Procedure for Pairing Caring Listeners with Care Receivers

Procedure for Pairing Caring Listeners with Care Receivers

When the minister for community care receives a request for one-on-one peer support from a Caring Listener, these are the steps to follow:

1. INFORMING: Minister for Community Care sends potential care receiver this information via email:

Caring Listeners are trained, supervised volunteers at Foothills who provide emotional and spiritual support through listening and non-judgemental conversation. They are peers, not professional caregivers; their role is different from a counselor, therapist, or minister.  

Caring Listener meetings typically last for one hour, perhaps weekly or every other week, in a setting that you've agreed on together.  The purpose of the caring visits is to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of the care receiver. The focus of the conversation is on the care receiver and his/her/their thoughts, feelings, and needs.

To get started, I would reach out to someone on our Caring Listener team to find someone who might be a good fit.  You'd meet once in a mutually-agreed-upon place for a conversation.  If you'd both like to continue, you'd make a plan for a schedule to meet regularly.  After 6 sessions, you'd have a check-in conversation to discuss how it’s going and if you want to continue.

When the relationship draws to a close, there will be a concluding conversation, which offers an opportunity to reflect on your time together and what was helpful.

If this is something you'd like to move forward with, are there any qualities or identities in a Caring Listener who would feel most comfortable to you?  Or anything that would be a dealbreaker?

2. POSSIBLE CONVERSATION WITH MINISTER: If they would like to move forward, the minister MAY choose to meet with the potential care receiver.  If it is unclear whether the potential care receiver would be a good match for peer support, the minister of community care will meet with them — ideally in person, but zoom or, as a last resort, phone, could also work.  

In this conversation, the minister is trying to ascertain whether one-on-one peer support is a good fit for this individual.  They will look for the following:

• Does the depth of the support needed by the person match the skill set of the Caring Listener?  Minister will refer to professional support if needed and not currently being received — or will offer pastoral support themselves if appropriate.
• Is the care seeker actually ok with peer support, or are they really looking for a friendship?
• Does the care seeker seem able and willing to abide by the Foothills Covenant of Right Relations?

3. MATCH CARE RECEIVER WITH CARING LISTENER: Minister of Community Care matches the care receiver with a Caring Listener.  The Caring Listener will reach out to the Care Receiver to schedule an hour-long conversation at a time and place that works for both.

Depending on the situation, this first meeting could take place in a public place (e.g. coffeeshop or library), in the care reciever’s home, or at Foothills.  To reserve a room at Foothills, please use the Staff Use Room Reservation form  and select “Caring Listener volunteer."

4. CHECK IN AT END OF FIRST CONVERSATION: At the end of the initial conversation, the Caring Listener will ask if they’d like to meet again, or will follow up with this question if it’s unclear in the moment.

5. SIGN AGREEMENT TO RECEIVE CARE: If there is a second visit, the Caring Listener will go over the Agreement to Receive Care and they’ll both sign it.  The signed copy will stay with the Caring Listener. 

6. CHECK IN AFTER 6 VISITS: Per the Agreement to Receive Care, the Caring Listener and care receiver will check in after 6 visits to evaluate how it’s going and whether they’d like to continue.  If they continue, they’ll continue to check in periodically.