Prospective Man to Man Volunteers
What is Man to Man?
The Man to Man program helps men cope with prostate cancer by offering community-based education and support for patients and their family members. Volunteers – who are trained prostate cancer survivors – organize self-help and/or support groups where speakers and participants learn about and discuss information about prostate cancer, treatment, side effects, and how to cope with prostate cancer and its treatment. Some Man to Man groups may invite wives and partners to attend meetings. In other locations, wives and partners may meet separately. Your local program may also include other services and activities such as one-on-one visits, community education (speaker's bureau), outreach to high-risk groups (such as African-American men), and outreach and collaboration with health care providers.
Man to Man Volunteers must be prostate cancer survivors at least one year out of active treatment.
Volunteers can help with the Man to Man program by visiting with prostate cancer patients, leading support/self-help groups, coordinating visits and groups, and performing community outreach. 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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Volunteer Position Description:
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Other Helpful Documents:
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Volunteer Visitor Position Description
Man to Man Program
Man to Man® is an American Cancer Society program designed to help men cope with prostate cancer by providing information, education, and support to patients and their family members.Role of the Man to Man Volunteer Visitor
The trained Man to Man® volunteer is the key to the program’s success, offering not just encouragement and information to newly-diagnosed patients, but also the understanding and caring that only a professionally trained cancer resource volunteer can provide.
A Man to Man® visit also serves as a "gateway" to other services offered by the American Cancer Society, such as I Can Cope and Road to Recovery, and provides information to patients about other community resources that can help meet their needs.
Responsibilities
• Attend all required certification and re-certification trainings.
• Understand the purpose of Man to Man®, its essential elements, and program components.
• Be knowledgeable about and understand prostate cancer: what it is, its extent as a health problem, potential risk reduction, early detection and treatment options, risk factors, stages and grades.
• Be aware of all American Cancer Society patient services.
• Fulfill all requests for a visit received from the Volunteer Coordinator or staff partner, to the best of his ability.
• Notify the Volunteer Coordinator or staff partner as soon as possible if an assignment cannot be completed.
• Coordinate/confirm with the patient at least one day prior to the scheduled assignment.
• Meet, call or email patients promptly at the designated time and place.
• Be supportive of patient’s concerns but do not offer medical advice, counseling, or personal opinions.
• Be able to connect patients with available cancer resources, services, or support programs.
• Report all visit information to the Volunteer Coordinator or staff partner in a timely manner.
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
• Cooperate with other volunteers and staff.
• Follow through on all commitments.
Qualifications
Volunteer Visitors should:
• Complete the 2-hour teleconference training, “Man to Man I: Providing Information & Support to Men Newly Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.”
• Be a prostate cancer survivor, at least one year out of active treatment.
• Attend a face-to-face Patient Support Training within his first year of volunteering in a patient service program.
• Maintain certification by participating in a re-certification training such as prostate cancer-related Doc Talks or Prostate Cancer Forums.
• Be emotionally stable, friendly, compassionate, non-judgmental, objective, open-minded, and a good listener.
• Be able to remain calm in a crisis.
• Be able to serve as a positive role model.
• Understand Society guidelines and policies and be willing to adhere to them.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to the cancer patient and tact in conversation and attitude, as well as respect of the patient’s right to confidentiality.
• Demonstrate appreciation of and respect for diverse backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles of patients, caregivers, volunteers and staff.
• Be committed to on-going learning and development
Role of the Man to Man Volunteer Group Facilitator
The trained Man to Man® volunteer is the key to the program’s success, offering not just encouragement and information to newly-diagnosed patients, but also the understanding and caring that only a professionally trained cancer resource volunteer can provide.
A Man to Man® group also serves as a "gateway" to other services offered by the American Cancer Society, such as I Can Cope and Road to Recovery, and provides information to patients about other community resources that can help meet their needs.
Responsibilities
• Attend all required certification and re-certification trainings.
• Understand the purpose of Man to Man®, its essential elements, and program components.
• Be knowledgeable about and understand prostate cancer: what it is, its extent as a health problem, potential risk reduction, early detection and treatment options, risk factors, stages and grades.
• Be aware of all American Cancer Society patient services.
• Develop topics, speakers, locations and publicity for meetings
• Prepare room before meeting
• Ensure members sign in
• Establish group norms and guidelines
• Keep meetings on schedule
• Facilitate group discussion
• Provide emotional leadership
• Ensure members complete evaluation forms
• Provide forms to Staff Partner
• Meet patients promptly at the designated time and place.
• Be supportive of patient’s concerns but do not offer medical advice, counseling, or personal opinions.
• Be able to connect patients with available cancer resources, services, or support programs.
• Report all session information to the Volunteer Coordinator or staff partner in a timely manner.
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
• Cooperate with other volunteers and staff.
• Follow through on all commitments.
Qualifications
Volunteer Group Facilitators should:
• Complete the 2-hour teleconference training, “Man to Man I: Providing Information & Support to Men Newly Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.”
• Be a prostate cancer survivor, at least one year out of active treatment.
• Attend a face-to-face Patient Support Training within his first year of volunteering in a patient service program.
• Maintain certification by participating in a re-certification training such as prostate cancer-related Doc Talks or Prostate Cancer Forums.
• Be emotionally stable, friendly, compassionate, non-judgmental, objective, open-minded, and a good listener.
• Be able to remain calm in a crisis.
• Be able to serve as a positive role model.
• Maintain objectivity and not be biased to one treatment option, physician, or treatment facility.
• Demonstrate insight into his/her own feelings about cancer, cancer treatments, and medical and social service systems, and understands how they might affect program participants.
• Have a basic working knowledge of group composition and group dynamics
• Understand Society guidelines and policies and be willing to adhere to them.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to the cancer patient and tact in conversation and attitude, as well as respect of the patient’s right to confidentiality.
• Demonstrate appreciation of and respect for diverse backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles of patients, caregivers, volunteers and staff.
• Be committed to on-going learning and development.
• Commit to at least one year as a group leader.
Man to Man Training Descriptions
Training Descriptions
Man to Man I: Providing Information and Support to Men Newly Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer
Required certification training before a volunteer can begin working with prostate cancer patients/caregivers. Provides an overview/standards/best practices of the Man to Man program
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