Become A Facilitator

Facilitate v2.0

Learn to care for yourself.
Learn to care for your peers.

Get trained to lead ReST group sessions with your peers

Why be a facilitator?

To be a VoA | ReST facilitator is an opportunity to support your fellow frontline professionals by providing a space where peers can find solace for grief, calm for stress, and strength within themselves. As a facilitator, you have the privilege of seeing the core goodness in your peers and being inspired by the courage you share in overcoming challenges and setbacks.

What Do Facilitators Do?

Deep Listening: Sensitivity to the emotions that accompany people’s words, ability to receive their feelings with empathy and show emotional responses when others share.

Linking: Helping participants see the similarities among them

Unblocking: Intervening with kindness if participants start changing the subject or monopolizing the conversation

Affirming: Offering encouragement andreassurance that participants are being heard and supported

Summarizing: Bringing awareness to what’s happening when good things are taking place

What is a ReST Facilitator?

VOA|ReST uses co-facilitation teams of two peers who share the values and understand the context of frontline workers. ReST facilitators are trained for up to 8 hours in both the use of the online platform and in ReST co-facilitation.

Co-facilitation is a collaborative approach to creating a positive experience for your group. During ReST sessions, you will share the work of:

Establishing a friendly, caring, safe atmosphere
Modeling empathetic, compassionate deep listening
Making gentle interventions if problems arise
Managing time and participation
Insuring each hour ends on an uplifting note

How to be a Peer Facilitator?

After you apply, VOA will save your application until we need more volunteers. At that time, you will be contacted for an interview. You will receive a study manual which provides detailed information about moral distress and moral resilience; the goals of VOA | ReST; the skills required for being an effective co-facilitator; and a detailed guide on how to co-facilitate groups using our online platform.

New facilitator training involves recorded modules on using the technology platform, plus two hours of virtual hands-on training and practice with others learning the technology. Upon successful completion, you will receive up to five hours of live, online practice in group co-facilitation.

You will co-facilitate your initial VOA | ReST groups with an experienced trainer who will help to determine when you are ready to be certified. This usually occurs after 2 or 3 sessions. You will then be ready to co-facilitate groups with any other facilitators, and even facilitate alone for small groups of 1 or 2 participants.

For more information:
Dodd L. White, DLWhite@voa.org