August 19, 2026

We're building something new. We want you to be part of it.

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VAST is launching the OCC: an online community space. It is the first platform of its kind at VAST, and we're looking for a small group of founding volunteer moderators to help bring it to life.

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This is an opportunity to get in at the beginning. You will help shape what good online community looks like in a multilingual, trauma-informed space. The people who join this first cohort will have hands-on experience that is genuinely rare in the sector.

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About VAST

Founded by volunteers over four decades ago, VAST is now BC's largest centre for refugee mental health.

Our work is grounded in a simple belief: healing happens in community. The OCC extends that community beyond our physical spaces, giving clients a safe place to connect with one another between sessions, across languages, and on their own time. We need the right people to help hold that space.

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About The Role

This is a light, flexible, fully remote role. You will hold a regular shift on the OCC platform, checking in on channels, welcoming members, and flagging anything that needs attention from the VAST clinical team. You are not a counsellor. You are a consistent, caring presence in a space that needs one.

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Fully remote

2 to 4 hours/week

6-month commitment

Your Week-to-week Responsibilities

- Monitor your assigned channels during a regular weekly shift
- Welcome new members and help orient them to the community
- Keep conversation flowing and the tone respectful
- Recognize when something needs to go to the VAST team, and follow a clear escalation protocol




- Join a brief monthly online check-in with the moderation team

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Who We're Looking For

You don't need clinical experience. You need to be comfortable online, calm under pressure, and genuinely interested in community. Specifically, we're hoping to hear from people who:

- Use digital platforms confidently and pick up recent ones easily
- Are patient, boundaried, and know the difference between listening and taking on
- Bring curiosity and respect to people from different cultural backgrounds
- Speak a second language, especially Arabic, Farsi/Dari, Punjabi, Swahili, or Spanish (a meaningful asset, not a requirement)
- Are building toward a career or interest in social work, public health, community development, or digital community management

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What you'll gain

You'll walk away with hands-on experience moderating a multilingual, trauma-informed online community for a vulnerable population. That is a credential that stands out. You'll also receive upfront training, ongoing optional learning, and a VAST letter of reference on completion.

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Commitment and practicalities

We ask for a minimum of six months. Two to three scheduled shifts per week, fully online, at times that work for you including evenings and weekends (of course, you might enjoy it so much online that you decide to spend more time there). Six months gives the community time to recognize and trust you, and gives you time to genuinely develop in the role. As all VAST volunteers work with vulnerable persons, a criminal record check is required. VAST facilitates this process at no cost to you.

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📌 Volunteer opportunity: Online community moderator (Canada)
🏢 VAST_BC
📍 Canada