I work for the Samaritans AMA

[annonymousandlikeit]

Obviously, I can't talk about our callers and contacts, but anything you want to know about how we work or what samaritans do, I do phones, schools, prisons, foodbanks, outreach, festivals, public order, etc

Are you trained? Qualifications? Layperson?

All Samaritans are trained for many months before getting their number, then each extra duty you add requires extra training, and everyone also undergoes ongoing training and mentoring. There are no "qualifications" as such

Thank you. I was wondering what mental health background for a very stressful volunteer role.

What if I call up suicidal. Can you call an ambulance/police?

We are unlikely to call ambulance or police, it depends on the circumstances - most calls are 100% anonymous - we won't have any idea who you are or where you are. If a caller wants an ambulance, we would encourage them to call one themselves.

Our role is to keep the person company, sometimes that is all it takes to decide not to kill yourself, but if a person has decided to kill themselves, we respect their right to choose that, and still keep them company.

What support do you get following difficult calls. Do you give advice or opinions ?

Do you ever worry that too much store is set on the Samaritans service? It is so often signposted in distressing contexts (eg at the end of an article about suicide), almost as if it the mere mention of it was 'job done'. But in my experience of using the service as a younger person, it was absolutely no help whatsoever.
With the greatest respect, the volunteers can't do much more than signpost more specialist services, depending on the kind of unhappiness the caller brings to the call. And the hope of a lifeline, coupled with the fairly minimal reality of a few stock phrases and suggested phone numbers, generates a despair that is more crushing than the unhappiness felt before the call.

The last time I called Samaritans (decades ago now), the volunteer was more or less silent - understandably, since his training and the parameters within which he was operating didn't give him scope to say much. I ended up putting the phone down rather angrily, which made me feel terrible.

Are the Samaritans able to do any rigorous research on how service users feel about the responses that they get? Or does anonymity prevent that? My own view is that it medicates the feelings of those who signpost it and does very little for the people who use it.

There is a strong support structure within the Samaritans, and three layers of support after a difficult call,
firstly and immediately your shift partners,
secondly at the end of your shift, or earlier if you want it, your debriefer,
and thirdly, over the next days and weeks, your volunteer supporter

I also do debreifing and volunteer support myself, so am available for volunteers to ring and talk to in the night after an upsetting call - to be honest, most volunteers are quite good and shutting it off after a shift, but there can always be one or two that stay with you - I still remember some callers from decades ago

Just wanted to say thank you for the work you do. I called the Samaritans a few years ago when I was in an emotionally abusive relationship, and it made a huge difference, far bigger than I'd have thought. I felt valid and seen and heard for the first time in a long time. I'm in a much happier place now. So thank you, and please know that you make such a huge difference.

Are you paid or volunteer?

we don't give advice or opinions, no. We are just there literally to keep the caller company to listen to their problems

Are the sex callers still a thing? I volunteered about ten years ago and some shifts all I had was the sex callers. It was soul destroying

yes, there is extensive and vigorous monitoring on the affect of the service, but you are right, we can't help everybody. I tend to go by the rule of thumb that more than half of callers feel significantly better after a call, but most of the others feel no worse.

However, the most recent research indicates a far higher success rate, with well over 3/4 of callers feeling significantly better

We aim to support people there and then in that moment so if someone puts the phone down feeling calmer, more positive or less alone, then that is a success, but of course nothing changes in that persons life, and so the following week they may be ringing again

It is to help how someone feels in that exact moment, rather than a long term solution, but if you are waiting for a court case, a medical test, funeral, or whatever, it can help people get through the worst moments, and of course if someone is thinking of suicide, they are often much less likely to follow through with it after a chat and a bit of sympathy

Thank you - that is so good to know xx

All listening Samaritans are volunteers

How long have you been doing it?

Yes, but these days you put the phone down on them - when I first started you were told not to put the phone down on anybody

Nearly 40 years!

How many hours does it take up a week?

It is up to you. We have a minimum of 3 day shifts and 1 night shift a month, but different branches vary, and there is flexibility within that, too. Then of course, there are all the additional activities, not on the phones which can take up as much or as little time as you volunteer for. Some Samaritans just do their telephone hours and nothing else, some ( quite often retired or unemployed people) do a lot of different things

Shifts can be different lengths, but most are 3 hours. The shortest I am aware of is 2 hours, and the longest 6 hours ( night shift 11-5)

Firstly, want to say thank you. I’ve been a service user several times over a few years of horrific mental health and every woman I’ve spoken to has been lovely and talked me back from the edge.

One thing I’m interested about though - sometimes at the end of a call the volunteer will try to arrange a call back for the following day, is there something specific to trigger when this happens? It’s not something I’ve ever accepted because I’m normally feeling guilty enough for taking up someone’s time and I don’t want to give any personal details, but I’ve always wondered how normal this is?

I thought the samaritans gave advice, were a bit of a lifeline rather than just a listening service. Do you feel the public aren't fully aware that's all you are really? Not that im denigrating what the samaritans are, just discussing my perception of it.
I think the fact people volunteer to listen to others is nothing short of heroic. But im just not sure that these days, with all the cut backs and closures of advice services, the samaritans are being used a bit as providing a service it cant provide.

It is an option, if we feel a caller will benefit from speaking to someone who already knows the situation, rather than explaining all over again - or if there is a significant even coming up, sentencing, operation, etc.

It is probably turned down 3 times out of 4, but is taken up by some callers.
Please don't feel guilty about taking up time, it is what we volunteer for

A friend has just decided to stop being a Samaritans listener after years because she says the number of sex calls has risen to the extent that she feels angry at having wasted a significant amount of time on a shift. I gather the problem is not ‘upfront’ sex calls, but ones that sound like a monosyllabic distressed person for some considerable time, and fifteen minutes later you realise someone is getting himself off.

I have to say, my own experience of calling the Samaritans many years ago was not unlike @GoodOldEmmaNess ’s. The listener sounded rather nonplussed and managed to give the impression I was just being a bit too self-critical. It left me feeling angry and as though my problems were the wrong kind of problems.

However, as I now live close to a branch, by a river that sees a lot of suicides, and think it’s something I could do, I decided to put myself forward for training in Feb 2022.

I got an email acknowledgment and was told I’d be notified when their next information session for potential volunteers was taking place after Easter. Easter 2022 came and went. I sent another enquiry email. No reply. In July 2022 I happened to walk past a Samaritans stand at a local event and the volunteer there took my name. I got a call from a staff member apologising for my name ‘getting lost off’ a list of potential volunteers and saying they’d notify me when the next information evening was happening, which would be in September. September 2022 came and went. It’s now over a year later.

Is this lack of organisation typical, in your opinion, OP? Yet my friend tells me the service is only currently able to answer one third of all calls.

Sorry, that sounds as I I assumed I’d be trained — I meant I decided to put myself forward for whatever screening process precedes training.