Follow-up care for the coaches

Besides caring for the diver and his entourage, the MCT is concerned about its own voluntary coaches. Volunteers are key figures within NELOS and consequently within MCT. It is an important value within MCT to care for volunteers who have carried out an intervention after a diving incident or accident. MCT’s care for volunteers consists of two important pillars: (1) the establishment of good interpersonal relationships, and (2) the creation of solidarity between MCT volunteers.

The following issues are central for promoting positive interpersonal relationships:

• Being valued and recognised,
• A balance between human investment and human benefits for the volunteers,
• Search for complementarity between the volunteers,
• Open communication

There is sufficient time and space within MCT to share vulnerability. It can be discussed in confidence within the team. The sharing of painful experiences helps people to discover the meaning and significance of such experiences. The MCT comes together once per quarter. In addition, the recognition and acknowledgement of individual stress signals is also given an important place, depending on the needs of the individual coaches.

Bringing the volunteers together fulfils an important need, namely connectedness. We try to create this connectedness in various ways, such as by follow-up care and additional training. These help people to retain contact and motivation, together with the organisation of informal activities, such diving as a group. Furthermore, we try as much as possible to divide up other tasks (that are typical within the management of a voluntary organisation) not only amongst the Board members, but among the rest of the team. Solidarity is essential for keeping the coaches involved when they may have few actual cases within an operating year.