Volunteer Policy Agreement

The Volunteer (You) understands and agree that your relationship with Riverside County Peer Support (Us) is exclusively a volunteer staff position and your relationship with us including time, work, and services provided does not constitute employment with Riverside County Peer Support.

Riverside County Peer Support (Us) regards our relationship with our volunteers (You) just as highly as paid employed positions and volunteers will be expected to perform exceptionally in alignment with our mission, our values, and our goals.

The Volunteer (You) understands and agrees that you will be volunteering in the role/s established between (You) and (Us) at the time this agreement is made as designated in the Volunteer Policy Agreement form below.

The Volunteer (You) also understands and agrees that the time commitment -the hours per week, days, and schedules (You) and (We) agree to as designated in the Volunteer Policy Agreement form below will be enforced and you will be expected to perform your volunteer work duties and activities during those times.

The Volunteer (You) also understands and agrees that you will be responsible for actively contacting your direct supervisor, teammates, and clients at least 24 hours in advance (so appropriate alternatives can be arranged) when you are unable to commit to your schedule and volunteer work duties and activities for any reason including sickness, personal emergency, or other reasons.

The Volunteer (You) also understands and agrees that some of the services, activities, and duties performed as a volunteer include but is not limited to:

• Communicating effectively with other staff, volunteers, teammates, clients, members of the community, and individuals or groups from other organizations and agencies by telephone, text, chat, video call, and in person.

• Completing trainings and learning about mental health topics

• Staying informed and up to date with schedules, organizational policies, news, and information

• Traveling and Commuting

• Providing peer support and utilizing counseling skills

• Organizing, hosting, facilitating, and helping with events

• Creating/Distributing Documents and Forms

• Lifting/Carrying/Bending Over in regard to materials and equipment

The Volunteer staff member (You) understands and agrees that as a volunteer that you will Not be paid or provided wages, salaries, benefits such as insurance, or other financial compensation for your time or volunteer work, services, activities, and duties. You also understand and agree that Riverside County Peer Support (Us) will not be at all responsible or accountable for your personal finances or taxes.

Reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses:

The Volunteer (You) understands and agrees that Riverside County Peer Support (We) may, at our discretion and within our capacity, reimburse you for past or current out-of-pocket expenses accrued as a result of your volunteer work and services for Riverside County Peer Support. The Volunteer will fill out and sign a cost reimbursement form and provide it to our management staff for record keeping.

The Volunteer (You) understands and agrees that at no time should you expect to be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses and that Riverside County Peer Support (Us) will discuss with you when it is appropriate and acceptable for the Volunteer (You) to pay for expenses out-of-pocket in the course of your volunteer work and duties.

The Volunteer (You) understands and agrees that your direct supervisor will be the person designated in the Volunteer Policy Agreement form below; and that you will be expected to follow all directions and instructions provided by your direct supervisor. You, also understand and agree that you will be expected to follow all organizational policies, current and future, and follow directions and instructions provided by management and leadership staff.

The Volunteer (You) also understands and agrees that you will be expected to participate and complete all mandatory organizational trainings as instructed by your direct supervisor and management and leadership staff throughout the course of your relationship with Riverside County Peer Support (Us).

The Volunteer (You) understands and agrees to adhere to our communications policy as outlined below:

General:

• Volunteer staff members will use the dedicated communication systems assigned to you, including email, phone, web, chat, and other designated communication platforms.

• The Volunteer (You) will use our Slack Workspace for agency wide communication that is not otherwise appropriate for phone/text/email communications.

• The Volunteer (You) will ensure that you have access to secure internet and communication devices at all times

• The Volunteer (You) will check all of your messages, emails, texts, and other communications at least twice: at the beginning of your shift or designated work schedule/day and before ending your shift or designated work schedule/day.

Responding to communications:

• The Volunteer (You) will respond to emails by the end of the next day of your next scheduled shift or designated work schedule/day.

• The Volunteer (You) will respond to voicemails by the end of the next day of your next scheduled shift or designated work schedule/day.

• The Volunteer (You) will respond to all urgent texts before the end of the current business day. All non-urgent texts will be responded to by the end of the next business day.

• The Volunteer (You) will respond to Slack Workspace messages timely and consistently throughout your designated shift/schedule/day

Setting Boundaries:

We expect that you set clear boundaries with us and with your clients about when and when you are not available for communication.

The Volunteer (You) understands and agrees that you will adhere to all of Riverside County Peer Support's (Our) current, future, and revised organizational policies and guidelines set forth by the Director, Management, and Leadership Staff including:

• Our Mission and Our Values

• Privacy Policy - We are committed to ensuring that any confidential information shared with our organization and team members is secure and protected. We do not share protected and confidential information provided to us by our clients and our partners unless we are required to or ordered to do so by law.

• Covid-19 Policy - We are committed to ensuring the protection of our clients and ourselves by wearing appropriate face coverings, maintaining social distancing, and acting in good conscious of the covid-19 pandemic.

• Mandated Reporting Policy - Mandated reporting is our obligation to report to Child Protective Services and Adult Protective Services or Law Enforcement in the event that information is shared with us about the physical, mental, sexual, or financial abuse or the neglect of minor children, elderly individuals, and disabled dependents. We are also required by law to protect individuals when we learn of credible and actionable homicidal intent or grievous bodily harm, and we may report to appropriate agencies or individuals' pertinent information pertaining to such intent.

• Suicide Prevention Policy - We make every effort to ensure the safety of our clients. We will make every appropriate and least invasive effort we are able to. to ensure our clients safety. However, in the event we are unable to ensure the safety of our clients during a suicidal crisis, we will reach out to appropriate agencies for further support and assistance.

• Communication Policy - as outlined in article 5.

The Volunteer (You) understands and agrees that while volunteering with Riverside County Peer Support (Us) that you will act in good faith and maintain appropriate conduct and behavior.

Riverside County Peer Support does not permit or condone Misconduct, which includes but is not limited to the following:

• Dishonesty

• Theft

• Harassment

• Assault

• Destruction of Property

• Substance Use and Intoxication - This includes the use of alcohol, illicit drugs, and marijuana or being intoxicated by such substances while performing your volunteer duties, activities, and work.

• Sexual and/or Inappropriate Relations between (You) and Clients

• Criminal/Illegal Behavior/Activities

• Other Inappropriate Behavior

• Violence

• Hate Speech

• Gatekeeping

The Volunteer (You) also understand and agree that your relationship with Riverside County Peer Support (Us) is volunatry and you may terminate your relationship with us for any reason. Should you end your relationship with us as a volunteer we do expect to be given advance notice so we can make arrangements for the continuity of care for your clients and so that your work duties and activities can be transferred to another volunteer staff member.

The Volunteer (You) also understands and agrees that Riverside County Peer Support may end the relationship between (You) and (Us) for violation/s of organizational policies and guidelines, misconduct, criminal activity, or failure to perform your volunteer work duties and activities.