SoulMates Volunteer

The SoulMates Program is a long-term peer mentor program designed to provide ongoing, virtual support for any breast cancer patient at Dana-Farber by matching them with a trained volunteer mentor. SoulMates volunteer mentors may include anyone who has received treatment and/or follow up care for breast cancer at Dana-Farber. Mentors are trained by SoulMates staff to provide one-on-one support to other patients (peers).

Mentors can only communicate with their peers through virtual means of communication (i.e. phone calls, text, email, and/or video calls). In-person and/or social meetings are outside the scope of this program’s guidelines and the volunteer’s role.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

Volunteering at Dana-Farber is a rewarding and enriching experience. Dana-Farber staff, donors, and volunteers all work toward a common goal of defeating cancer. As a supplemental resource for patients and families, volunteers who work at Dana-Farber are closely linked to this mission, as are those who volunteer at events that raise essential funds to support it. Volunteers are committed and reliable people who make a very real difference, everywhere they work.

Goal: Patients (peers) will feel supported in navigating the medical system, aware of possible resources, and less isolated in their illness experience. Peers will experience decreased anxiety, greater sense of control, and increased satisfaction in their overall experience of care. Mentors will provide insight, guidance, and empathy from the perspective of someone who has walked a similar path and can relate to their treatment and illness experience.

Activities

• •Provide a reliable and safe space for your peer(s) to ask questions and express their emotions
• •Listen to the concerns and challenges your peer(s) share with you
• •Offer a calm, empathetic, and supportive presence
• •Be flexible and sensitive to the unique needs of your peer(s) and their families, with attention to cultural, religious, and personal differences
• •Discuss symptoms and/or side effects that your peer(s) experienced
• •Talk about what to expect from surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or other treatments
• •Discuss the challenges of navigating the medical system and their treatment plan
• •Identify supportive resources and available programs
• •Discuss issues your peer(s) faced during or after treatment
• •Talk about the impact of their diagnosis on their family as whole – e.g., children, partner/spouse, extended family, etc.
• •Discuss how to share their diagnosis and treatment plan with their child(ren), other loved ones, colleagues, etc.
• •Discuss workplace issues – e.g., taking leaves of absence, working through treatment, reducing work hours or going remote, etc.
• •Provide insight related to issues unique to survivorship
• •Maintain confidentiality at all times
• •Respond in a timely manner to SoulMates program administrator’s outreach regarding matches with peers

Limitations

• •Do not give medical advice, opinions, or assumptions regarding a patient's illness, diagnosis, or treatment options.
• •Volunteers should refer patients to their physician if they have questions about their current treatment plan, protocol, and medications.

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty, staff, and volunteers. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.