The Different roles with Sanctuary

Listeners are the bulk of our work force in Sanctuary. 

They deal directly with participants, provide amenities, and go mobile to assist Rangers and other volunteers with Safety around the city. 

Responsibilities 

● Maintain a baseline of personal sobriety throughout shift 

● Review Listener training at top of shift 

● Listen to participants who visit Sanctuary 

● Offer amenities (radical listening, water, sleep, etc) to participants who visit Sanctuary 

● Go mobile with another Listener or any Safety volunteer and a radio to monitor the city and provide Mobile Sanctuary services 

● Complete all paperwork for every participant who visits Sanctuary (including drive-by’s) 

● Brief other Listeners, Shift Supervisors, and MHAs about participants who visited Sanctuary during your shift 

● Assist Shift Supervisor as needed 

Chain of Command (Up) 

1. Shift Supervisor 

2. MHA 

Estimated level of effort (hours prep, hours execution) 

● Pre-event 

○ 1 hour: Listener training 

● Event 

○ 8 hours: Two 4-hour shifts (no more than 13 consecutive hours) 

● Post-event 

○ None 

Requirements, Training, and Skills 

● Listener training completed within 12 months prior to Myschievia (or on-site)  (Here is the list of available training for this year's Myschievia)

● Ability to keep calm and control temper / emotions 

● Willingness to communicate and work with other volunteers 

Beneficial Skills (Not Required) 

● Psychological First Aid (Coursera/Johns Hopkins University) 

● Crisis counseling or mediation training 

● Mental health experience 

● ICS (IS-100, IS-200) 

● CERT 

● First-aid/CPR 

Key/Historical Challenges 

● Being triggered - sometimes participants who use Sanctuary will be having serious problems, and volunteers can become emotionally compromised by something that’s going on. Listeners should be self-aware about anything that makes them feel emotionally compromised and should know that it’s possible to be compromised unexpectedly. If a Listener starts to feel compromised on their shift, they should gently break away from the participant or situation that’s compromising them, let their shift supervisor or MHA know that they need to take a break because they have been compromised, and then self-care until they are able to return to volunteering. 

It’s OK to not be OK - just tell someone. 

● Burnout - sometimes volunteers become overworked and risk burnout. If Listeners feel themselves becoming jaded, drained, and exhausted, they should tell their Shift Supervisor or MHA that they are nearing burnout and need to take a break, and then self-care until they are able to return to volunteering. 

The Shift Supervisor organizes and directs the volunteers during their shift. Based out of Sanctuary, but able to be mobile and on-call, the Shift Supervisor provides guidance and mentoring to the volunteers as well as being the first escalation point for issues. 

Responsibilities 

● Maintain a baseline of personal sobriety throughout shift 

● Record volunteer attendance (including leadership!) 

● Ensure that Listeners finish paperwork for all participants who visit Sanctuary (including drive-by’s) 

● Ensure the health and safety of Listeners 

● Maintain awareness of location and activities of Listeners 

● Liaison with other groups (e.g., Rangers, MEAT/medical, etc.) as needed 

● Maintain organization and cleanliness at Sanctuary 

● Oversee logistics and communicate with Site Ops as needed 

● Maintain a log of key events in the Ops Binder 

● Coordinate with the Duty Chief/MHA to fill open volunteer shifts 

● Listen to Listeners! Talk them through a difficult shift. Kick it up to MHA if needed. 

Chain of Command (Up) 

1. Duty Chief (MHA) 

2. LLC (Actual) 

Estimated level of effort (hours prep, hours execution) 

● Pre-event 

○ 2 hours: Listener & Leadership Training (plus ICS if needed 2 hours) 

● Event 

○ 12 hours: two 6-hour Shifts (no more than 13 consecutive hours) 

● Post-event 

○ None 

Requirements, Training, and Skills 

● Previously volunteered at least one Listener shift at Myschievia 

● Sanctuary listener & leadership training completed within 12 months of Myschievia

● Communication and mediation skills 

● Strong organization 

● IS-100 online course, Introduction to Incident Command System (~2 hours) 

Beneficial Skills (Not Required) 

Psychological First Aid (Coursera/Johns Hopkins University) 

FEMA Crisis or SAMHSA Crisis counseling training

mediation training   (One of many resources)

Mental health experience 

IS-200 online ICS course, Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response (~4 hours) 

CERT 

First-aid/CPR  - Training Sept 27th - claim your spot now

Key/Historical Challenges 

● Subtly supporting Listeners who are struggling to avoid overstepping or shaming 

● Providing escalation point for Listeners in challenging / atypical situations 

● Finding coverage for understaffed graveyard shifts 

The Duty Chief/MHA is a floating veteran volunteer that is on-call for 6 hours, supports the Shift Supervisor, and provides an escalation point when additional guidance or leadership is required. They are the final Sanctuary escalation point during that shift, and any subsequent escalations are raised directly to LLC. 

