Support Advocacy

The Support Advocate provides meaningful emotional support to those affected by a significant health challenge. Often, the Support Advocate also provides guidance to a full spectrum of helpful resources for patients, such as non-medical referrals to organizations that can assist with everything from seeking financial aid, finding support groups in the area, and scheduling rides to treatment, to locating where to get free health screenings, such as mammograms. As an example, the Cancer Support Advocate is trained in helping cancer patients, as well as their caregivers and family members, learn to cope with the news of a new diagnosis or a recurrence,  or an advancing of the disease into late stage, even end of life journeys, and a myriad of related issues that accompany every stage of cancer.

Tasks performed by the Support Advocate may include:

• Providing emotional support to those living with a distressing health challenge, by phone, email, and/or in person
• Listening attentively and sharing stories pertaining to a common topic about the illness
• Validating concerns
• Providing support to the loved ones or caregivers of a person with a serious illness
• Peer counseling: providing insights and testimonials about what a particular aspect of a health challenge entails, based on personal experience
• Providing non-medical referrals to a broad variety of helpful resources and organizations
• Facilitating support groups
• In-person visits to hospitals, homes, and hospice facilities