Volunteering

Our clinic teams are the heart of Walk-In's mission, where collaborative groups create welcoming, accessible mental health support. Walk-In operates on a unique clinic care model where each team consists of volunteer counselors, a team consultant, and a receptionist—all working together to ensure anyone who seeks support finds it immediately, without barriers or prerequisites.

Our volunteer counselors provide direct counseling services, meeting people exactly where they are in their mental health journey. Whether you're a licensed professional or a student gaining experience, you'll work alongside peers who share your commitment to accessible care while developing confidence in our innovative walk-in approach. Volunteers consistently tell us they gain as much as they give—from expanding their clinical skills to reconnecting with a sense of purpose in professional practice.

Team consultants—licensed mental health professionals—provide clinical leadership and oversight, offering real-time guidance on complex cases and ensuring quality care throughout each shift. This leadership role allows experienced clinicians to multiply their impact while contributing to the professional growth of the entire team, often rediscovering what drew them to the field in the first place.

Our volunteer receptionists serve as the vital first connection for everyone who reaches out, whether virtually or in person. As both greeter and connector, receptionists help people navigate to the right counselor and create the welcoming atmosphere that makes our model work—gaining invaluable insight into mental health care while making meaningful connections.

We're looking for volunteers who can commit to a regular evening or afternoon shift for at least eight months. This consistency allows teams to build strong working relationships and helps create the continuity that benefits both volunteers and clients. Volunteers often find that their regular commitment becomes a highlight of their week—a chance to engage in meaningful work alongside like-minded professionals. To ensure the best experience for everyone, we have an application process that includes screening and background checks.

Ready to be part of a clinic team that gives back as much as you put in? We'd love to explore how your skills and passion fit into our collaborative model.

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Team consultants are licensed mental health professionals who provide clinical oversight and guidance during clinic shifts. Your primary role is ensuring quality care through case consultation, clinical guidance, and professional support—stepping in to provide direct services when clinic demand requires additional hands.

This is a unique leadership opportunity where you become the clinical anchor for your team, guiding counselors through complex cases in real-time while helping shape the professional development of passionate volunteers. You'll have the chance to share your expertise in our innovative environment while learning from the diverse perspectives your team brings to this barrier-free model.

We seek licensed clinicians who are excited about our approach and want to contribute their expertise to accessible mental health care. Your experience in clinical supervision is valuable, though we welcome professionals from diverse therapeutic backgrounds who share our commitment to removing barriers to healing.

Your responsibilities include:

• Providing clinical oversight and leadership during walk-in clinic hours
• Offering case consultation and clinical guidance to counselors
• Stepping in to provide direct clinical services when clinic volume requires
• Facilitating team meetings where cases are reviewed and approaches are refined

Team consultants typically commit to volunteering with a clinic team every other week for 4-5 hours over a period of eight months.

Ready to take on a leadership role that multiplies your impact while advancing accessible mental health care? Join us!

Click here to download Team Consultant Application    

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As a volunteer counselor, you'll experience mental health care at its most immediate and impactful—meeting people in moments of need and providing support that can change the trajectory of someone's day, week, or life. You become part of our innovative model that proves quality care doesn't require lengthy waitlists or complex intake processes.

We welcome licensed professionals and those working toward licensure who hold advanced degrees (master's or doctorate) in psychology, social work, professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, or related fields. What we value most is your combination of clinical knowledge, collaborative team approach, and relevant supervised experience, along with your passion for accessible mental health care.

We also offer limited opportunities for advanced graduate students completing clinical degrees who are seeking meaningful practicum experiences in a deeply meaningful and unique placement environment.

As a volunteer counselor, you'll:

• Commit to a clinic team weekly or every other week for 4-5 hours during weekday afternoons (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) or evenings (Monday-Thursday)
• Provide individual counseling—and occasionally couples or family sessions—with walk-in clients
• Maintain 1-2 ongoing clients through scheduled appointments outside clinic hours
• Connect clients with community resources and provide information about additional mental health services
• Follow up with clients by phone when clinically appropriate

Counselors consistently tell us that volunteering with Walk-In reinvigorates their practice, expands their clinical skills, and reconnects them with why they entered the field. You'll work in a supportive team environment where learning happens continuously and your impact extends far beyond individual sessions.

Please note: Our collaborative team model offers rich learning opportunities and we are passionate about advancing the training of future providers. Walk-In can only offer individual supervision on a case-by-case basis, depending on capacity for graduate education or licensing requirements.

Advanced Graduate Students & license pursuing practitioners: If you're interested in a clinical field placement or practicum at Walk-In, please contact Pang Chang, Director of Volunteers, at pchang@walkin.org or 612-870-0565 x 111.

Click here to download Counselor Application       

Get Counseling Now

Walk-In's mission thrives when people from all backgrounds and with diverse talents contribute their unique skills to accessible mental health care. We believe that meaningful support for our community happens in countless ways—and we're always eager to explore how your particular gifts can strengthen our impact.

Share Your Expertise Through Training

If you have specialized knowledge in mental health, wellness, social justice, or related fields, consider offering training for our volunteer teams. Whether you're an expert in trauma-informed care, cultural competency, LGBTQ+ affirming practices, substance use treatment, or any other relevant area, our volunteers are eager to learn. Many of our trainers discover they love our model so much they become volunteers themselves!

Creative and Professional Support

Our mission extends far beyond clinical services, and we welcome volunteers who can contribute through:

• • Marketing and communications support to help more people discover our services
  • Grant writing and fundraising to sustain and expand our programs
  • Technology support to enhance our virtual services and operations
  • Event planning and community outreach to build connections across the Twin Cities
  • Graphic design, photography, or videography to tell our story
  • Translation services to better serve diverse communities
  • Research and evaluation to help us measure and improve our impact

Bring Your Vision

Have an idea that doesn't fit these categories? We want to hear it. Some of our most innovative initiatives have come from volunteers who saw possibilities we hadn't yet imagined. Whether you're passionate about policy advocacy, community education, peer support programs, or something entirely different, let's explore how your vision aligns with our mission.

Every contribution—whether it's a few hours of specialized expertise or an ongoing commitment to a new initiative—helps prove that accessible mental health care strengthens entire communities. Ready to be part of the solution in your own unique way? Join us!

Contact us to discuss how your talents and passions can contribute to transforming mental health care in our community.

Get Counseling Now

To become a volunteer, read the role descriptions in the following sections.

Then download the appropriate volunteer application form to your computer, fill it out, SAVE, and send it to us. (Don't fill it out before you save it to your own computer - the information won't be saved.) Please send the email to pchang@walkin.org.

Click here to download Counselor Application       

Click here to download Team Consultant Application    

Click here to download Receptionist Application    

Get Counseling Now