The inclusion of volunteering is to ensure that you meet accreditation requirements.

The types of activities you undertake as part of your volunteering must be counselling related – this includes helping people, serving the community, and supporting community organisations. The volunteer opportunity must allow you to interact with clients and utilise basic counselling skills, such as active listening and attending. You must not carry out face to face counselling.

There are no minimum and maximum hours you are able to complete per day. The volunteer requirements are: 90 hours in Bachelor of Counselling and Bachelor of Counselling (Minor in Coaching) and 140 hours in Bachelor of Psychological Sciences and Counselling.

Yes, if they carry out one to one counselling. However, this agency cannot be used to complete any volunteering hours.

Yes, you are unable to work with family in any capacity.

No, you must complete your volunteering hours before you can commence your placement.

Yes, the volunteering activity must be counselling related and focused on helping people.

Volunteer hours cannot be backdated so you are unable to receive RPL/credit for completion of previous hours.

You cannot receive RPL for the volunteering hours. Also, you cannot receive RPL for the counselling placement.

It is understandable that students are concerned about the various requirements associated with completing the Counselling course. ACAP provides support to students. This includes: a flexible course schedule, and the opportunity to complete the volunteering hours over approximately two years.

For additional information regarding volunteering, please email:  [email protected]

No, you must complete all three activities – Volunteering, Service Learning, and Placement in different agencies.

You must complete your volunteering hours prior to commencing your placement you will be unable to start your placement until volunteering has been completed.

Volunteering on a site different from your placement site enables you to experience a range of helping related services.

The 50-hour Service Learning constitutes a component of the unit ‘COUN2251 Service Learning for Counselling Preparation’. Service learning differs from volunteering with an emphasis on reciprocation and benefits for both the student counsellor and community organisation. The service-learning placement project includes – Planning and undertaking a 50-hour professional service-learning project during the trimester. This 50-hour service-learning project contributes to the mandatory 340 hours of experiential training for the Australian Counselling Association accreditation.

You are not graded for the volunteering undertaken however completion of the hours is mandatory.

If you register your volunteering with ACAP, you will be covered by ACAP’s insurance.

ACAP does not pay for your transport costs or clothing requirements whilst undertaking your volunteering.

Please email: [email protected]

Yes, there are agencies that provide group volunteering opportunities. For example,

• Wesley Youth Resilience Challenge (for groups of 20 to 100)
• Wesley Homeless Food Challenge (for groups of 20 to 100)

For more information, click here.

If at any time, you feel unsafe or encounter challenges whilst undertaking volunteering, please advise your agency representative and ACAP immediately.

The volunteering component in the degree is mandatory for new students enrolling in Bachelor of Counselling/Bachelor of Counselling (Minor in Coaching)/Bachelor of Psychological Ssciences and Counselling courses from Trimester 1, 2020.

Volunteering enhances the skills of students in preparation for their ‘Service Learning’ project and attendance at their placement. It will also add great value to your CV and acts as a potential employment opportunity.