Anglicare WA's Active Response Bereavement Outreach (ARBOR) Program is a free service offering emotional support to people recently impacted by losing loved ones to suicide through grief and loss counselling, group sessions and peer support. As you will bring your own lived experience as a peer volunteer, this role can be challenging, but rewarding as your presence and narratives will tell that people are still able to find hope after the worst thing that could ever happen in their lives.

ARBOR volunteers are required to have lived experience in suicide bereavement, ideally at least three years following the loss of the loved one and psychological availability to be of help to others impacted by suicide. This includes being able to support other people throughout the grieving process without imposing expectations upon the nature of this process.

The role involves direct contact with ARBOR service participants and includes; actively participate in the monthly Lived Experience peer support group session; co-facilitating Newly Bereaved Group with a clinician; attending counselling sessions at a service participants request and with the guidance of the counsellor, providing purposeful lived-experience stories and information.

ARBOR Peer Volunteer applicants can nominate which activities they would prefer to be considered for, or this can be discussed during the ARBOR Peer Volunteer interview process. Supervision, support, and on-going trainings are available internally, and is a mandatory requirement for all ARBOR Volunteers. The frequency and intensity of supervision and training schedules will vary depending on the complexity of the volunteer activity.

All ARBOR activities require the Peer Volunteer to contribute in a purposeful and sensitive manner at all times.