Reach to Recovery is built on a simple yet universal principle: a woman who has lived through breast cancer and gives freely of her time to help another woman facing the same experience is a valuable source of support.

The volunteer’s role is to help the patient towards emotional recovery, provide access to up-to-date information and help her understand it.

Emotional support

The volunteer offers women facing breast cancer an opportunity to discuss fears, anxieties, or any issues of concern. As a positive role model of recovery, she can help them to feel optimistic about the future.

Information

The volunteer gives women facing breast cancer basic information about treatment and recovery, provides them with appropriate patient education material, and alerts them to available community or other resources.

Practical support

The volunteer provides recently treated women with breast prostheses, as appropriate, and helps with practical advice about recovery. A volunteer provides this in her own individual way, through her tone of voice, personal appearance, skills as a good listener, sensitivity to the patient’s partner or family, personal dignity, compassion, understanding and respect for privacy. The volunteer can provide support for women who:

• have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer but not yet had surgery
• have undergone surgery
• are considering reconstruction or have undergone reconstruction surgery
• have undergone treatment such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy
• are facing a recurrence of breast cancer or the spread of cancer to another part of their body

What peer support is not

Peer support does not

• interfere with the doctor-patient relationship
• offer professional care
• provide medical advice about managing the patient’s disease
• pretend to be the ultimate authority on all aspects of breast cancer
• limit the woman’s option to seek other sources of breast cancer information or support

Volunteer selection

Volunteers can be recruited through referrals from surgeons, physicians, nurses, and advertising in newspapers, radio or TV.

Selection criteria

A volunteer is a breast cancer survivor who:

• is physically fit
• has adjusted psychologically to treatment
• has completed her treatment more than one year before
• models a return to good health
• is recommended as suitable by her doctor
• is ready to work as part of a team
• is able to articulate effective coping strategies
• is committed to continuing training, education and supervision

Training

All volunteers are trained in basic communication skills. Depending upon experience and interest, they can have additional training related to specifics.

Confidentiality and record-keeping

Volunteers should be aware that all information about the personal affairs of patients and their families and friends that comes to their knowledge is confidential.