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Patient Family-Centered Care Volunteer Opportunities

Patient families are often interested in volunteering so that they can give back to the St. Jude community. We have many places throughout St. Jude in which our patient families can support, serve, and help others.

Volunteers talking at event

As a patient family-centered care (PFCC) volunteer, you may help in many ways. How you can help depends on your unique experiences at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It also depends on the amount of time you can offer. Whether you can offer an afternoon or can commit to a monthly meeting, we have a way for you to join our efforts.

Caregiver support volunteer opportunities

Caregiver Connections

Coping with a child’s diagnosis, illness, and treatment can be challenging. Our social workers and PFCC advisers offer a way for you to connect with others who face similar issues. Caregiver Connections in Family Commons can help you find and share hope, meaning, comfort, and support. Small groups help you meet people, make friends, and learn new ways to cope.

These groups for adult caregivers provide: 

  • A place to meet and connect with other St. Jude families 
  • Tips and information for navigating illness and treatment 
  • Methods to manage stress, fear, and fatigue 
  • A chance to learn from other people’s stories and share your own 
  • Support from licensed social workers and parent mentors 
  • A friendly circle of comfort, community, and care 

Hematology Caregiver Connections 

Caring for a child with a blood disorder can be stressful and lonely. This online group can help you connect with others who understand what you are going through.  

This group for adult caregivers provides: 

  • A supportive community of caregivers like you
  • A chance to share your story or just listen 
  • Helpful topics for all types of blood disorders
  • A time to find hope and connection at any stage of the journey
  • Sessions held once or twice a month

Hematology Caregiver Connections is led by a hematology social worker and a caregiver adviser. It is open to adult caregivers of hematology patients. To join, you must be in Tennessee, Mississippi, or Arkansas at the time of the meeting.

To learn more, email CaregiverSupport@stjude.org.

Register on the Our St. Jude app Patient Events Calendar.

Caregiver to Caregiver Events

Connecting with other caregivers helps build a meaningful network of support. During Caregiver-to-Caregiver Events, families can connect with one another and PFCC advisers while participating in a shared craft activity. These events create space for families to meet others, form meaningful connections, and take a break from the clinical environment. By creating a project together, families can enjoy a moment of creativity while strengthening bonds.

Look for Caregiver to Caregiver Events on the Our St. Jude app.

Mentor Program

 The Mentor Program matches family caregivers of past patients with new families. The program also matches newly bereaved caregivers with mentors who have experienced the death of a child.

Mentors provide support, encouragement, and insight to help families throughout their treatment journey. Mentors draw on their own experiences to provide a connection to those adjusting to a new way of life in the hospital or at home.

Quality of Life mentors

Quality of Life (QoL) mentors are family caregivers who lost a child at least 2 years before becoming a mentor. They help guide caregivers of patients facing end of life. They also help caregivers of children who have died. Mentors are matched with mentees for at least 15 months.

Active Treatment Mentors

Active Treatment Mentors are family caregivers of a patient who is at least 1 year off treatment. Mentors serve as a guide for families who are new to St. Jude, are experiencing a new phase of their treatment journey or transitioning home from St. Jude. Active Treatment Mentors are matched with mentees for at least 12 weeks. Mentors have a diverse range of experiences and can support caregivers through specific experiences such as: 

  1. Transplants
  2. Caregivers of patients in the Hematology Clinic with a blood disease or condition
  3. Range of brain tumors, solid tumors and blood cancers
  4. Patients with special needs
  5. Mentors who speak various languages: Spanish, Russian, Serbian, Hindi, Mandarin, etc.

Caregiver-to-staff volunteer opportunities

Patient Family Advisory Council

The Patient Family Advisory Council (PFAC) is the oversight board of the St. Jude PFCC Program. The PFAC consists of patients and family caregivers, known as advisers, and staff members. They meet many times throughout the year to guide PFCC programming and related adviser roles.

The PFAC works from a strategic plan created by the advisers. It supports the St. Jude strategic plan. The PFAC reviews the projects, goals, and outcomes of its steering councils and other working groups. They make sure that patient families play a role in improving clinical care, education, information sharing, and transition of care, as well as advancing PFCC culture and facilities planning.

Ethan & Kamala

"Kamala first joined the PFCC program as a caregiver mentor. In this role, she talked with other caregivers about their experiences at St. Jude. She shared her story with others and listened as they told her their stories. She often told families, 'I don’t understand, but I understand.'"

- Read her story

Hospital committees and steering councils 

Serving on a St. Jude hospital committee or steering council gives PFCC advisers the chance to work alongside St. Jude staff. Together, they can share the caregiver perspective. Adviser members are placed in this role based on the committee or steering council’s varied requirements and the adviser’s related experience.

Each steering council has a staff and caregiver co-leadership structure. These leaders also serve on the Patient Family Advisory Council to ensure two-way communication.

The length of time an adviser would spend in this role depends on the committee’s membership guidelines. Examples of committees and steering councils include:

Becoming a hospital committee and steering council volunteer

Potential committee volunteers must complete the PFCC application and onboarding process. The staff will provide further training based on your specific role with PFCC. Training may be onsite or virtual. Some committees will require you to be onsite to take part. Others may have options to join over the phone or online.

St. Jude Voice, our virtual adviser community

St. Jude family caregivers and patients can join St. Jude Voice, our virtual adviser community, if they are 18 or older. Virtual communities allow patients and caregivers to give feedback about their experiences.

Members receive a few short surveys every month. Feedback is shared directly with staff members as they work to improve the hospital. You can take part in these surveys anytime, anywhere, from any device with internet access.

Taking part in St. Jude Voice is a great way to give back to St. Jude because your voice is important to us. Learn more about St. Jude Voice.

Learn more

To learn more about any of the PFCC volunteer opportunities, email pfcc@stjude.org or call 901-595-3327.