Volunteer Code of Conduct & Standards

A clear, compassionate guide for all Healing Horizons for FND volunteers.

Our Commitment

Healing Horizons for FND (HHFFND) volunteers play a meaningful and valued role in supporting individuals and families affected by Functional Neurological Disorder.

To ensure safe, welcoming, and consistent programs, all volunteers are expected to follow the standards outlined below. These standards exist to protect participants, volunteers, and the integrity of HHFFND’s work.

This page provides a public summary. More detailed guidance and internal procedures are included in the HHFFND Volunteer Handbook.

Compassion
Volunteers approach all interactions with kindness, patience, and understanding.

Respect
Volunteers honour personal boundaries, lived experiences, communication preferences, and individual pacing.

Safety First
Volunteers help create emotionally and physically safe spaces through calm, trauma-informed practice.

Confidentiality
Information shared in groups is treated as private. Volunteers do not disclose personal stories or identities outside HHFFND programs.
(Exceptions apply only in safety-related circumstances.)

Professionalism
Volunteers maintain clear boundaries, communicate thoughtfully, and represent HHFFND with integrity.

Inclusion
Volunteers welcome people of all ages, backgrounds, identities, and abilities.

All HHFFND volunteers are expected to:

  • follow HHFFND’s trauma-informed and accessibility-first approach
  • communicate gently, clearly, and without pressure
  • maintain participant confidentiality at all times
  • respect boundaries and avoid dual roles
  • refrain from offering medical, clinical, or therapeutic advice
  • use respectful, non-judgmental language
  • follow youth protection standards when working with children or teens, including the two-adult rule
  • complete required onboarding and ongoing training
  • raise concerns or questions through HHFFND’s internal channels

HHFFND volunteers do not:

  • provide medical care or treatment
  • offer therapy or counselling
  • make clinical or diagnostic recommendations
  • assess risk or manage crises
  • engage in one-to-one private sessions with minors
  • contact participants outside official HHFFND programs
  • collect, store, or manage personal participant data
  • share participant information outside approved contexts
  • act as emergency or crisis responders

HHFFND programs provide peer support and community connection. They are not clinical services.

HHFFND is committed to supporting volunteers through:

  • clear session structure and expectations
  • scripts, guidance, and facilitation tools
  • FND-friendly communication practices
  • safeguarding and youth protection training
  • access to supervision and organizational support
  • connection to a national volunteer community

Volunteers are never expected to manage challenging situations alone.

HHFFND reserves the right to pause, modify, or end volunteer roles if safety, boundaries, or policy expectations are not being met.

Any concerns are handled privately, respectfully, and with care, with the goal of protecting participants, volunteers, and the organization.

A Message to Our Volunteers

Your time, care, and presence help people feel seen, supported, and less alone.

We are deeply grateful for your contribution and your commitment to creating calm, respectful, and safe spaces within the HHFFND community.

Thank you for being part of Healing Horizons for FND.