Volunteering is a great way for anyone to give back to their community. As current and future psychologist, members of the MSP community have a unique set of skills that make them valuable volunteers. From using your clinical knowledge when volunteering for a crisis support line to simply being trauma-informed while playing with children who have suffered from abuse there’s so many ways you can make a difference today. Check out these 5 organization is southeast Michigan that could use your help today.
- HAVEN is a comprehensive program for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Oakland county. The organization provides shelter, counseling, advocacy, and educational programming to nearly 30,000 people every year. Haven offers a variety of regular volunteer opportunities along with outreach opportunities for those who may not have the availability to take up an ongoing volunteer position. We’ve highlighted a few opportunities that MSP students would be well suited for below.
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- Crisis and Support Line – in this role you’ll be able to provide support, validation, information, and resources to individuals experiencing domestic violence and sexual assaults.
- Child Mentor – are you interested in working with children? In this position you’ll be able to facilitate activities to help children heal through play!
- CARE House of Oakland County is an advocacy center offering programs to support children who been abused or neglected, along with championing prevention efforts.
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- Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) – CARE House is the hosting organization for CASA in Oakland County for the national CASA program. In this role, volunteers are trained to serve as the advocate for the best interest of children in foster care throughout their court cases.
- Family Support Group – assist CARE House therapists in facilitating activities for children and/or parent groups during weekly support groups.
- Samaritas is a Christian faith-based human services organization helping disadvantaged families and individuals throughout Michigan. Samaritas’ volunteer opportunities include being a cultural mentor, working at the homeless family shelter, and more. There are reoccurring and one-time volunteer opportunities available.
- ICNA Relief is a Muslim family services organization in Detroit. ICNA Relief runs a variety of programs including a community garden, food pantry, resource center, and counseling. Interested volunteers are able to select opportunities from an extensive listing.
- FAR Therapeutic Arts and Recreation promotes education and understanding for children and adults with special needs through art, music, and recreational therapy. FAR relies on volunteers to facilitate summer camps, programming, special events and more.
Don’t see an opportunity that appeals to you? VolunteerMatch is a national search engine that can help you find opportunities in your area or check out the APA’s webpage on volunteering.
