Prospective Reach to Recovery Volunteers
What is Reach to Recovery?
Reach to Recovery is a one-on-one support program for newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients. Patients are matched with trained Volunteers who are breast cancer survivors.
How do volunteers help newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients?
Volunteers can help with the Reach to Recovery program by visiting with breast cancer patients, coordinating visits and assisting with volunteer management, and publicizing the program. Reach to Recovery volunteers give patients and family members an opportunity to express feelings, talk about fears and concerns, and ask questions. Most importantly, Reach to Recovery volunteers offer understanding, support, and hope because they themselves have survived breast cancer and gone on to live normal, productive lives. Reach to Recovery Volunteers must be breast cancer survivors at least one year out of active treatment.
Are you interested in volunteering for Reach to Recovery?
Click on the position descriptions below to read more about these volunteer roles. If you’re interested in applying, simply download one of the applications, complete it and return it to your local Society office for consideration.
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Learn about Volunteer Roles
Reach to Recovery Volunteer Trainer |
Complete the program application
Other Helpful Documents:
Service Delivery, Learning and Volunteer Opportunities |
Would you like to know how else you can support patients, survivors, and caregivers?
Take the Be a Cancer Resource - E-Learning course in the Volunteer Learning Center to learn about all the ways you can help those affected by cancer in your community. Click here to take it!
Trainer Position Description
Reach to Recovery Program
Reach to Recovery is an American Cancer Society program designed to help women and men cope with their breast cancer experience. The breast cancer experience begins at the moment a person is faced with the possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis, and continues throughout the entire period that breast cancer remains a personal concern. Reach to Recovery offers support to people at various points along the continuum: diagnosis; decision making about treatment; dealing with treatment and its side effects; returning to a full, active life; or confronting any long-term effects-including a possible recurrence of the disease.
Role of the Reach to Recovery Volunteer Trainer
The trained Reach to Recovery Volunteer Trainer is the key to the program’s success, offering their knowledge and experiences with the program and the American Cancer Society to new volunteers beginning their ‘career’ with Reach to Recovery. The one-on-one support to the person concerned about breast cancer and caregivers helps that person cope emotionally with a breast cancer diagnosis.
Reach to Recovery Volunteer Trainer Requirements
- Co-facilitate various volunteer trainings
- Introduction to Reach to Recovery Teleconference Call
- Reach to Recovery Certification Training (Face-to-face)
- Reach to Recovery “Buddy” Teleconference Training
- Program updates at Recertification opportunities (teleconference face-to-face)
- Promote upcoming trainings (Breast Cancer Forums, Doc Talks, Skill Enhancements)
- Meet with Network Patient Support and Training Manager to support development and review curriculum and tools, and provide feedback.
- Participate and promote continuing education and training annually (including Patient Support Training and Recertification opportunities).
- Be familiar with other American Cancer Society patient programs to promote to new volunteers, patients and the community.
- Be familiar with the Stephanie H. Lane Cancer Resource Network and service delivery protocol for Reach to Recovery.
- Communicate with local Reach Coordinators to assess volunteer training needs.
- Required to participate in other activities that are important to making the program effective, such as attending Reach to Recovery Volunteer Trainer Conference Calls.
- Promote annual Terese Lasser Award nominations.
- Promote and attend local volunteer recognition events.
- Abide by the guidelines and policies of the American Cancer Society and the Reach to Recovery program.
- Willing to travel to needed areas to facilitate trainings.
- Attend Patient Support Training.
Volunteer Job Description
Reach to Recovery Program
Reach to Recovery is an American Cancer Society program designed to help women and men cope with their breast cancer experience. The breast cancer experience begins at the moment a person is faced with the possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis, and continues throughout the entire period that breast cancer remains a personal concern. Reach to Recovery offers support to people at various points along the continuum: diagnosis; decision making about treatment; dealing with treatment and its side effects; returning to a full, active life; or confronting any long-term effects-including a possible recurrence of the disease.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Reach to Recovery Volunteer
The trained Reach to Recovery volunteer is the key to the program’s success, offering the understanding and caring to patients that only another person with breast caner can provide. The volunteer’s one-on-one support to the person concerned about breast cancer helps that person cope emotionally with a breast cancer diagnosis.
