Community Help Service (CHS) offers counselling, therapy and psycho-educational testing for children and adults across Belgium’s international community. But the first person many prospective clients speak to is neither a psychologist nor a therapist: It is an office volunteer – working quietly behind the scenes, listening with care, and playing a critical role in how the organisation connects people to the support they need.
Since its founding in 1971, Brussels-based CHS has grown into a bustling mental health centre, and the office staff are the first link to its services, answering calls and gathering essential information required to process requests for an appointment.
CHS also runs a 24/7, free and confidential Helpline – another volunteer-run service – showing the breadth of the organisation’s commitment to accessible mental health support, but the office volunteers’ work is focused on helping callers take that first step to consultations that will help them cope better with their lives.
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
One volunteer remembers arriving simply with the desire to give back to the community after a career across a range of professions. Thirteen years later, he is still there.
“Taking the calls is rewarding” he explains. “Some people are distressed, and some are nervous, but every person has a story.”
A second volunteer, who joined after taking a break from the workforce, describes the role in similarly heartfelt terms. “The main purpose of the Office volunteer is to answer the phone – to be there for people who reach out,” she says.
“It’s not the Helpline – those volunteers deal with crisis calls. Our callers usually want an appointment or information. But for many people it still takes courage to call.”
Her perspective is echoed across the team: even non-crisis calls require empathy, patience and warmth. “You have your receptors finely tuned,” the long-serving volunteer says. “If someone’s tearful, you figure out how to help them through it. No two calls are the same.”
“A LOVELY PLACE TO WORK”
Calls are only part of the picture. Office volunteers also handle the administration of the organisation, tasks that keep CHS running smoothly: promoting CHS through events and publicity materials, and providing support for the psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists at the Mental Health Centre.
The office atmosphere itself is a major reason volunteers enjoy working here.
“It’s informal and very cordial – a lovely place to work,” says the newer volunteer. She adds that clinical team members often stop by to chat. “Their friendliness makes me feel included in the CHS family.”
New volunteers have a basic training period and begin by observing colleagues; nobody is rushed. “It took me a couple of weeks before I felt confident picking up the phone,” she says. “Some volunteers have been here for 20 years. I have huge respect for them.”
Over time, she has learned not only about mental health but also rediscovered practical skills: “I’m grateful to refresh things like Excel. Volunteering at CHS has been an eye-opener.”
One volunteer who joined CHS after leaving the corporate world said: “I didn’t realise how meaningful it would become. Sometimes the calls can be distressing, but the people I work with are supportive and empathetic.”
JOINING CHS AS A VOLUNTEER
As demand for accessible mental health services in Belgium continues to rise, CHS relies on dedicated volunteers to ensure no call goes unanswered. Thanks to their compassion and patience, our office volunteers play a vital role in supporting individuals and families across Brussels’ international community.
If you are fluent in English, have one or two days a week to spare, and a desire to make a real difference, the phones at CHS are waiting – and so is a team ready to welcome you. If you would like to find out more about joining the CHS Office team, email office@chsbelgium.org and tell us a little about why you would like to volunteer.