{"id":71,"date":"2023-04-24T10:54:52","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T10:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dbhds.virginia.gov\/facilities\/wsh\/?page_id=71"},"modified":"2023-04-27T09:40:31","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T09:40:31","slug":"volunteer-faqs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dbhds.virginia.gov\/facilities\/wsh\/volunteer-faqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteer FAQs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Volunteering &#8211; Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Please read the questions and answers below to learn more about volunteering at Western State Hospital. For more information, please contact Volunteer Services Director Tina Kincaid at 540-332-8595 or tina.kincaid@dbhds.virginia.gov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fec6b84ad3c7aa452ec173b3a9a0637c wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q1\"><a><\/a><strong>If someone has a mental illness, does this mean they are crazy and cannot be helped?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NO! Mental illness is just an illness and it can be treated. Many people use the word \u00ef\u00bf\u00bdcrazy\u00ef\u00bf\u00bd because they don\u00ef\u00bf\u00bdt understand the illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5642d53555348e32ae5ca57db20e2a4c wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q2\"><a><\/a><strong>Are the patients violent and unpredictable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People with mental health problems are no more likely to be violent than anyone else. Most people with mental illness are not violent and only 3%-5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a mental illness. In fact, people with severe mental illness are over 10 times more likely to be victims of a violent crime<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-219de50accc14a848ba87e7b0233eb65 wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q3\"><a><\/a><strong>Can volunteers really help someone with a mental illness?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">YES, of course. While it&#8217;s true that volunteers can&#8217;t make them well, volunteers can help by being good friends \u00ef\u00bf\u00bd by understanding them instead of judging them, by showing them respect, by listening to them when they need someone to talk to, and by putting your arm around them when they need support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-115462ac4f1d751bab1b359157cf432f wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q4\"><a><\/a><strong>How do I get selected to be a volunteer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Applications are screened individually. We like to know what areas of the hospital you are interested in, what your motivation for volunteering is and what qualities you have that you think will benefit our patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1c50a836679656da7cf979a586256e82 wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q5\"><a><\/a><strong>When are volunteers needed?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our greatest need for volunteers is during weekday evenings and anytime on the weekends. Weekday evenings and the weekends at the hospital are very quiet. It is when there is less staff working and no classes to attend. Some patients have few or no visitors. Because of this, the demand for weekday morning volunteers is not as great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c8c963dfcbd3675a598fe2554f3aa0de wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q6\"><a><\/a><strong>Can I choose the department to volunteer in?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a number of departments throughout the hospital with varying schedules to choose from. The volunteer office will work closely with you to help determine the best fit. Our goal is to match your interests, skills and time available with the needs of our hospital. Some of our departments include the: Open Leisure, Social Wellness, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Clothing Store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-708570e9fe91884b24b953e06d361e1a wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q7\"><a><\/a><strong>Do you offer internships\/externships?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Internships\/externships are normally handled by through Rehabilitative Services Department which have established academic affiliation agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25a62c17d7da1efaf111fb5cc38548d6 wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q8\"><a><\/a><strong>Do you offer job shadowing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Job shadowing is not considered a volunteer assignment. However, you must follow the same application process as a volunteer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-839ea1b37d8f22333aa884d33446087b wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q9\"><a><\/a><strong>Are certain tests or immunizations required to volunteer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Volunteers are required to have a TB test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-eee7339c04dc2837678b9ef94a988a0e wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q10\"><a><\/a><strong>Where do I get a TB test?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testing is provided by Western State Hospital at no cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e5b5a801be69ee5ff48670acd626fd42 wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q11\"><a><\/a><strong>How long does the interview\/selection process take?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The interview\/selection process is fairly easy and includes a face-to-face interview, criminal background check (fingerprinting); drug testing; general volunteer orientation; and obtaining a badge. From the time we receive your application, it can take up to three weeks to formalize your volunteer position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7df077486ad0d16584a966f776bbdecd wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q12\"><a><\/a><strong>What are the age requirements for volunteers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Volunteers must be 16 years of age. Minors, under the age of eighteen (18), must have permission from their parents or legal guardians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4bfeb9fcd35ccf0cde8c2693c2c924be wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"q13\"><a><\/a><strong>Why do you require a minimum commitment time requirement?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All volunteers are asked to make a minimum commitment to limit disruption in patients\u00ef\u00bf\u00bd lives. However, we are flexible and will try to accommodate volunteer schedules. A routine helps establish normalize a person. Having a routine of volunteers will contribute to increased life satisfaction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Volunteering &#8211; Frequently asked questions Please read the questions and answers below to learn more about volunteering at Western State Hospital. For more information, please contact Volunteer Services Director Tina Kincaid at 540-332-8595 or tina.kincaid@dbhds.virginia.gov. If someone has a mental illness, does this mean they are crazy and cannot be&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/full-width-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-71","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>Volunteer FAQs - WSH | DBHDS<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dbhds.virginia.gov\/facilities\/wsh\/volunteer-faqs\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Volunteer FAQs - WSH | DBHDS\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Volunteering &#8211; Frequently asked questions Please read the questions and answers below to learn more about volunteering at Western State Hospital. 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