Volunteer as a peer support facilitator

Join Calm Collective as a volunteer facilitator for Calm Circles, our peer support programme. Create a safe & non-judgemental space for open conversations to support mental well-being within the community.

Stay tuned for new intakes of our volunteer facilitator programme.

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🇸🇬 Community Partners: Cheng San-Seletar GROs, Kolam Ayer Youth Network, Toa Payoh West-Thomson Youth Network.

Powered by NYC, National Youth Council Singapore
Calm Collective Asia

What to expect?

1. Onboarding

Learn more about the programme, and ask any questions you may have. If you’re still keen to join, you will be invited to confirm your registration.

2. Training

Training is a combination of self-paced learning and live sessions. You'll need to attend 3 live training sessions and complete all the self-paced exercises to complete the full training programme.

3. Facilitating

Ongoing basis

Before joining the programme, you must commit to facilitating at least 5 Calm Circles within 1 year. After completing the training and passing the assessment process, you’ll be invited to become a Calm Circles facilitator.

Hybrid Training Programme

SELF-PACED LEARNING

Curated training videos and reflection exercises that have been co-created with mental health professionals and persons with lived experience.

LIVE TRAINING

Practise skills in role-play exercises simulating real-life scenarios and engage in Q&A sessions to deepen understanding.

INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT

The safety of our facilitators and their communities is important. We ensure that facilitators are ready to hold space for others through personal check-ins.

What is Calm Circles?

Feelings, put into words, shared in a safe space

Calm Circles is a peer support programme by Calm Collective, to make mental health conversations accessible to all.

  • Calm Circles provides a safe, non-judgmental space for open conversations to support mental well-being

  • Calm Circles is led by trained peers, and supervised by mental health professionals.

  • It is not a replacement for therapy or professional help

  • Calm Circles are run both virtually and in-person (usually in Singapore!)

  • The programme was launched in July 2021, and is supported by the National Youth Council Singapore and the Singapore Mental Well-being Network

The most basic form of compassion is not alleviating distress. It's acknowledging distress

What does it mean to be a facilitator at Calm Circles?

Our facilitators help to guide group conversations at Calm Circles on a regular basis. In order to do so, we equip you with the necessary skills, including: mental health literacy, self-compassion, deep listening, and group facilitation.

  • The safety of our facilitators and participants is our priority. Led by this guiding principle, we ensure that facilitators have the skillset and capacity to hold space for others, and are adequately supported throughout their volunteering experience.

  • All our facilitators undergo a facilitator training programme, and have to undergo an individual check-in to ascertain their readiness to facilitate.

Hear from past participants

  • "My favourite part of the programme was that a lot of care and consideration [was] given into the structure of the training; there were check-ins to make sure we were comfortable and live sessions were very useful for immediate feedback."

    — Janice

  • "I really enjoy the hands-on practice and immediate feedback from trainers and each other. It allowed me to reflect on my areas of improvement and provides a strong foundation for me to develop upon my facilitation skills."

    — Yuxuan

  • “Amongst all the different mental wellness or relevent courses i have attended thus far, the materials curated by the trainers at Calm Collective are by far the most comprehensive, clear and concise for understanding and application.”

    — Jia Xin

  • “I enjoyed the actual break-out groups the most. Getting the opportunity to immerse myself in that role and apply what we learned during the course while receiving helpful feedback was huge! I learned so much and it left me excited for the possibility of being a facilitator, while more aware of the areas that I need to improve on.”

    — Natua

  • Facilitation commitments are held mostly online. However, the training sessions will be held both in person and online.

  • The training entails modules such as self-care and self-compassion, mental health literacy, deep listening and group facilitation.

    You can expect to learn through training videos, activities and reflection exercises at your own pace. Additionally, you will learn to apply what you’ve learnt through experiential practice and role play during the in-person training sessions.

  • We will be looking out for individuals with self-awareness & a growth mindset, are confident communicators, and the potential to embody our Calm Circles agreements

    Facilitators would benefit from the experience by learning transferable skills and gaining experience that they may bring into their daily interactions and communities that they are a part of.

    Our facilitators have reported that they’ve experienced deeper conversations and improved relationships!

  • This takes place after your individual check-in with a senior facilitator, and specific dates will depend on the training batch.

  • Calm Circles are held twice a month. Calm Circles are usually held virtually, and we host in-person Circles occasionally. You may find the latest information here.

  • Calm Circles welcomes anyone from the age of 18 and above. Majority of our participants are in their 20s - 30s, and based in Singapore. In virtual sessions, we welcome people from around the world.

  • Our Lead Facilitators would manage facilitation for Calm Circles. They are more experienced facilitators who are able to navigate any sensitive situations that may arise during the session, and can provide immediate support if any participant expresses signs of distress.

  • Volunteer facilitators will not receive any form of allowance as participation is on a voluntary basis.

Frequently Asked Questions