Looking for a Few Caring People
You’ve heard the saying it takes a village to raise a child. After creating a program model, vetting it through our focus group, writing and editing, then editing some more and then vetting again through our professional Advisory Council, our “village” is ready to launch our first pilot program – One-to-One Caregiver Support. I had the opportunity to announce the launch of this program on Live on Lakeside this week. Take a look!
Knowing that self-care is the “oxygen mask” for the mental illness caregiver, we believe that this program will reinforce lifesaving skills that provides strength and resilience to the caregiver which will allow them to take even better care of their loved one.
The One-to-One Caregiver Support program connects caregivers with volunteers who have experience caring for someone living with a mental illness. Volunteers will be trained to share insights learned from their experiences and to introduce caregivers to activities and other resources that help promote healthy self-care practices. Volunteers will be matched with caregivers based on individual circumstances, availability and interests.
The role of the One-to-One Volunteer will be to listen, care, share personal experiences and empower other caregivers. As part of the program, Courage to Caregivers will provide special training for the volunteers to:
Empower sound decision-making;
Provide personalized, one-on-one support;
Share appropriate community resources; and
Strengthen caregivers’ ability to take care of themselves both physically and emotionally.
If you’re interested in being a volunteer or participant in the One-to-One Caregiver Support program, you can apply directly on our website. Once you’ve completed your application, we will arrange for a short interview to help us to make the best possible match.
November is National Caregivers Month – and we can’t think of better timing to get our program started!
Thanks for being with us on this journey. Together we can make a difference!
Kristi
Kristi Horner
Founder and Executive Director