Volunteer – Aphasia Institute

Join our Team of Volunteers

Volunteer. Learn. Connect. Make Communication Accessible.

Our volunteers are curious, enjoy conversation and are open to ongoing learning opportunities. Created by one of our very own volunteers, Gayle Wilmot, this videos captures what volunteers do and their perspective in our community. It’s the “voice” of our volunteers.

Benefits:

✅ Join a supportive community of lifelong learners

✅ Make a meaningful impact

✅ Receive specialized SCA™ communication training

✅ Gain experience working with adults with communication challenges

✅ Build facilitation and interpersonal skills

What You’ll Gain

✅ Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia (SCA™)

✅ Group facilitation skills

✅ Communication accessibility strategies

✅ Leadership and teamwork

✅ Insights into stroke recovery and aphasia

✅ Experience working alongside Speech-Language Pathologists

How to start volunteering?

Step 1
Attend info session

Step 2
Submit application

Step 3
Attend interview

Learn While you Volunteer

At the Aphasia Institute, volunteering is also a learning experience. New volunteers begin with a 4 to 6-week observation period, where they get to know our members, programs, and volunteer community while gaining an introduction to Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia (SCA™).

As volunteers become more involved, they participate in our 15-hour virtual training program focused on SCA™, group facilitation, teamwork, and practical communication strategies for both online and in-person settings.

Learning continues beyond formal training. Through monthly education sessions and pre and post-program debriefs, volunteers build their skills, reflect on their experiences, and deepen their understanding of aphasia. This blend of learning and program participation is all part of a typical 3-hour weekly volunteer commitment.

OLD – We value the importance of training and support for our volunteers. All volunteers attend our 15-hour virtual classroom-style training which teaches the skills of Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia (SCA) along with group facilitation (online as well as in-person), teamwork and practice. At the Aphasia Institute, we believe that learning is on-going. Every week volunteers working in our Direct Service programs will participate in education sessions. Following every program volunteers engage in a debriefing to reflect on their experience, ask questions and provide insight about our clients. This combination of learning and program delivery make up their 3-hour weekly shift.

What do volunteers do?

Conversation facilitation:
Working with groups of 4 – 6 people with aphasia, volunteers enable members to interact, engage, challenge and develop amazing conversations. Always working in partnership with another co-facilitator, your role is to provide communication techniques specific to the clients with aphasia, while also taking part in the conversation. This is an integral position in our program and a great starting place for new volunteers.

Volunteer Opportunities – Online and In-Person OR Hybrid:
Creative Painting / Art, Music Discussion, Current Events, Documentary Talks, Virtual Travel, Book Group, Meditation & Relaxation, Hear My Voice (Karaoke), Toastmasters, One-to-One Outreach and New Beginnings.

Additionally, outside of Client Programming, volunteers assist in areas of governance, research administration and fundraising.

There are also positions available in the areas of research, administration, fundraising, and governance.

Attention Student Volunteers

If you require a clinical reference from our Speech and Language Pathologist as part of your application process for Graduate Studies, please ask our Manager Volunteer Services about our specific requirements for clinical references.

Attention Student Applicants:
If you require a clinical reference from our Speech and Language Pathologist as part of your application process for Graduate Studies, please ask our Manager Volunteer Services about our specific requirements for clinical references.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy
The Aphasia Institute’s priority is to ensure health and safety in the workplace by requiring all agency personnel to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19; by personnel, we mean Staff, Volunteers and Students.

This means that all current and new volunteers will be required to provide proof of vaccination from COVID-19, or provide a certificate of medical exemption.

“Every day is a ‘learning day.’ This is a volunteer experience that challenges me to explore new knowledge about communication, conversation and language.” – Myriam Shechter, Conversation Facilitator, 10 years.

We value the long-standing commitment and dedication our volunteers bring to our centre. We require that volunteers make a one year commitment typically consisting of a weekly 3-hour shift. When you click on “Apply to Volunteer” you will be prompted to complete the Volunteer Application Form and then to attend a Volunteer Information Session.

Apply to Volunteer

While it is not unusual for us to receive a high volume of inquiries, we are currently experiencing an exceptionally high volume of volunteer applications. Please expect that it may take a few days for us to respond to all inquiries.

Monthly information sessions provide an opportunity for us to present the wide range of volunteer opportunities, provide a “big picture” of our programs and then allow you to “interview” us to ensure that we can provide what you are looking for in a volunteer experience.

Volunteer Information Sessions occur on specific Fridays (see Volunteer Application), start at 2:00pm, and are generally one hour in length. These sessions provide information about our volunteer opportunities, expectations of our volunteers, and what you can expect from us. They are highly recommended if you are considering applying for a volunteer position at the Aphasia Institute.

To attend an information session please fill out our Volunteer Application Form. All sessions are via Zoom, with a 2:00pm start. All sessions are on Fridays.

Start dates for volunteers are coordinated in conjunction with our member registration and our Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia training program.

Entry points for volunteers into our 2026 program take place during the following weeks:

Week of…

Monday, January 26th
Monday, April 13th
Monday, July 6th
Monday, October 5th

Our Conversation Program is an ideal opportunity for students who are pursuing a degree in Speech and Language Pathology. However, due to the high number of student applicants, we accept a fixed number of students at each entry point into the program. We therefore have a highly competitive process for student applicants. If you require a clinical reference from our Speech and Language Pathologist as part of the application process for Graduate Studies, please ask our Manager Volunteer Services about our specific requirements for Clinical References

Contact our Manager of Volunteer Services if you have questions: volunteeradmin@aphasia.ca.