LEARN MORE ABOUT GIVING HELP
Providing your time as a Peer Supporter is a meaningful way to give back to those who have served our country.
Unfortunately, 47% percent of those who show signs of PTSD and depression
By volunteering as a peer supporter, you can make a difference.
By volunteering as a clinician, you can make a difference.
Sound Off provides a platform where military members who would otherwise avoid mental health support can engage anonymously with peers like you who can understand their experiences.
From the perspective of the Veteran or Service Member, their interaction is completely contained within a mobile phone application. There is no waiting room, hotline to call, confirmation of status, or computer registration.
Become a part of the solution. Volunteer Today.
As a peer supporter, you choose how often and how many members you support.
What Your Commitment Is:
- Pledge to support at least one Veteran or Service Member through Sound Off with a frequency that works for both you and your Veteran.
- Reply to Veterans or Service Members within 24 hours after they connect with you to set up your first appointment.
- Sound Off is predicated on the anonymity of those seeking help. While it is natural that you will come to learn about the person you are supporting as you develop a relationship, we ask that you not break the model by immediately asking for personally identifying information.
- Complete the Onboarding Process.
Interested in signing up?
MAKE A DIFFERENCE - REGISTER TO GIVE HELP
Part 1: Account Creation
Once you download the app, you’ll click ”Sign up” on the home screen. Next, click ”I am a Counselor or Peer ready to help.” Then complete the form with your personal information, including your name, contact details, and any other required fields, so we can create your account and tailor your experience on the platform.
Part 2: Passkey Setup & Contact Verification
After creating your account, you will be prompted to set up a secure passkey, which enables fast and safe authentication. Once your passkey is configured, you will verify your email address and phone number, ensuring the accuracy of your contact information and helping us protect your account.
Don’t worry – the app will guide you through each step of the way.
Part 3 : Identity and Service Validation, and Peer Support Training
As part of the onboarding process, you’ll complete three required steps: first, you’ll validate your identity through Stripe. Next, you’ll confirm your Veteran status through ID.me. Finally, you’ll complete a peer support training—if you’ve already completed one, you can submit documentation for review and approval, or, if not, you can choose from the training options we provide.
Last Part: Crisis Training and Background Check
As the final step, Sound Off will complete a background check to help ensure peer supporters are well positioned to provide safe and effective support; this review is confidential and considered as part of a holistic approval process. You’ll also complete a brief Crisis Resources Training, which takes about 15 minutes and will remain available for future reference.
Once everything is complete, you’ll be taken to the home screen and receive a confirmation email—at this point, you’re fully set up and ready to begin supporting those who have served.
THE ONBOARDING PROCESS
- Validate your identity through Stripe (You can take a picture of any official ID, such as a passport, a driver’s license, or a social security card, and it’s kept entirely confidential through Stripe and Stripe will not keep its materials. Sound Off will have no access to those documents). View Stripe’s security policy here. ledge to support at least one Veteran or Service Member through Sound Off with a frequency that works for both you and your Veteran.
- Validate your Veteran status through Id.Me. You can do this through your USAA account, through a .mil email address, through service records, or through other documentation upload. View Id.Me’s security policy here.
- Complete a peer support training. If you have already completed one, you can provide documentation and our team will make sure it’s approved. If you need to complete one, we provide a variety of options that you can check out here.
- Sound Off will run a background check on prospective Peer Supporters to ensure they are an appropriate fit for our platform and best positioned to provide effective support. We know people walk many paths and those experiences may in fact make you a better peer supporter. A criminal record is not in itself a reason not to approve someone. The information Sound Off obtains is only a part of the approval decision and is kept strictly confidential.
- In the final step of Crisis Resources Training, you’ll learn about additional tools available to support Persons Seeking Help during higher-risk situations. We’ll walk through how and when to involve the 988 Crisis Lifeline during a call to enhance support in a crisis, and introduce the Columbia Suicide Risk Identification Protocol—a tool available to PSHs to help identify and track suicide risk over time. This training helps you feel prepared when extra support is needed.
FAQ's
Am I expected to “stand watch” - is this 24x7?
No! Sound Off is a not a crisis line. While the app provides access to the 988 crisis line, we are not providing crisis care. The app will alert you when you’ve been paired with a user. We do expect that you respond within 24 hours to set up an appointment.
How often am I expected to meet with users?
We ask that you meet with a user for follow up based on what works best for both you and the User.
How are users paired with me?
On the back end of the application, only peer supporters who have marked themselves as “available” are visible. Users are then able to view all the peer supporters profiles and then select the peer supporter that they feel is the best match.
Will the app notify me when I’m paired to an user?
Yes! You will hear an “alarm” when you are paired to an user as well as receive an in-app message.
Will the users have my personal information?
The users can see your profile and whatever you choose to share in that section. The app makes it very clear what is public and what is private. Your cell phone number, your email address, and any other information is not disclosed to the user.
How many users will I work with?
This is completely up to you. After you are paired with an user, the app will automatically mark you as “unavailable”, meaning that you won’t be visible to new users. If you’d like to work with multiple users, at any time you are welcome (and encouraged) to change your status to available so that users have the opportunity to pair with you.
Do you provide insurance?
Sound Off will at all times maintain an E&O liability insurance policy with aggregate $5 million coverage, and Sound Off will provide coverage to affiliated Counselors and Peer Supporters of the Sponsoring Organization as additional insureds. This insurance is secondary to any insurance the Counselor maintains him/herself.
How quickly do I need to respond?
We ask that you send a message to the user within 24 hours of being paired with them.
Do I have to maintain notes?
You are welcome to maintain notes but Sound Off does not require it nor does the platform have a place to keep them.
5 Tanielian, T., Jaycox, L, Schell, T., Marchall, G., Burnam, M., Eibner, C.,… Vaiana, M. (2008). Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery. RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research. doi: 10.7249/mg720.116 Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration. 2018. “VA National Suicide Data Report 2005 – 2016.”