The primary function is to ensure the Shift Supervisor role is filled for that shift, and that the Shift Supervisor has the knowledge and resources they need to perform their duties. The MHA should be prepared to respond quickly during crises, multiple/large incidents, handle any situation, and back up or cover the Shift Supervisor as needed. If there’s a gap in volunteer coverage, the MHA will coordinate with Shift Supervisor to identify and contact volunteers who could fill the shift. 

The Duty Chief will have a radio that they monitor throughout their shift, but they do not need to stay at Sanctuary HQ. They may engage in personal activities provided they are monitoring the radio, can be contacted/found by the Shift Supervisor, stay sober, and are able to immediately respond to escalations. 

Responsibilities 

● Maintain a baseline of personal sobriety throughout shift 

● Lead training review at top of Listener shifts 

● Ensure Shift Supervisor has the tools/supplies necessary for their job 

● Assists/relieves Shift Supervisor as needed 

● Attend Safety stand-up meeting if it occurs during Duty Chief/MHA shift 

● Assist Shift Supervisor in finding coverage for understaffed shifts 

● Counsel triggered or burnt out Listeners 

● Escalation point between Shift Supervisor and LLC 

● Provide ICS support during an incident 

● Communicate with LEO or EMS if necessary 

Chain of Command (Up) 

1. LLC (Actual) 

Estimated level of effort (hours prep, hours execution) 

● Pre-event 

○ 2 hours: Listener & Leadership training (plus ICS if needed 2-6 hours) 

● Event

○ 12 hours: two 6-hour shifts (no more than 13 consecutive hours)

● Post-event 

○ 1 hour: Input for After Burn Report 

Requirements, Training, and Skills 

● Experience in a client-facing mental health support role (e.g. LPC/LMFT/LCSW or working toward with some hours completed, psychiatric RN/MD, clinical psychologist or grad student with some clinical experience, etc.) 

● All Shift Supervisor requirements / training / skills 

● Recommended by Sanctuary or Safety Leadership (Leads, R12s) 

● Previously performed role of Shift Supervisor at Myschievia 

● Willingness to interact and communicate with law enforcement and emergency medical personnel in the event of an emergency 

● IS-100 online ICS course, Introduction to Incident Command System (~2 hours) 

● IS-200 online ICS course, Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response (~4 hours) 

Key/Historical Challenges 

● Limiting engagement in volunteer activities to prevent Duty Chief overload (Don’t stay in the tent!) 

● Putting self care first to prevent volunteer burn out (No 13-hour shifts!) 

● Limiting involvement of off-shift Leads / Assistant Leads (Call Khaki and Actual) 

A large amount of work is required to ensure Sanctuary is organized and prepared to operate during the event. While the Lead is ultimately responsible for this, the Lead heavily relies on support from Assistant Leads who all coordinate and divide the work to help with volunteer recruitment, update documentation, create the budget, perform trainings, and so forth. 

The Ass Leads will spend the majority of their time pre-burn, coordinating with the Lead and other Ass Leads to prepare the Listeners, Shift Supervisors, and Duty Chiefs for success. 

During the event the Lead and Ass Leads are NOT within the Sanctuary chain-of-command. The Duty Chief is responsible for all things related to Sanctuary while on shift and will escalate to LLC as needed. The Lead & Ass Leads MAY elect to take shifts or be on-call, but it is not required. 

Responsibilities 

● Ability to take responsibility of Lead if the Lead is unable to perform their duties 

● Coordinate with Lead and Assistant Leads to share responsibility in meeting all Sanctuary milestones and objectives (key areas outlined below) 

○ Training 

■ Update Sanctuary Manual and ensure all volunteers receive a copy 

■ Coordinate volunteer training 

■ Share supplemental training opportunities (SafetyThird, CERT, Ham, etc.) 

○ Administrative 

■ Inventory shirts/supplies and replenish as needed 

■ Manage/maintain email distribution list 

■ Manage/maintain roster: Name (real and handle), contact info, training, special skills, dot training/skills 

■ Develop and submit budget (usually submitted to LLC in June/July) 

○ Pre-Event 

■ Volunteer recruitment 

■ Purchase needed shirts/supplies thru LLC liaison. 

○ Event 

■ Ensure all equipment is functional and accounted for 

■ Ensure all supplies are available for use, including food, shirts, office supplies, etc. 

○ Post-Event 

■ Inventory and coordinate storage of LLC supplies/property 

■ Complete and submit Afterburn Report to LLC 

○ Additional Duties 

■ Promote enthusiasm, involvement, and growth of Sanctuary 

■ Plan/organize social gatherings and meetings 

Chain of Command (Up) 

● N/A during event 

● Lead pre- and post-event 

Estimated level of effort (hours prep, hours execution) 

● Pre-event 

○ High-level planning and coordination with other Leads and LLC - 0-2 hrs/wk from April through June 

○ Detailed planning and preparation - 2-8 hrs/wk from July through October 

■ Training 

■ Logistics 

■ Communications 

■ Personnel 

○ Help plan and execute training - 6-10 hours 

○ Summary 

A large amount of work is required to ensure Sanctuary is organized and prepared to operate during the event. While the Lead is ultimately responsible for this, the Lead heavily relies on support from Assistant Leads who all coordinate and divide the work to help with volunteer recruitment, update documentation, create the budget, perform trainings, and so forth. 

