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Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Volunteer Handbook At the Heart of Vaisnavas C.A.R.E.—Our Volunteers
aisnavas C.A.R.E., Inc. (Counseling, Assistance, Resource, and Education for Terminally ill Patients and Their Families), a non-profit organization started in 2001, is a network of volunteer devotees of Lord Krishna, providing emotional and spiritual support to terminally ill patients and their loved ones. Vaisnavas C.A.R.E., Inc. offers comfort to those in need through education, website support and volunteer assistance. It is important to note that Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. is not a hospice agency. We encourage anyone diagnosed with a terminal illness to seek the advice, medical assistance, and any other services available from a local licensed hospice. Our goal is to have Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. volunteers in “every town and village” so members of our Krsna consciousness movement and their loved ones worldwide can receive emotional and spiritual support when diagnosed with a terminal illness. Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Inc. also provides:
Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Volunteer Information and Opportunities Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. volunteers are committed to delivering compassionate supportive assistance to patients and families who are receiving medical care and/or professional hospice services. Our volunteers contribute by offering additional caring and devotional support. Types of Volunteers: Companionship Volunteer: Patient care volunteers provide companionship to the terminally-ill patient and short-term respite for the primary caregiver. Volunteers can help by making friendly visits, reading to the patients, or writing letters. However, the most important gifts the volunteer bestows are just being there to listen, sharing quiet moments of contemplation, or offering a gentle hand to hold. Many of our volunteers who have professional licenses, for example, Registered Nurses, find great satisfaction in volunteering as V-CARE Companionship Volunteers. Companionship Volunteers are required to complete our ten lesson free online course. (See details under What you need to know about being a volunteer.) Common functions of a Companionship Volunteer may include the following: § Patient visits § Providing companionship for family members or primary caregiver § Providing short-term respite for family members or primary caregiver § Preparing meals for patients and family members § Providing non-judgmental and empathetic listening and a caring presence § Providing emotional and spiritual support through conversation and prayer § Reading aloud transcendental books to patients and family members § Chanting japa/bhajans with, and for, terminally ill patients § Participating in life review activities such as journaling, audio/video taping, etc. § Communications with dying devotees in various parts of the world via emails, cards, letters, and phone calls. § Knitting, crocheting and sewing lap blankets, shawls and booties to keep terminally ill devotees comfortable and warm. § Offering support to patients and family members at the time of death § Providing support during the grieving process for family members and friends. This is especially helpful for those who lack a solid support network. o Continued assistance for grief and bereavement for 13 months after a loved one passes away is an integral part of the services offered by Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. volunteers. CARE Team Volunteer: CARE Team Volunteers provide physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support to temple devotees and congregational members within their own communities who are experiencing an acute (short-term) illness, a long-term chronic disease, or a terminal illness requiring hospice care. These care teams provide all of the functions listed below as well as the common functions of a "Companionship Volunteer" listed above. Care Team Volunteers are required to complete our ten lesson free online course. (See details under What you need to know about being a volunteer.) Functions of our CARE Team Volunteers include:
Prayer Partner Volunteer: Our Prayer Partners agree to the following: § Check Prayer Request Page at: http://vaisnavascare.com/prayer_request_page.htm a minimum of once per week to view new prayer requests posted online § Write and submit prayers in response to requests Volunteer Website Contributors: Services rendered by our Website Contributors include: § Writing articles or paragraphs which share personal experiences and realizations pertaining to one’s loss for our Final Journeys page at: http://vaisnavascare.com/new beginnings.htm § Writing articles and healthy lifestyle tips for our Health and Well-Being page at: http://vaisnavascare.com/medical_services_link.htm Volunteer Fundraisers: Services for approved Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. fundraisers include: § Directing potential donors to our donation page at: http://vaisnavascare.com/donations_page.htm and/or giving potential donors a copy of our authorized Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Donation Form to be directly mailed by the donor to Vaisnavas C.A.R.E., Inc. § Posting Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. flyers and brochures at temples/communities to raise awareness of our services Complementary Therapy Volunteers: In addition to providing two reference letters, all Complementary Therapy Volunteers must provide Vaisnavas C.A.R.E., Inc. with a copy of licensure/certification in their specialized field of practice. Services for approved Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Complementary Therapists include: § Massage therapy § Reiki § Reflexology § Art Therapy Volunteer Translator: Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. needs volunteers who can translate pages from our website from English into various other languages.
