NewLink Wales
Substance Misuse Volunteering & Training
The M.I.L.E. Programme: Mentoring in Learning & Education
Are you...
- An ex-user?
- Living in Cardiff or the Vale of Glamorgan?
- Committed to volunteering within the substance misuse field?
Do you want to...
- Learn new skills?
- Use your existing skills knowledge and experience to support others?
- Make new friends?
Join the M.I.L.E.
This programme is the first of its kind in Wales and is specifically designed for ex-users who want to move from being a client of services to being a volunteer in services and ‘give something back’. The programme has been developed to harness the valuable experiences of ex-users and to provide support to those who need a little extra time or distance from their own personal history before becoming volunteers within placement agencies registered with NewLink Wales.
As an agency we value the personal experience that ex-users can bring to the substance misuse field. However we also recognise that many people may experience low self- esteem and lack the motivation to move things forward in their lives. The primary focus of M.I.L.E. is to equip people with the skills needed to become effective volunteers within substance misuse agencies.
M.I.L.E. is tailored to meet the developmental needs of individuals, offering group work, one-to-one sessions and monthly reviews and is accessed via the volunteer service of NewLink Wales. Volunteers can progress through the groups until they exit the programme onto NewLink Wales’ volunteer training before being placed within an agency. The programme recognises the valuable skills, knowledge and experience that ex-users can offer to treatment services, associated agencies and service users. The experiences of ex-users are hugely important as they can help shape policy and practice and contribute to the development of future services.
NewLink Wales ask that ex-offenders live in the community for at least three months before applying to become a volunteer. This is to show that they are stable and genuinely committed to working within the substance misuse field.
M.I.L.E. Programme Content
- Confidence building
- Communication skills
- Values & beliefs
- Rational thinking
- Assertiveness
- Motivation
- Teamwork
- Crisis management
- Confidentiality
- Boundaries
- Risk management
- Goal setting
NewLink Wales
Limited Company No 4142393
Registered Charity No 1085545
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