The Ass Leads will spend the majority of their time pre-burn, coordinating with the Lead and other Ass Leads to prepare the Listeners, Shift Supervisors, and Duty Chiefs for success. 

During the event the Lead and Ass Leads are NOT within the Sanctuary chain-of-command. The Duty Chief is responsible for all things related to Sanctuary while on shift and will escalate to LLC as needed. The Lead & Ass Leads MAY elect to take shifts or be on-call, but it is not required. 

Responsibilities 

● Ability to take responsibility of Lead if the Lead is unable to perform their duties 

● Coordinate with Lead and Assistant Leads to share responsibility in meeting all Sanctuary milestones and objectives (key areas outlined below) 

○ Training 

■ Update Sanctuary Manual and ensure all volunteers receive a copy 

■ Coordinate volunteer training 

■ Share supplemental training opportunities (SafetyThird, CERT, Ham, etc.) 

○ Administrative 

■ Inventory shirts/supplies and replenish as needed 

■ Manage/maintain email distribution list 

■ Manage/maintain roster: Name (real and handle), contact info, training, special skills, dot training/skills 

■ Develop and submit budget (usually submitted to LLC in June/July) 

○ Pre-Event 

■ Volunteer recruitment 

■ Purchase needed shirts/supplies thru LLC liaison. 

○ Event 

■ Ensure all equipment is functional and accounted for 

■ Ensure all supplies are available for use, including food, shirts, office supplies, etc. 

○ Post-Event 

■ Inventory and coordinate storage of LLC supplies/property 

■ Complete and submit Afterburn Report to LLC 

○ Additional Duties 

■ Promote enthusiasm, involvement, and growth of Sanctuary 

■ Plan/organize social gatherings and meetings 

Chain of Command (Up) 

● N/A during event 

● Lead pre- and post-event 

Estimated level of effort (hours prep, hours execution) 

● Pre-event 

○ High-level planning and coordination with other Leads and LLC - 0-2 hrs/wk from April through June 

○ Detailed planning and preparation - 2-8 hrs/wk from July through October 

■ Training 

■ Logistics 

■ Communications 

■ Personnel 

○ Help plan and execute training - 6-10 hours 

○ Volunteer communication and coordination - 1 hr/wk 

● Event 

○ Duties shared with Lead and other Assistant Leads - 2-8 hours 

■ Setup 

■ On-site Training 

■ Tear-down 

● Post-event 

○ Afterburn Report - 4 hours 

■ Analyze the event and identify where improvements can be made 

Requirements, Training, and Skills 

● Previously performed role of Listener, Shift Supervisor, or MHA at Myschievia 

● Self-motivated and excellent time management 

● Excellent communication 

● Strong organization 

Beneficial Skills (Not Required) 

● Marketing-centric mass communication (written) 

● Technical writing 

● Completed IS-100 and IS-200 (ICS) 

Key/Historical Challenges 

● Pre-event volunteer coordination 

● Data management 

● On-land roster 

● Self care to prevent volunteer burnout 

The Lead is responsible for coordinating Sanctuary’s presence at Myschievia. The Lead role is effectively identical to the Assistant Lead, with the key difference being that the Lead identifies/approves Assistant Leads and is ultimately responsible for ensuring all work is completed. 

Responsibilities 

● All responsibilities of Assistant Lead 

● Lead appointment will be for a term of two years 

● Solicit / approve Assistant Leads as needed 

Chain of Command (Up) 

● N/A during event 

● Batcave Safety CAMPS Liaison pre- and post-event 

Requirements, Training, and Skills 

● Previously performed role of Listener, Shift Supervisor, or MHA at Myschievia 

● Self-motivated and excellent time management 

● Excellent communication 

● Strong organization 

Beneficial Skills (Not Required) 

● Marketing-centric mass communication (written) 

● Technical writing 

● Completed IS-100 and IS-200 (ICS) 

Key/Historical Challenges 

● Pre-event volunteer coordination 

● Data management 

● On-land roster 

● Self care to prevent volunteer burnout 

Estimated level of effort (hours prep, hours execution) 

● Same as Assistant Lead 

Volunteer communication and coordination - 1 hr/wk 

● Event 

○ Duties shared with Lead and other Assistant Leads - 2-8 hours 

■ Setup 

■ On-site Training 

■ Tear-down 

● Post-event 

○ Afterburn Report - 4 hours 

■ Analyze the event and identify where improvements can be made