying? What worked and what didn’t? What might have been going on for the caller or yourself that contributed to the moment?
Does anything change or seem different from looking at it objectively? Are there any factors known or unknown that could have added to the call? How do you see the call now?
What have I learnt or could learn? Am I recognizing growth as part of the discomfort? What can I do now and what do I want moving forward. Can I take the learning and let go?
Am I aware of the need for self-reflection in order to maintain my own wellbeing vs self-criticism? Are my personal expectations to high? Am I striving for perfection? Do I need to get some supervision or de-briefing to explore this further?
