For potential volunteer navigators
You've been through something hard. What if that became someone else's lifeline?
Who we're looking for
Found Hope navigators are people who love someone who has struggled with addiction. A parent. A spouse. A sibling. A child. A close friend.
You don't need a degree. You don't need formal training in counseling or social work. You need something more rare: you need to know what it actually feels like.
Because when a family member finally works up the courage to call Found Hope, what they need most isn't a professional. It's a person who can say: I've been there. I understand. You're not alone.
That person is you.
What you'll do
- Complete the Found Hope Navigator Handbook at your own pace — self-guided, no meetings required
- Be available for anonymous calls during hours you choose
- Listen, validate, offer hope, and connect callers with resources
- Participate in a monthly group check-in with other navigators
Calls are one-time, anonymous conversations. You will never know the caller's name or number, and they won't know yours. You are there for one call — to remind someone that hope exists.
What you won't do
- Provide therapy, clinical advice, or legal guidance
- Follow up with callers after the call ends
- Manage crises — you'll refer those to the appropriate services
- Be on call 24/7 — you set your own availability
What you'll get
The Navigator Handbook
A thorough, self-paced training guide that prepares you for every kind of call.
A monthly check-in
Time with other navigators for support and connection — you won't do this alone either.
Meaning
The knowledge that you turned one of the hardest things you've been through into something that helps someone else.
Who is a good fit
- You have personal experience as a family member of someone who has struggled with substance addiction
- You are in a stable, healthy place in your own life and journey
- You have empathy, patience, and the ability to listen without trying to fix
- You are 18 or older
- You can commit to a minimum number of available call hours per month
How to apply
Getting started is simple. Fill out a short application and we'll be in touch within a few days. There's no interview, no background check, and no cost. Just a short conversation to make sure Found Hope is the right fit for you — and you're the right fit for Found Hope.
Questions? Reach out at info@foundhope.org and we'll get back to you.
A note from Found Hope
We know that the experience of loving someone through addiction leaves a mark. For a long time, that mark might feel like something to hide — proof of pain, of chaos, of things you'd rather forget.
But it is also proof that you survived something hard. That you kept showing up for someone even when it cost you. That you understand, in a way most people don't, what families go through.
Found Hope was built by people like you, for people like you. We hope you'll join us.