Volunteer Services

Matt Gold, Coordinator

By March of 2002 there were well over 100 volunteers serving the Institute in labs, clinics and offices. In addition to these volunteers were more than fifty students working in a variety of clinical disciplines such as Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, Recreation Therapy, and Occupational Therapy, who were completing internships under the supervision of P.I. staff. The majority of volunteers were people who wanted to contribute to the field of psychiatry as well as gain some valuable experience for their futures. Many were people contemplating a career change; coming from backgrounds in business, journalism and the creative arts, they used this experience to help guide their decisions about careers in mental health. The numbers of these volunteers increased after the events of September 11, 2001.

Each prospective volunteer was first interviewed by the Coordinator of Volunteer Services to determine what he or she might have to offer the Institute. Approximately 10% of these volunteers found a clinical assignment on the Schizophrenia Research Unit, the General Clinical Research Unit, the Washington Heights Community Service, or the Children’s Day Unit. Volunteers taught specialized skills, including creative writing, art, job and computer skills. Several served as Spanish language translators on the WHCS and others as academic tutors on the CDU. Most volunteers, however, worked within one of the Institute’s many out- or in-patient research departments, serving in a role similar to that of a research assistant. Departments making regular use of volunteers included Child Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Anxiety Disorders, Eating Disorders, Medical Genetics, Neurobiology and Developmental Psychobiology.

For the first time the Department of Volunteer Services instituted an innovative referral system this year. After an initial interview by the Coordinator of Volunteer Services, a broadcast e-mail was sent to all research departments, announcing the availability of the prospective volunteer, with a brief description of his or her skills and interests. More detailed information was then shared with those researchers expressing an interest. This system allows for a more equitable and efficient referral of volunteers, and gives many of them the opportunity to interview in more than one department.