What You Need to Know About Being a Volunteer Volunteers must be sensitive, caring and mature people. Suggested training for all Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. volunteers includes a ten-lesson, online basic course. If applying for the position of Companionship Volunteer as well as Care Team Volunteer it is mandatory for you to complete the free, online basic hospice training course within 60 days of approval of your application. In addition, Companionship Volunteers and Care Team Volunteers are required to read The Final Journey-Complete Hospice Care for Departing Vaisnavas (Torchlight Publishing). This can be ordered by going to http://vaisnavascare.com/the_final_journey_book.htm or by purchasing from the publisher at www.torchlight.com for $12.95. Complimentary copies of The Final Journey are available for those with financial hardship, upon approval. To receive a complimentary copy, go to http://www.vaisnavascare.com/scholarship.htm, fill out the financial aid form and you will be contacted with our decision. No Companionship Volunteer services for Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. can be performed prior to completion of the required course. Other types of volunteers are also welcome to complete the course and order the book, if desired. Objectives for the Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. online basic course are: § To explore the volunteer’s own attitudes about death, loss and terminal illness § To identify feelings and behavior associated with the dying and grieving processes § To understand basic hospice concepts including the use of a Living Will/Advance Directives § To develop skills in communication (e.g., listening, supporting) § To develop an understanding of when it is necessary/appropriate to alert members of the hospice agency employed by the patient/family § To identify “spiritual pain” and ways to assist patients/families § To develop skills in bereavement support and follow-up A great deal of personal work is involved in this training, including understanding one’s limits and acknowledging one’s own beliefs about death and dying. Certificate of Completion will be
e-mailed to you upon completion of all 10 lessons as well as an
Identification Card which you carry with you whenever you are
volunteering as a Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. representative. This course is
a non-credit course. It is not graded nor is it pass/fail.
We just ask that you try your best to answer the questions. Volunteer Program Policies and Procedures
The importance of volunteers in Vaisnavas C.A.R.E., Inc. cannot be overstated. Without volunteers we could not provide the scope of services needed to enhance the quality of the lives of terminally ill patients and their families.
It is the goal of the volunteer program to enhance the quality of care delivered to the patient and family through support and assistance in appropriate ways. The volunteer categories as listed above and their descriptions are the only form of volunteer work Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Inc. authorizes. Any volunteers, including those with professional medical licenses, agree that any services or acts they may perform which do not fall in the volunteer categories expressly listed herein are beyond the scope of their volunteer employment and are done without the knowledge, authority or approval of Vaisnavas C.A.R.E.
Service as a volunteer at Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. is employment “at will,” which means Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. is the sole arbiter of who can serve as a Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. volunteer and does not have to provide any reason for its decisions in that regard. Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. reserves the right to temporarily or permanently deny entry to the volunteer program, or to dismiss anyone from the volunteer program at any time, with or without cause, at Vaisnavas C.A.R.E.’s sole discretion. The “at will” status of a volunteer cannot be changed except by a written contract signed by all the members of the Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. board of directors. These policies have been established to assure the placement of competent volunteers within Vaisnavas C.A.R.E., Inc. and to provide proper controls of those volunteers working directly with patients.
All applicants must submit an application, complete with personal references to be verified by the Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Board of Directors. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Vainavas C.A.R.E., in its sole discretion, may approve or deny an applicant for further training and service.
Possible reasons for denial may include, but are not limited to, the following:
§ A significant loss or bereavement within one year § Experience of a period of physical or emotional stress § Personal and/or spiritual goals that are not compatible with the goals and philosophy of Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. § Lack of professionalism § Lack of experience, training and/or licensing required for the position applied for § Past conviction of any felony or crime of moral turpitude § Alcoholism or other substance abuse issues § Falsification of any application materials
The above list is not exhaustive and in no way alters the fact that service in Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. is “at will,” at the complete discretion of Vaisnavas C.A.R.E., which has no duty to explain its reasons for dismissing or refusing to accept anyone as a volunteer.
Code of Ethics for Volunteers
As a volunteer, I realize that I am subject to a code of ethics similar to that which binds a professional in the field in which I volunteer. I, like them, assume certain responsibilities and expect to account for what I do in terms of what is expected of me.
I understand that any information that is disclosed to me while assisting Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. is CONFIDENTIAL and must remain so. Discussion of patients’ cases or mentioning of patients’ names except to other members of the patient care team is strictly prohibited. Any discussions regarding patients must be held in private settings where others cannot overhear, never in public places, and only with authorized caregivers. I understand that I should never disclose details of a patient’s departure, verbally or in writing (i.e., the internet), unless approved by the Vaisnavas C.A.R.E Board of Directors. When in doubt about confidentiality issues, a volunteer is required to consult with the Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Board of Directors for clarification or assistance.
I interpret “volunteer” to mean that I have agreed to work without compensation. Having been accepted as a volunteer worker, I expect to do my service according to the standards set forth in this Volunteer Policy and Procedures Handbook.
I understand that copies of my professional licenses, certifications, or other qualifications applicable to my performance of volunteer responsibilities must be provided to Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. for its records.
I understand that as a volunteer, I am a “guest” in someone’s home and must conduct myself as such. No money or other items will be accepted from the patients/families I assist in exchange for any services rendered as a Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. volunteer.
If you have volunteered as a Companionship Volunteer, Care Team Volunteer, Fundraiser Volunteer, and/or Complementary Therapy Volunteer kindly go to the next page, and electronically sign and submit the code of ethics.
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