Definition of a “Health TAPESTRY Volunteer”: a trained community member who provides services to a Health TAPESTRY project without compensation
Principles
Volunteers:
- Have distinct but complementary roles from paid employees
- Are not intended to replace the work of paid employees, but rather to add to the care being provided in novel ways
- Do not work as part-time paid staff equivalents
- Are not deployed to replace paid employees during labour disputes
Standards
- The program has clear objectives and involves individuals in meaningful ways
- Recruitment and selection may come from a variety of recognized sources (e.g. colleges, universities, social agencies, professional colleges, diverse sources within the community)
- Individuals receive an orientation to the program and its policies and procedures, and receive appropriate training for their participation
- Individuals receive adequate levels of supervision according to their participation and are given regular opportunities for feedback
- Individuals are welcomed and treated as valuable additions to the primary care team
Requirements*
Volunteers may be expected to:
- Complete and submit a volunteer application form
- Complete a face-to-face interview
- Provide references
- Provide a Vulnerable Sector police report
- Sign a Volunteer Waiver & Confidentiality Agreement
- Complete a 2-step TB test
- Show evidence of annual influenza vaccination
- Be able to communicate clearly in English or French. Other language skills considered an asset
- Be able to travel within the community to do client home visits, and therefore must have reliable transportation (personal or public transit). Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle is an asset
- Be at least 18 years of age
*May change based on setting
Volunteer Duties – Hamilton site example
- Take part in in-person training
- Complete the online Volunteer Learning Centre (VLC) training modules
- Make home visits to clients with a volunteer partner
- Assist clients in completing non-invasive screening tools and personal goal identification
- Communicate with volunteer coordinator, clinic sites, and/or community-based organizations
- Use various technology (e.g. the TAP-App, kindredPHR, GENIE, the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal), and troubleshoot this technology for clients as needed
- Provide social connection to clients in the community
- Engage in optional focus groups or qualitative interviews
Description of the Role – Hamilton site example
- Volunteers work in pairs (one experienced volunteer with over 2 years of experience and one novice volunteer with less than 2 years of volunteer experience)
- The experienced volunteer profile may include retired teachers, nurses and other allied health professionals
- The novice volunteer profile may include university and college students with an interest in pursuing a career in health care
- Client home visits will take an average of 60 minutes (not including travel time) but can range from 30 minutes to 120 minutes, depending on the client
During a client home visit, a volunteer pair:
- Identifies themselves as extensions of the client’s primary care team
- Gathers information from the client through a series of questionnaires on the TAP-App, using a tablet computer (e.g. iPad)
- Provide a social connection to clients by engaging in a friendly manner
- Connect clients with community resources and supports they may be interested in