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 on Mondays 9:00 am-12:00 pm or Thursdays 9:00 am -12:00 pm.
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:
- Ability to come into the office Mondays 9:00 am-12:00 pm or Fridays 9:00 am -12:00 pm
- Follows all Dignity Health Policies and Procedures
- Maintains confidentiality of protected health information
- Excellent telephone and customer service skills.
- Able to take direction from the Volunteer Services Supervisor 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.