Peer Mentoring Program

Overview

The Mass General Cancer Center Peer Mentoring Program is a one-to-one support program. It offers patients and family members (mentees) the opportunity to speak by telephone with an experienced patient – a person who has received cancer care at the Mass General (a mentor). Many people report benefits from speaking with experienced patients and caregivers who know the cancer journey firsthand. They can share how they made decisions, coped, and developed resilience.

Learning you have a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Going through testing, waiting for your treatment plan to be finalized, starting treatment, and transitioning to life after treatment can challenge our ability to cope. We encourage you to use your Cancer Center treatment team, including our oncology social workers, for primary support.

Who can take part?

You can request to speak with a Peer Mentor at any time during treatment. Information such as cancer type, treatments, life stage and circumstances, and your primary concern are taken into consideration.

Sign up to be a patient peer mentee

Sign up to be a caregiver peer mentee

About our volunteer mentors

Our mentors offer the unique support and understanding of someone who is experienced in the cancer journey. They are referred by a member of their treatment team and trained and supervised by a member of our oncology social work team.

Peer Mentor Logistics

We are seeking volunteers! Peer Mentors must be at least one year out from their initial diagnosis.

Peer mentors will:

• need to go through the hospital’s volunteer procedures, to complete compliance paperwork, and to attend an online training. More information will be provided.
• have ongoing supervision with a member of the Peer Mentor team.
• need to commit to at least one year in the role.

Sign up to be a patient peer mentor

Sign up to be a caregiver peer mentor

 

Meet the Team

Nova Hodge, LICSW
Peer Mentoring Program Coordinator

 

 

Jennifer D’Alotto, LICSW
BMT Survivorship Program

 

 

Caroline Coyle, BA
Clinical Research Associate