Location: Dorothy S. O’Brien Center, 6522 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Our telephone Lifeline provides emotional support and resource referrals to anyone who is living with cancer; patients, survivors, friends, family members, caregivers and co-workers, Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm. Volunteers must be comfortable listening to profound emotions and have the ability to be a good listener, provide non-judgmental support and understand that listening does not equate to giving advice or trying to fix some aspect of the situation.
Volunteer Requirements:
- Must have a telephone if connecting remotely to the Lifeline*
- Must have access to the internet for completing log reports and assisting callers to register for programs and classes
- Participate in Lifeline in-services
- Make a one year commitment to role of Lifeline Volunteer
- Provide advance notice of 2-3 months when plan to leave Lifeline Program
Training Requirements:
Participate in an 18-hour Zoom training program. After training, you will be asked to take up to four 3-hour weekday shifts per month.
Snapshot of Training Material:
- Confidentiality
- Lifeline Policies & Procedures
- In-depth Education on Cancer Lifeline Programming
- Understanding Cancer Pathways
- Active Listening Techniques
- Exploring the Grieving Cycle
- Assessment of Suicidal Callers
- The Four Needs of People Affected by Cancer
- Creating Open-ended Responses
- Clarifying Content
- Exploring Caller Issues
- Discussing Our Own Experiences With Death & Dying
- Beliefs About Helping
- In-class Role Plays (also conducted over the phone)