No single volunteer is expected to meet a patient’s needs throughout her breast cancer experience. Whenever someone needs the help of Reach to Recovery, the program selects a volunteer who seems appropriates at that particular time. Sometimes more than one volunteer may be involved.
Reach to Recovery also serves as a "gateway" to other services offered by the American Cancer Society, such as Road to Recovery, I Can Cope, and Look Good Feel Better, and provides information to patients about other community resources that can help meet their needs.
Qualifications/Skills of the Reach to Recovery Volunteer
- Complete initial volunteer training
- Optional : Introduction to Reach to Recovery Teleconference Call
- Reach to Recovery Certification Training (Face-to-face) (Required Training)
- Reach to Recovery “Buddy” Teleconference Training (Required Training)
- Patient Support Training (Required in the first year of volunteering)
- Be at least one year out of active treatment before volunteering for any patient service program
- Participate in continuing education and Re-certification training annually
- Become familiar with other American Cancer Society patient programs to promote to patients and the community
- Participate in other activities that are important to making the program effective, such as attending volunteer meetings, community outreach, program promotion and legislative advocacy
- Abide by the guidelines and policies of the American Cancer Society and the Reach to Recovery program
- Complete all aspects of patient contact, including follow-up, referrals and record keeping
- Send in Patient Intake / Visitor Report within five business days of visit
- Be available for assignments or notify your Coordinator when you will not be available
- Inform Program Coordinator of any illness or personal problems that may interfere with your effectiveness as a volunteer
- Maintain good relationships with health professionals and other groups in the community
- Encouraged to assist the local office with Call Backs to patients, survivors, and caregivers
- Participate in program evaluation as they arise
Click here to download Reach to Recovery Position Description
Coordinator Job Description
Reach to Recovery Program
Reach to Recovery is an American Cancer Society program designed to help women and men cope with their breast cancer experience. The breast cancer experience begins at the moment a person is faced with the possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis, and continues throughout the entire period that breast cancer remains a personal concern. Reach to Recovery offers support to people at various points along the continuum: diagnosis; decision making about treatment; dealing with treatment and its side effects; returning to a full, active life; or confronting any long-term effects-including a possible recurrence of the disease.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Reach to Recovery Coordinator
The trained Reach to Recovery Coordinator is the key to the program’s success, offering the understanding and caring to patients and volunteers that only another person with breast cancer can provide. The volunteer’s one-on-one support to the person concerned about breast cancer helps that person cope emotionally with a breast cancer diagnosis.
No single volunteer is expected to meet a patient’s needs throughout her breast cancer experience. Whenever someone needs the help of Reach to Recovery, the Coordinator selects a volunteer who seems appropriates at that particular time. Sometimes more than one volunteer may be involved.
Reach to Recovery also serves as a "gateway" to other services offered by the American Cancer Society, such as Road to Recovery, I Can Cope, and Look Good Feel Better, and provides information to patients about other community resources that can help meet their needs.
Qualifications/Skills of the Reach to Recovery Coordinator
- Complete initial volunteer training
- Optional : Introduction to Reach to Recovery Teleconference Call
- Reach to Recovery Certification Training (Face-to-face) (Required Training)
- Reach to Recovery “Buddy” Teleconference Training (Required Training)
- Patient Support Training (Required in the first year of volunteering)
- Participate in continuing education and Re-certification training annually
- Become familiar with other American Cancer Society patient programs to promote to patients and the community
- Participate in other activities that are important to making the program effective, such as attending volunteer meetings, quarterly Reach Coordinator Calls scheduled by the Network, community outreach, program promotion and legislative advocacy
- Abide by the guidelines and policies of the American Cancer Society and the Reach to Recovery program
- Complete all aspects of communication with Reach visitors and staff in regards to referrals and record keeping, including letting staff know the volunteer assigned to patients
- Be available for assigning referrals within 24 hours, or notify your Network staff and volunteers when you will not be available
- Maintain good relationships with health professionals and other groups in the community
- Participate in program evaluations as they arise
Reach to Recovery Volunteer Training Feedback
Reach Cert
• [I plan] to continue to help those newly diagnosed to relieve their fears, answer questions, and to assist them through this difficult time. (San Diego)
• Had a great time – looking forward to giving my time to help ACS. (Orange County)
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