An Evaluation of Recruitment and Retention Factors in Past and Present Crisis Line Volunteers

Abstract

Canadian crisis line volunteers face challenges related to repeat and inappropriate callers, the emotionally-charged nature of their work, and serving as paraprofessionals. These factors impact volunteer well-being and result in high rates of turnover. This study’s purpose was to evaluate factors related to the recruitment and retention of crisis line volunteers. Seventy-nine participants completed a mixed-methods, online survey to assess volunteer motivations and experiences, organizational resources, burnout, and self-compassion. Fifty-six respondents were current volunteers, and 22 were past volunteers. The majority of the sample (67%) was general volunteers working in a helping capacity, and the remainder (33%) was crisis line volunteers. Correlational analyses revealed consistencies with past literature and underlined the relevance of crisis line volunteers’ personal characteristics. Higher motivation to gain career experience and intended level of future education were associated with higher levels of burnout and shorter lengths of service. Increased self-compassion was associated with greater age, lower levels of burnout, and lower importance of career experience. Qualitative responses revealed that the crisis line volunteers desired additional strategies for coping with inappropriate callers and the non-interventional nature of crisis line work. This research demonstrated the relevance of burnout for this population, the potential of self-compassion in its mitigation, and the need to better support younger volunteers, including university students. Future research is needed to explore the benefits of fostering self-compassion in crisis line volunteers, for which an experimental design is required. Continued research into strategies for supporting crisis line volunteers such as opportunity for temporary leave remains crucial.