Facing cancer, with someone who's been there
Cancer survivors trained as Peer Navigators are paired with those recently diagnosed with cancer to help patients and their loved ones navigate the path through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Kentucky has among the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates. Cost-free, easy to access peer support reduces isolation and fosters hope during a time of overwhelming fears and uncertainties.
A propos de vous
Section 1: You
Prénom
Judy Kasey
Nom
Houlette
Adresse électronique
Website URL
Organization
Pays
États Unis, KY, Jefferson County
Section 2: Your Organization
Nom
Friend for Life Cancer Support Network
Site Web
Téléphone
502-893-0643
Adresse
4007 Kresge Way
Votre organisation est-elle une
organisation à but non lucratif
Pays
États Unis, KY, Jefferson County
Your idea
Name Your Project
Facing cancer, with someone who's been there
Country and state your work focuses on
États Unis, KY, Jefferson County
Describe Your Idea
Cancer survivors trained as Peer Navigators are paired with those recently diagnosed with cancer to help patients and their loved ones navigate the path through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Kentucky has among the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates. Cost-free, easy to access peer support reduces isolation and fosters hope during a time of overwhelming fears and uncertainties.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
Though a few peer-matched, one-on-one support networks for all forms of cancer exist nationally, there are none in Kentucky or Southern Indiana. For the person receiving a diagnosis of cancer, being able to talk with someone who has been through a similar experience offers an immediate sense of kinship and comfort unique to someone who's "been there." A Friend for Life Peer Navigator receives training that emphasizes his/her role as an empathic sounding board who encourages and helps the person they support work through fears and uncertainties. This process helps restore a sense of stability and control during a time of high anxiety and great uncertainties. Though the mission of providing peer matched support remains unchanged after 22 years, social networking tools have transformed Friend for Life's outreach. These tools have increased the organization’s ability to share information, offer support to those recently diagnosed with cancer, and recruit additional cancer survivors and caregivers to become Peer Navigators. Advances in technology in the form of e-mail, cell phones with unlimited long-distance plans, and Skype facilitate our ability to connect those recently diagnosed with a trained Peer Navigator. Support is available when the patient or family member needs it most, even on weekends, even at 3 a.m.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Non
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
To date, Friend for Life has responded to over 5,000 inquiries. Though the mission of the organization is to provide peer support to persons recently diagnosed with cancer, we also connect callers with community, regional and national cancer resources in order to ease their path. Through networking with other organizations on a local, state, regional, national and even international basis, requests for our support has expanded significantly over recent years. Social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter have increased awareness not only of the support we provide, but of the growing community of cancer survivors. All hospitals and cancer treatment centers in the Metro Louisville area provide information and referrals to Friend for Life.
In addition, Friend for Life volunteers have participated in the training of first-year students at the University of Louisville School of Medicine annually since 2006, in order to expose the students early in their training to the patient perspective. A similar program was initiated last year at the Galen College of Nursing in Louisville and a third program will begin this coming year at the newly established ITT School of Nursing in Louisville. Feedback from students, faculty and volunteers is overwhelmingly positive, with comments from the students and volunteers that this experience is one of the highlights of their year.
Problem
Despite improvements in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment, Kentucky residents have among the highest rates of incidence and mortality for many cancers. Local and regional residents come to Louisville for their care because of the high quality of cancer care offered here. Yet many, particularly those from underserved populations (including ethnic and racial minorities, those with low health literacy, and rural residents) are often intimidated by or lack trust in healthcare professionals. These concerns combined with the demands on medical professionals can hamper communication between patients, caregivers and the medical team. Even for those with many supportive resources at their disposal can feel isolated and overwhelmed. Family and friends who may normally be vital sources of support, are also greatly impacted by the cancer diagnosis of a loved one and are often in need of support themselves. Support groups can be helpful, but may not be accessible to patients and caregivers. Group meetings require transportation, may not be at a convenient time or location, and may not address the particular cancer a person is confronting.
Actions
Being able to talk with a Peer Navigator who has been through a cancer experience can help reduce barriers to comprehensive cancer care, particularly for those who may be intimidated by or have mistrust of medical professionals. A key message of our volunteer training program is that our Peer Navigators never provide medical advice, but rather encourage clear communication between patients, caregivers and the medical team. In addition our Peer Navigators are equipped with information about other community, regional and national resources in order to further ease connections between patients, their loved ones and these resources. Friend for Life strives to inform residents throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana of our services; to that end we will contact healthcare providers, community organizations and faith-based organizations to expand our outreach in particular to underserved (low- to middle-income and rural) populations.
