Become a Certified Listener
Do you want to give back to your community in a meaningful and enriching way? Here is your opportunity! Volunteers are a vital part of Certified Listeners Society; every year, our volunteers will contribute more than 150,000 hours to our 24-hour online emotional support chats, providing help and immediate access to people who need emotional support.
Under the supervision of professional staff, all volunteers are carefully screened before selection and fully trained before taking emotional support chats. Throughout their volunteering experience, volunteers receive ongoing professional support and in-service education sessions. Experienced volunteers gain many life and communication skills that translate into other aspects of their daily lives.
What would you be doing?
You will be an online chat responder providing emotional support on our online chat platform.
- Providing immediate and confidential support (chat, etc.) using agency procedures and policies
- Providing information and referrals when appropriate
- Understanding what to do if you are concerned about a person’s safety
- Work with callers/chatters, volunteers, and staff in a respectful and professional manner
- Letting callers know you’re listening and someone cares
- Letting the person know there is someone here to provide individual support
What would you not be doing?
- Certified Listeners are not therapists or hold themselves out to be
- Telling people what to do or how they should live their lives
- You are not providing crisis intervention
- You are not a providing addiction counselling
What qualities are we looking for?
- Keyboarding skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to build a relationship and convey empathy and emotion through an online platform
- Capacity to remain calm and effective in challenging situations
- Non-judgmental and accepting of diverse values and beliefs
- Reliability and punctuality
- Ability to work independently
- Good self-awareness and common sense
- Emotional resilience, stability and maturity
- Proficiency in the English language – both written and spoken
- Open to feedback and continuous development
- Access to a computer with reliable internet connectivity
- Access to a private space at home for the duration of your volunteering shift
- Adherence to Certified Listeners Society policies, procedures and online chat guidelines
- Ability to support Certified Listeners Society’s philosophy of empowering individuals
Our responsibility to you
We at the Certified Listeners Society provide training, protocols, policies, support, and supervision to help volunteers fulfill their roles at every stage of the way. You will never be alone. We supervise all chats and activities. We are beside you 24 hours a day seven days a week.
What we ask for you in return
Also, we ask you to work one 4-hour shift per week until you have provided 50 hours of volunteer time after successfully completing training. There is flexibility in scheduling, and you will be able to choose weekly shifts that best suit you from four designated times:
- 8am to 12pm
- 12pm to 4pm
- 4pm to 8pm
- 8pm to 12am
If you are not trained by a crisis and/or distress call centre, you can still become a certified listener volunteer. To find out how, please go HERE.
What will be expected of you
- You are at least 18 years old.
- 2 pieces of photo ID. ( Your OHIP is not acceptable as a Photo ID ).
- 2 volunteer, work, or school-related references. You can download the reference form HERE.
- 1 Non-Disclosure Agreement. You can download the agreement HERE
- 1 Police Record Check. You can find out more and download the Police Record Check Letter HERE.
- You have been trained by a recognized crisis and/or distress call centre.
- PLEASE NOTE: If you do not have this training, you can still become a certified listener volunteer. To find out how, please go HERE.
- Successful completion of all comprehensive Core Competencies training programs, quizzes and screening process.
- Reliability in fulfilling weekly shift commitments.
- Comply with Certified Listeners Society policies and procedures and our Code of Ethics.
- Maintain a confidential workplace as well as confidentiality about your work.
- Sign and comply with our Volunteer Non-Disclosure Agreement
- Participation in ongoing training and work-related development opportunities.
What is in it for you
- Receive training and insights into your own self that will stay with you for your lifetime. This training will change your life and the lives of the people around you. You will also develop and enhance your communication skills valuable in everyday personal and professional life.
- Helping people in need in your very own community is tremendously rewarding. Online emotional support is a unique opportunity to help others and help them when they need you.
Other benefits include
- Make tangible differences in others’ lives and feel connected to the community.
- Gain experience and confidence in supporting others
- Develop your communication and social skills and gain perspectives, or self-awareness
- Be a part of a supportive team
- Feeling good about yourself
- Training in emotional support
- Enhanced self-growth
- Staying informed on current social issues
- Volunteering experience in an organization where diversity is welcomed and encouraged
- Experience toward a career in social work, psychology, community outreach, etc.
- Upon finishing the Certified Listeners e-training course, you will obtain a Certificate of Completion in recognition of your new interpersonal skills.
- Confirmation of Volunteer Work upon fulfillment of your 50 Hours of volunteering commitment to our clients.
NOTE: As part of our commitment to volunteers, reference letters and confirmations of volunteering experience are provided upon request to individuals who have fulfilled the specified requirements previously stated. Certified Listeners Society can only attest to a volunteer’s skills, experience, and personal qualities. Reference letters and confirmation will state that Certified Listeners Society volunteers are engaged in emotional support, not any type of psychotherapy during the course of their volunteer work.
