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Healing Beyond the Body (HBB)
Duties and Responsibilities - What Will I Actually Do?
Where Could I Fit In? | HBB Placements | Duties and Responsibilities | Ongoing Training | Getting Started | How do I Apply?
What will I actually do?
Beyond the listening and role specific skills (e.g. form completion, group teaching, team leadership), volunteers will be able to:
| • | Support patients and caregivers by engaging in conversations that allow for the expression of emotional, relationship, practical and spiritual reactions/questions/concerns. Topics may also be discussed that will distract the patient/supporter and give them a sense of normalcy and that life is not all about cancer. |
| • | Share generic information related to treatment/side effects/Princess Margaret Hospital clinic procedures; provide information about the cancer care system (in and out of hospital system); provide practical tips to deal with all the treatment related tasks; and share coping/stress management strategies. |
| • | Enhance skill building by: engaging in problem solving about a specific issue raised by the patient/supporter; helping the patient prepare for the questions they want to ask; and, providing assistance to gain skills in information seeking. |
| • | Offer validation and encouragement; convey that the patient/supporter has support, is understood and is not alone; tap into the patient/supporters own strengths/resources; provide learning opportunities and information; and model a lay person with confidence and the ability to negotiate the system. |
| • | Triage and encourage access of other services within both the hospital and the community. |
To find out more about what volunteer placements are available through the Healing Beyond the Body program, please visit the Placements section of this site.
