Patient Telephone Support Volunteer - Monday and/or Fridays - 2 hours - 9am -4:00 pm

General description:

Telephone Support volunteers serve as members of the hospice team and are responsible for placing calls to patient/family members to provide reassurance and education about hospice services as well as identify and report urgent needs of the patient's. Calls are made 1x per week on weekdays between 9-4pm

Qualifications:

• Completion of 8 hours of volunteer training through the Hospice Relias Volunteer Training, End-of-Life Specialist certification, or equivalent to be assessed and determined by the Dignity Health Hospice Volunteer Services Supervisor.
• Completion of Telephone Support Orientation.
• Able to speak clearly and communicate with a population who may have hearing loss.
• Meeting all requirements of Dignity Health Employee Health screening and clearance for duty, including but not limited to initial health appraisal, vaccinations, and annual PPD testing.
• Compliance with maintaining these requirements.

Knowledge of:

• Hospice care and philosophy
• Principles of death and dying
• Effective communication skills
• Role of the volunteer in hospice program
• Principles of grief and bereavement
• Basic knowledge of office equipment (copiers, telephone and fax machine)

Accountabilities and Job-Related Competencies:

• Follows all Dignity Health Policies and Procedures
• Maintains confidentiality of protected health information
• Excellent telephone and customer service skills.
• Able to take direction from Hospice Manager or designee
• Responds appropriately to unexpected occurrences or emergencies with patients/families
• Maintains appropriate personal boundaries in the relationship with the patient, family and hospice team.
• Maintain appropriate and timely documentation
• Ability to provide respectful listening to patients and families with diverse backgrounds, race, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and culture.
• Willingness to learn about different cultures
• Maintain all mandatory training and in service requirements.
• Willingness to make a one year commitment of 100 hours of volunteer hours (2 hours per week).
• Attend a minimum of 4 hospice volunteer meetings per year.
• Adheres to ergonomic safety standards.