For your consideration
Due to the nature of the work and the various stressful situations that our clients will require support with, this position may not be a good fit for everyone, especially during this time. Timing is everything; if you are experiencing or have experienced, in the past, your own personal trauma or emotional difficulties, it is crucial to address potential triggers before considering this opportunity.
DIVERSITY: Certified Listeners Society embraces diversity and values the lived experience of those who may have been discriminated against based on race, creed, color, nationality, political or religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family relationship, or disability.
Learn more about our Application Process and FAQ
Review By
Metasebiya Lakew
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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It was good trading
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Kathryn Campion
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2,325
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GABRIELA DRAGOMIR
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2,325
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4.1/5
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The Certified Listener training is unique in its model to assist individuals in our communities who cannot find help anywhere else. It is an effective tool of emotional support with a high level of discretion and confidentiality which is essential in building trust among members and within the targeted group in need of support. The program has step by step solutions for a very large volunteer human resources community. The pragmatic and engaged environment is perfected during and after chats are completed on an ongoing basis and provides an excellent source of emotional support and crisis intervention genuinely offered by a committed group of well trained individuals.
Review By
Kristina Ibrahim
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2,325
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4.3/5
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4.1/5
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Rita Gill
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Yee-Yan Jane Mok
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2,325
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3.9/5
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4.1/5
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The information provided in the training is pretty useful. It would be best if more examples can be provided. One thing that needs to be improved is word-spelling.
Review By
Jasmine Thind
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2,325
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4/5
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4.1/5
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Payam Khalafi
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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Great training and experience, the lessons were well prepared, strongly suggested to anyone interested in volunteer work and involvement in emotional support services.
Review By
Lisa Contin
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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Melanie Renshaw
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2,325
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3.9/5
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4.1/5
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Robe Aijelyn Gambong
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2,325
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4.3/5
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4.1/5
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Great experienced iverall. Learned a lot. Thank you.
Review By
Cathy Gatlin
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2,325
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4.8/5
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4.1/5
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It was a great course! I could not find where to upload my police record check
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Marissa Schenkel
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2,325
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3.4/5
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4.1/5
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Good information, could have covered more in detail, especially as the info was mostly taiored to in-person interactions and this is for text which is different
Review By
Yvette Roberts
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2,325
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4.8/5
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4.1/5
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My trainer was very patient with me and informative.
Review By
Lizzie Rao
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2,325
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4.5/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
Rinchen Bhutia
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
Fola Bajela
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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All training are informative and necessary for community support
Review By
Kennedy Kao
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2,325
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4/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
Vivek Parmar
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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Great training! Very informative and relevant.
Review By
Sharla Ganzan
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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The training was straightforward and easy to comprehend. The video lessons were interesting to watch and read. I love how the technical part of the training was delivered. I feel that I am ready to start volunteering. Thank you for putting so much effort on this training!
Review By
Shannon Hannah
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2,325
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2.8/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
Nardia James
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
isabel khudr
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
Rachel Jotkus
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2,325
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4/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
Cecilia Manu
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2,325
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3.8/5
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4.1/5
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I appreciate the support, patience and guidance with completing training.
Review By
Dhanista Ruwa Naunkoo
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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The training went on very smooth, very practical and it clearly provided us with the tools to effectively support individuals needing emotional support. To me, personally it was a powerful experience that deepened my knowledge about mental health support. Thank you CLS.
Review By
Sara Giambagno
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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Excellent training services. Very detailed and easy to keep up with. Thank you
Review By
Mirachelle G. Lavadia
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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I recently completed a comprehensive training program with CLS and I must say it was an amazing experience. The emotional support provided by CLS is much needed and can be beneficial for many individuals. Being a part of this team fills me with pride and happiness. This community truly caters to everyone as it values inclusivity and provides a non-judgmental environment. I strongly believe that everyone matters here at CLS.
Review By
Liam Sorrenti
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2,325
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4.6/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
Cornelious Gulshan
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2,325
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5/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
Natalie Blysniuk
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2,325
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3.4/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
Edelle Marie Oreza
Total Reviews
2,325
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4.3/5
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4.1/5
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I wasn’t able to finish the training in one sitting because I also have other things that I need to attend to; school, work and personal life. Despite that, the staff are always willing and available to answer all my questions and help me figure things out if I find something that confuses me. The materials, if you look at them, can be overwhelming, but they are actually just short videos and they were made that way so that the trainees are able to process them better. The videos where someone is showing their screen and speaking at the same time really made it beneficial for me to create my account and set my alias. Overall, this training is very beneficial for those who are aspiring to be a volunteer at the Certified Listeners Society.
Review By
Oyinade Arowolo
Total Reviews
2,325
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4.5/5
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4.1/5
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Review By
Jeanette Whitten
Total Reviews
2,325
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5/5
Review Score
4.1/5
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Wonderful training, very informative! Videos 18a,b, and c wouldn’t play with sound in my Safari browser unless I went to YouTube. Something about the way they are embedded? Thx!
