Kathryn Berry Carter, CAVS, CVA
Director, Volunteer Services
PAIR MENTOR PILOT:
PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
Why Parent Mentoring?
• Enhance family-centered
environment
• Personal experience of FAC members
• Exists informally; opportunity to
formalize
• Evidence based research
• Right thing to do; be the best in FCC
Benchmarking
• Training at Lucile Packard Children’s
Hospital, CA
• Site visit, Children’s Memorial
Hospital, IL
• Q/A Session, LeBonheur Children’s
Hospital, TN
• Site visit, Cook Children’s Medical
Center, TX
Why Pilot Method?
Stated Grant Goals
1) Offer newly diagnosed families at St. Jude a trained
parent-mentor, offering the unique understanding and
encouragement that another parent who has walked a
similar path can provide.
2) Provide the family with peer support while facilitating
coping mechanisms and hope.
3) Empower providers and the family as partners in their
communication with St. Jude staff regarding their child’s
treatment.
4) Provide a resource of services offered by St. Jude and the
community.
PAIR Mentor Pilot Scope
• Limited scope: Solid Tumor and
Leukemia Services
• March, 2012 – August, 2012
• 3 Mentors/ 12 Mentees
Parents Assisting Inspiring Reassuring
Pilot Team Members
• Administrative leadership: Volunteer
Services Director, Admin, Intern
• Parent-led by 4 FAC members
• Interdisciplinary staff team
• Psychology
• Faculty sponsor
Mentor Identification
•
•
•
•
•
Off active therapy
Positive treatment outcome
Local
Referrals from staff
Successful screening interview
Mentor “On-boarding”
•
•
•
•
Background check
Occupational Health clearance
Volunteer orientation
6 hour training, given by
implementation team
• Shadowing and competency sign-off
Training Themes
Part 1:
•
•
•
•
Logistics
Boundaries
Emotional impact
Content of
sessions
• Sharing your story
Part 2:
• Communication
skills
• Critical times for
families
• End of life
• When and how to
call for help
Mentor Boundaries
• Mentors are:
– Companions on the journey
– Good listeners
– Fully present
– Peer supporters
– Referral sources
– Providers of coping strategies
– Promoters of staff/parent partnerships
– Role models
Mentor Boundaries
• Mentors are NOT:
– Family members or friends
– Providers of medical information
– Caregivers, babysitters, messengers,
chauffeurs
– Counselors
Match Process
• New family referred by psychosocial
team through rounds
• Parent volunteer invites those
referred
• Upon acceptance, VS matches
• Mentor makes contact within 48
hours
Progress Report
• Number approached:
• Matches in progress:
28
12
– Solid Tumor service:
– Leukemia service:
8
4
• Number of sessions/
encounters:
89
Progress Report
• Place of encounter
– Housing facility
– Hospital public areas
– Clinic
– Inpatient areas
– Outside hospital, including one
encounter at a McDonald’s
Mode of Communication
50
45
44
41
40
35
30
Face-to-face
25
Phone
20
St. Jude email
15
10
4
5
0
1
Mentor Encounters: Content
•
•
•
•
Family issues
Coping and acceptance
Marriage and financial challenges
How to take care of an immunocompromised child
• Partnering with staff and
communication
• Nutrition and dietary challenges
• Practical issues
Mentoring Skills Used
90
80
70
Active
listening/summarizing
60
Shared story
50
40
Offered suggestions
30
Use of open-ended
questions
20
Validation of parent's
perspective
10
0
Mentor Debriefing
100
90
I have a concern
about my mentee
and need to discuss
further
80
70
60
I have a personal
issue and need to
discuss further
50
40
All is OK; there is no
need for further
follow up
30
20
10
9
1
0
Pink/Red Flags
•
•
•
•
Excessive parental worry/ anxiety
Family/ spousal conflict
Concerns regarding siblings
Rule breaking
Outcomes/ Stories
Mentor Feedback
• Mentor focus group, 6/21/12:
– Every encounter different
– Adequately supported; self and for
mentee
– Flag process helpful
– Problems we uncover help staff to dig
further; none feel trust has been eroded
– Training fully prepared me
– I have a unique perspective; role model
– I feel rewarded by this experience; give
back
Mentee Feedback
Question Asked
Average Score
My mentor was/is easy to talk with.
4.8
My mentor offered/offers me advice and encouragement.
4.6
My mentor made initial contact with me in a timely manner.
4.6
My mentor did/does meet with me regularly.
4.4
My mentor acted /acts as my advocate if I need him/her to.
5
My mentor exhibited/exhibits integrity.
4.8
My mentor gave/gives me the necessary support to help me cope with
my situation.
4.6
I was/am happy with the frequency of the meetings with my mentor.
4.6
My mentoring relationship met my expectations.
4.6
I feel better able to handle my child's situation after the mentoring
relationship.
4.2
My mentor offered me other support options, activities or programs
when I needed them.
* Likert scale, 1 being “Disagree” and 5 being “Agree”
5
Mentee Feedback
• “I am so comfortable with my mentor, I
really enjoy talking with her.” - Shanda
McLin
• “I don’t know what I’d do without my
mentor. I enjoy talking with her.”
- Tara
Gibson
• “I appreciate this program so much. It is
helpful having someone to talk to who has
lived this journey.”
- Kathy Hagan
Staff Comments
“I am impressed with the compassion and
level of dedication our parent mentors
demonstrate. Rather than a task to
complete, it appears to be a calling they
feel compelled to honor.”
- Brent Powell, Chaplain Services
Staff Comments
“Mentors give families an opportunity to talk
to someone who actually understands what
it is like. I can give advice until I am blue in
the face, but if they hear the same words
from another parent, it seems to make
perfect sense to them. I think it meets a need
for socialization and partnership that we
can't always provide within our clinical roles.”
- Solid Tumor clinic staff member
Future Vision
• Institution-wide expansion to all
services
– Mentors seen as part of the team, valued for
unique perspective
– Mentors for all who want them; parent may
self-refer
– Promotional materials widely distributed
• Increased resources; manpower,
operations budget
– Recruitment of additional mentors
Questions?
PAIR Mentor Implementation Team
Front row, left to right: Betsy Lambert, Monica Dempsey,
Malise Culpepper, Catherine Greenslade
Back row, left to right: Alexa Deghand, Kathryn Berry Carter,
Wendy Avery, Alicia Huettel, Judy Hicks, Jennifer Harman
Not pictured: Debbie Higgins, Brent Powell, Elizabeth Lee, Belinda Mandrell,
Nancy West, Teresa Hammarback, Dr. Pappo, Dr. Baker, Brin Schaechtel