Results
Anticipated results would include reduced anxieties on the part of patients and caregivers, improved communication with the medical team, and facilitated connections with additional community, regional and national resources. We would also anticipate continued increases in inquiries, peer matches, trained volunteers and scope of outreach, particularly for underserved populations.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
Year one: Increased staff hours, computer support, print materials and beginning development of interactive web-based training modules for training non-local Peer Navigators. Increased staff hours (from 60 hours/week to 100) would enable Friend for Life to identify and contact sites throughout the state of Kentucky and Southern Indiana, enter them into our database and respond to an expected increase in inquiries. The organization has one desktop computer; staff use personal laptops to supplement. An additional networked computer would improve efficiency. The development of web-based, interactive training modules would enable Friend for Life to provide enhanced training for non-local Peer Navigators.
Year two: Funding to support increased travel and communication costs. Personal visits by staff and/or Peer Navigators would be made to sites across the state. Communication costs (telephone especially) are expected to increase with increased outreach, both for provision of support and recruiting of new Peer Navigators. Web-based training modules would be piloted and evaluated.
Year three: Results of the past two years' efforts would be evaluated, with adjustments in staffing, computer and communication costs adjusted accordingly. The web-based training modules would "go live" and continue to be evaluated and adjusted for improvement.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
Given the sustained success of the organization, it is not likely that the project would not have at least some progress. If sufficient funding is not available, expanse of outreach throughout the state of Kentucky and in Southern Indiana would be limited, and the development of web-based training would be delayed.
How many people will your project serve annually?
101‐1000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
$100 ‐ 1000
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Non
Viabilité
A quel étape votre projet en est-il ?
En place depuis plus de 5 ans
In what country?
États Unis, KY, Jefferson County
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Oui
If yes, provide organization name.
Friend for Life Cancer Support Network
How long has this organization been operating?
Plus 5 années
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Oui
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Non
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Non
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
Non
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
Approximately 150 words left (1200 characters).
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
1) To continue to recruit and train cancer survivors and caregivers: The aging of the Baby Boomer generation combined with advances in diagnosis and treatment for many cancers is expected to result in greater numbers of cancer survivors and persons living *with* cancer. Friend for Life must continually recruit survivors and caregivers to ensure that our trained volunteers can relate to the information and treatment choices faced by patients and caregivers who contact us for peer support.
2) Web-based, interactive training modules for non-local incoming volunteers: Friend for Life is experiencing increasing requests to volunteer with the organization from individuals who live in other states and even other countries. Currently, we are able to provide training materials only in print form. The development of web-based interactive training modules would greatly improve the quality of training for these volunteers and ensure that they are truly engaging with the mission and expectations of the organization, and that staff have a better understanding of each individual recruit's experience.
3) Increased staffing: Central to the success of any growth is the need for expanded staff. Currently, the organization operates with two part-time paid staff. Given what the organization has accomplished so far, potential outreach could expand exponentially, even with the addition of two more staff.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
My own cancer diagnosis, received during the pursuit of a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology and Gerontology strongly influenced the focus of my studies. At the same time, I experienced the immediate sense of kinship and understanding in talking with a cancer survivor that cannot be replicated through talking with a professional therapist. This experience motivated me to volunteer with Friend for Life Cancer Support Network and then to become Executive Director. Friend for Life was established by two gentlemen who were remarkable innovators. I hope to have brought some innovation to the organization in the form of networking with community and national organizations, expanding our online presence, and expanding our outreach, particularly to underserved populations.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
There are many social innovators behind Friend for Life, but the central figures are Phil Bramblette, Chuck Sandmann,and Judy Hubbs Sisk. Phil and Chuck had both recently completed treatment for different cancers and shared a passion for bringing together a network of peer support for persons recently diagnosed with cancer. They were introduced by their oncology nurse, Judy Hubbs Sisk. Chuck and Phil brought together community healthcare practitioners and others in an advisory capacity, then consulted with Anne Shaw Turnage who created CanCare, a one-on-one cancer support network originally based in South Carolina now located in Houston, Texas. Friend for Life was incorporated in 1988 and has gone from a dozen trained volunteers to over 200. Our most recent social innovator is our Assistant Director Nicole Guffey Wiseman, who learned and honed social networking skills to expand the scope of the organization's outreach dramatically and at minimal cost.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Email from Changemakers
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
50 words or fewer