Volunteer Roles

Rainbows for the Children of Australia is continuing its efforts to support the grief, loss and trauma of children and youth by developing its programs, training and support for people who work with children in this area.  Rainbows Australia is associated with an international, not-for-profit organisation that trains volunteers at community-based sites to lead structured, age-specific, support groups for children 3-18 years old who are grieving the loss of a family member as a result of death, separation/divorce, incarceration, deployment, deportation, significant illness, or any other traumatic, life-altering event. Since 1983, Rainbows has provided support internationally to over 3.5 million children and helped them to develop problem-solving and coping skills, learn anger and stress management, alleviate depression and anxiety, and reduce emotional pain and suffering.

Rainbows Australia is always seeking to expand and diversify its Board of Directors. New members will join an already committed, dedicated, and professional governing Board. The Board of Directors is responsible for supporting the mission of Rainbows for the Children of Australia and for raising funds necessary to carry out key programs and activities. The Board also sets policy, provides leadership, and is accountable for fiscal and strategic oversight. As enthusiastic ambassadors of the organisation, Board members are committed to using their diverse experiences and skills to support its positive growth.

If you feel that you have the skills and experience, we would like to invite you to Contact Us using the Send Us a Message web form.

Registered Trainers are those who have been accredited to train new Volunteer Facilitators. Enrichment training is periodically available to reenforce and update Trainers' skills.

The Site Coordinator is a volunteer who directs the operation of the program at each site and provides leadership and support for Facilitators at each Rainbows site. As the primary member of the team, he/she should be organized, have good communication skills and be sensitive to the needs of others. The Site Coordinator reports to the Registered Trainer, and is responsible for ordering materials for their site.

Qualities and responsibilities of a Site Coordinator

• Be 21 years of age or older. 
• Attend both Coordinator Training and Facilitator Training: (Instructed by an accredited Rainbows Registered Trainer)
• Be available by phone or in person to address issues relating to the program.
• Maintain program integrity, promote the mission and availability of Rainbows. 
• Invite children, adolescents and family members to participate via newsletters, newspapers, webpages, etc. 
• Work with volunteers to collect and submit to their regional Registered Trainer accurate data concerning participants, site activity and measurable outcomes. Documentation includes: Annual Site Status Report, post participant and program volunteer evaluations. 
• Maintain regular contact with Facilitators to provide support as and when required.
• Manage site details, i.e.; calendar of meetings, participant registration, material inventory, parental permission forms, grouping of facilitators with participants, planning (with Facilitators) for Celebrate Me Sessions, working with team to meet the needs of all involved. 
• Maintain participant confidentiality at all times, in accordance with mandatory reporting laws. 
• Provide resource and referral information to anyone needing further assistance, such as counselling or therapy. 
• Follow all Coordinator Procedure responsibilities as outlined in the Site Policy Guideline Handbook.

Each adult who wishes to train as a Volunteer Facilitator is required to hold Teacher's Registration or a Working With Vulnerable People (WWVP) card. Volunteer Facilitators are trained by a Registered Trainer to facilitate small peer group meetings at a site (eg. an agency, synagogue, hospital, church or school). Site Coordinators are responsible for recruiting trustworthy persons who are sensitive to the needs of others, with the ability to be good listeners.

The Volunteer Facilitator shall: 

• Be 21 years of age or older. 
• Attend Facilitator training - conducted by an accredited Rainbows Registered Trainer. 
• Actively maintain contact with the Site Coordinator to receive ongoing support.
• Facilitate the weekly Small Group Meetings or deliver the Silver Linings program. Silver Linings can be implemented without the necessity to be trained by a Registered Trainer, however it is beneficial to discuss the program with a Trainer.
• Share in the planning of and facilitate group sessions of Celebrate Me.
• Ensure accurate completion of pre/ post-session participant evaluations, return all complete evaluations to the Site Coordinator. 
• Provide resource and referral information (in consultation with their Site Coordinator} to anyone needing further assistance, such as counselling or therapy. 
• Maintain participant confidentiality at all times, in line with mandatory reporting laws. 
• Nurture and support members of the small group. 
• Follow all Facilitator procedure guidelines as outlined in the Facilitator Component Module. 

Please note: If a volunteer is recently divorced, separated, widowed, or has experienced any other painful loss, it is advisable for them to wait at least two years before working directly with the participants.

An Auxiliary Support Volunteer is normally a Rainbows Registered Trainer who is no longer actively training Facilitators but wishes to maintain their links with Rainbows Australia through participation in another capacity. Auxiliary Volunteers work in a variety of areas which may include: 

Fund Raising 

Fundraising plays an important part for the Rainbows organization. We rely on team work, donations and support, for without this we would not be able to achieve and contribute to Rainbows for the Children of Australia. 

Grant Applications 

Applying for grants is a difficult and at times frustrating task. It is extremely competitive and funds are not easy to achieve, however, through the work of our volunteers, we have successfully received sizeable grants in the past. 

Office Administration 

Managing the day to day functions of some state offices plays a very important support role to the Registered Trainers for that State and assists with the ongoing financial management of Rainbows. 

Financial Preparation/Bookkeeping 

Establishing and maintaining record keeping procedures and processes to ensure all financial accounts and reporting is available as required by the Treasurer.