Whilst SLV Global provided me with many rewarding and interesting experiences the placement left much to be desired. The most prominent issue is the price. The placement fee seems unreasonably expensive considering it doesn't include flights, visas, DBS, insurance, transport, workshops or resources. I spent roughly £2,500 on the placement before I even got there and was then still expected to pay for nearly all transport costs, food, and even placement-related workshops. The placement is vastly overpriced for what we are doing. What was marketed as a mental health placement with hands on experience in clinical settings is actually at best an opportunity to practice very basic occupational therapy and at worst a series of arts and crafts workshops at an extortionate price. Whenever we enquired about where the £1,300 placement fee was going we were given some vague and generic answer about transport and staff salaries. I saw no evidence of a penny of the £1,300 going towards anything during my placment. Perhaps the SLV Global t shirt was reeeeeeally expensive. It would have been more reassuring if the money was going towards fudning for the projects we were taking part in, but after asking a staff member I learned that SLV do not donate any money to the projects. It seems a bit rich to charge money for workshops when we've paid so much already just to be there. The workshops should absolutely be included in the price. It is also evident that they are contributing the bare minimum (if that) to the homestay families. Housing is not expensive in Sri Lanka and with new volunteers flooding into the country every couple of weeks, each having paid £1,300 to be there, you'd think SLV might be able to spare a few quid for the homestays. It would be enlightening to see actual evidence of where the money has been spent and how it is being used to help the community because after all the deception SLV has pulled I'm having difficulty trusting anything they say. The projects involving service users with mental illnesses consisted of nothing more than arts and crafts and physical activity. Although I was happy to provide such things to the service users since they clearly enjoyed the activities, I was led to believe that the placement would involve clinical work. The only time we had any form of clinical experience was during a single field trip to a psychiatric facility. I expected and would have liked much more projects of this nature since that is what I was paying for. It baffles me why SLV have made their placements exclusive to psychology students when specific knowledge or experience was never once required. Their priority seems to be raking in as much cash as they can so I'm surprised they haven't opened the placement up to students of different subject backgrounds. What is even more frustrating is that the staff often were unable or forgot to give us adequate information about the projects. Multiple times we were given the wrong instructions or sent to the wrong place because staff members didn't know what they were doing. There were some moments during projects which were disturbing for myself and other volunteers such as when teachers exercised corporal punishment on children or a naked service users was locked in a cage and shouted at by a (non-SLV) staff member. Whilst I understand that these circumstances are a product of Sri Lankan culture and underfunded facilities, I found it difficult not to view our passive response as condoning the behaviour. We came there to help the community and it's hard to believe we are doing so when we are not directly addressing these problems. Overall I was left unsatisfied by the placement. It is horrendously overpriced and prospective volunteers should consider whether they want to pay that much when they will gain so little. They'd be better off donating the £1,300 directly to a charity than gift wrapping it to SLV.

The 5 weeks I spent on placement have been some of the best and also some of the most difficult. Sri Lankan people are some of the kindest I’ve ever met (especially our homestay Amma) and the service users I got to work with were also amazing. It was challenging at times and such hard work but the weekends travelling to different places helped to keep me going. I’m never going to forget this time in my life, it has really given me an insight into how mental health is viewed in a different culture and what we can be doing to help them. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity.

I had an amazing 5 weeks in Sri Lanka, I met so many wonderful people that will continue to be part of my life. I really enjoyed volunteering in the different projects and the variety of the projects. There were challenging moments but there was so much support provided by other volunteers and the peer mentors.

Hi there, I was part of the 4th of June Mental Health Advance Placement. I had a fantastic experience. I met wonderful people working on these projects. The placement gave me a lot of experience in the field of mental health but also helped me to grow personally. I strongly recommend SLV if you are interested in volunteering abroad. The association is very well organised and they are always there to support you. Thanks for the lovely time spent together. Emanuela Codara

This experience was honestly the most eye-opening, inspiring and fulfilling thing I have ever done, and completely surpassed all expectations. The amount of hands on experience I gained with such a vast amount of groups with mental health on all different levels of the spectrum was incredible and something I wasn’t prepared for, but absolutely loved. The placement allows you to fully immerse yourself in a beautiful culture built on kindness and love, and I did not want to leave. I would recommend this placement 100 times over to anyone considering a career in psychology or mental health particularly. Thank you for doing what you do SLV and making such a permanent and positive mark on this world.

Taking part in SLV bali is the best decision I ever made. I was nervous before starting the placement as I was heading out on my own and didn't know anyone who would be out there. All of the team out there, the staff, co-ordinators and the SLV bali team were kind, accommodating and made me feel at ease and at home even though I was thousands of miles away. The experience as a whole was amazing as not only did I get to spend a month in paradise but I was able to make a difference even if only a small one in the lives of many service users. By the end of the placement I did not want to leave. Not only have I made life long friends but I have developed both personally and professionally. I would 100% recommend this experience to anyone interested in working in psychology as the experience I have gained is truly unparalleled.

I recently came back from doing the 5 week Advanced Placement in Sri Lanka with SLV Global and had a great experience. It was not exactly what I had expected, it was less clinical psychology work and more of working with special needs and teaching english to children. If you are looking to fully immerse yourself in a culture, while helping others in the field of mental health, then I recommend this placement! Even though it wasn't what I initially thought I would be doing, it was still an amazing experience that changed my world perspective.

I had the most AMAZING 4 weeks as an SLV Bali volunteer. The experience you gain over a month is so broad, from working with inpatients in a psychiatric hospital in the morning to teaching English to the children in your homestay village in the afternoon, and so rich, due to the hands on nature of every project. Living with a Balinese family allows you to feel so immersed and accepted into the most beautiful culture, as well as having free roam to travel and explore the stunning island at the weekends. The SLV team and in country staff are all so passionate about doing good things and I feel so proud and privileged to have been a part of it. I made friends for life and can't recommend SLV placements enough!

SLV Bali has been one of the best experience I have had. Not only for its impact on my CV and giving me amazing and hands on experience in the area of mental health, but also for the privilege of meeting the amazing volunteers, staff and service users. The experience is a fundamental addition to anyones CV at any stage in their career and the are positions for everybody. I would sincerely recommend this experience to anyone looking to volunteer in mental health, any stress and cost is worth it!

Had the most amazing month volunteering with SLV. The placement and staff were unfualtable which gave us the most amazing experience. I would highly recommend this placement to anyone in the psychological field! It was worth all its money!