The ISSTD would not have been born, nor would it survive, without its member-volunteers! Currently co-chaired by Logan Larson and Lisa Danylchuk, what used to be known as the Volunteer Committee has recently been “rebranded”. Now, known as the Member Engagement Committee, the group is dedicated to helping members find their place within the ISSTD. Although in the past this committee has been a committee of one or two, restructuring has allowed us to grow and ensure that those who want to be more engaged are able to do so. One of the main goals of the Member Engagement Committee is to connect ISSTD members with opportunities for involvement that are right for them. Although the ISSTD is home to several committees and task forces, there are also opportunities that arise which are less intensive. Obviously many ISSTD members come to us with skills and expertise in many areas and we value them sharing those skills with us. If you have a particular talent in marketing, writing, event management, media etc then we’d love to hear from you. However you don’t have to be an expert to help out. Volunteering in ISSTD can be a great way to learn new skills and build your resume:
- Have you ever wanted to learn more about organising big events? Join a conference organising committee, or just volunteer to help at the event.
- Have you ever wanted to learn more about marketing and advertising? Volunteer to help out with developing brochures or with our social media campaigns.
- Have you ever wanted to improve your writing or editing skills, but going straight to a big journal feels scary? Consider writing or editing for ISSTD News.
- Do you like social media? A fan of Facebook, Linked In or Twitter? If so – we would love to hear from you. We need people to occasionally assist in sharing information about ISSTD, and trauma and dissociation in general, through these forums. Think of it as a simple, fun way to raise awareness.
If you put up your hand to help out there will be plenty of others to show you the ropes and help you learn any of the skills you need. To become more involved with the ISSTD and learn about opportunities for engagement, reach out to headquarters, Logan or Lisa. Let us know your interests, skills and if you would like to pursue full committee membership. You will be added to our Member Engagement Committee list, which will allow you to correspond with us and other group members via Basecamp (current software platform). At our bi-monthly Committee Chair Roundtable meeting, we will present a list of ISSTD members who are desiring committee or task force membership, and obtain information about projects and tasks that each committee needs help with. Once a member has been placed on another committee, they may choose to remain on the Member Engagement Committee or request to be taken off the list. The Member Engagement Committee is a “low commitment” committee. Members who are not interested in any other committee, but would like to be involved are welcomed to remain on the Member Engagement Committee until an opportunity for volunteering comes along that feels right – and of course they are also welcome to stay beyond that if they choose! Most of our communication is through Basecamp and e-mail, with an optional meeting taking place via ‘Zoom’, held quarterly. Becoming more engaged with the ISSTD is an opportunity to network, be heard, share ideas and give back. Remember that this organization is only as strong as its members, and volunteering is a great way to support ISSTD. If you are interested in becoming more involved with the ISSTD, please take the time to complete the ‘Member Engagement Form’ on the ‘Members Corner’ page of the website. Click on this link to access the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8HFqYphCgyJgD3QApEXLSrLc8P_f44bk8NuKqbfjf0ourxg/viewform?usp=sf_link Alternatively Email ISSTD headquarters at info@isst-d.org If you are interested in getting involved with ISSTD News, there are a number of volunteer opportunities available now! You can read more about these opportunities in this article: Volunteer Opportunities for ISSTD News We look forward to hearing from you!