Greenlight HELP in Practice

Although numerous motivations are possible, applicants should have a genuine interest in working one-on-one with parents. Sometimes applicants are motivated by an agenda that does not coincide with the goals of the HELP Project. For example, a volunteer with a strong desire to promote alternative medicine to parents may not be a good fit.

HELP volunteers must be able to communicate with parents and staff appropriately, ask for help when needed and be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. In particular, they must be willing to accept feedback from staff and incorporate it into their work.

Volunteers must also have the confidence necessary to approach and talk with parents one-on-one. Maturity can come with age and experience. Therefore, when recruiting student volunteers, we generally accept applications only from those who have completed their sophomore year of college.

Volunteers, like employees, should be punctual, reliable and exhibit a professional demeanor in their communication and dress.

While there are no specific knowledge prerequisites, volunteers must have a sense of the importance and sensitivity of health information. Volunteers should be willing to learn relevant health information and provide it in accurate and unbiased way.

Volunteers must be aware that culture influences peoples’ beliefs and practices, including those related to health and to parenting. Volunteers must be able to consider cultural differences without assigning values such as right or wrong to them. They must also be aware of cultural influences in their own beliefs and practices, and exhibit openness to learning about others from diverse backgrounds.

Volunteers must be aware of their own limits and know when to seek assistance from staff. They must be sensitive and aware of how parents are responding to them. In particular, they must have the ability to clarify their role if parents begin placing inappropriate expectations on them (i.e. asking for medical advice that only a doctor should provide or help with issues that a social worker should handle).

Volunteers also need to anticipate the appropriateness of comments and questions they direct to parents.

At our Bellevue Hospital site, our particular patient population is so diverse that volunteers who speak only English can feel frustrated by the small number of families with whom they are able to work. To prevent this, we prefer our volunteers to be bilingual in English and a language spoken by our patients.

We also consider the language needs of our patients and the capacity of our program. For example, if we feel we have more Chinese speaking volunteers than our population demands, we may not accept new Chinese speaking volunteers at that time.

Because of the extensive training involved, it is reasonable to require a minimum commitment of one year from all volunteers. For student volunteers we require twice weekly, 2-hour sessions for two semesters.

Premedical students from nearby universities are highly motivated to find volunteer placements in hospital settings. HELP offers them a unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience with patients.

Sometimes experienced volunteers are interested in a new volunteer role. This can be an ideal opportunity to handpick volunteers who are already known to the staff and familiar with the clinic setting. Volunteers in Children of Bellevue’s Reach Out and Read Program are a great source for volunteer HELP Educators

• Students from other health sciences training programs (e.g. nursing, public health, early childhood development, pharmacy)
• Hospital volunteer department referrals
• Online volunteer websites such as www.volunteermatch.org and www.idealist.org.
• Americorp volunteers

After prospective volunteers contact the program they are sent a written application and a link to our HELP Project video, which they are asked to watch before applying. On the application, they are asked about their language ability, educational background, and why they are interested in the program. Most applicants also submit a resume. Compatibility of applicants is considered based on their statements of interest as well as the current capacity of the program. Follow-up phone interview are scheduled and promising applicants are invited to visit the program.

New applicants are given group tours of the pediatric clinic at a time when a HELP educator is working with a parent. Each applicant has an individual interview in English and in the second language they speak.

If there is concern that an applicant is not a good match for the needs of the program, the reason for not accepting the volunteer is explained and when possible, other volunteer opportunities within the hospital are discussed. If more information is needed, the applicant’s references can be contacted before proceeding.