mFICare Parent Mentor Program

The Parent Mentor Program is a part of the mFICare program, which aims to train and support parents of babies in the ICN to be the primary caregiver and partner in the care team. The mFICare Study has launched at Benioff Children’s Hospital, San Francisco (BCH-SF) and is currently enrolling parents of babies born at or before 33 weeks gestation.

A Parent Mentor is someone who has been through the NICU experience and feels ready to offer support to parents currently going through the NICU journey. Parent

Mentors receive training to provide peer-to-peer support for parents who currently have infants in the NICU to increase confidence, parent readiness, bonding, adaptive coping, empowerment, and lessen stress and anxiety during a child’s NICU stay.

Parent mentor support is a special kind of therapeutic relationship. It is not professional counseling. Because Parent Mentor’s use their similar experiences to support a parent during their journey through NICU experience, offering understanding and encouragement. In this way, they offer companionship.

When a parent in the ICN requests a Parent Mentor, they are matched with one of our active Parent Mentors.  We reach out to an individual mentor to determine current availability and share background information about the parent seeking mentorship. Once the match is complete, the Parent Mentor reaches out directly to the NICU parent and they choose how they will communicate with each other and develop their own unique relationship. Parent Mentors will track communication and visits with parents they mentor.

mFICare staff is here to support the Parent Mentor in their role, and are always available to answer questions and provide support. Additionally, emotional support will be provided by mental health clinicians to all parent mentors throughout the process, helping to address any potential difficulties that may arise while mentoring.

To be a mentor, you must be at least one year removed from your NICU experience. We are looking for parents that have had a wide range of experiences in the NICU and come from diverse backgrounds. Mentors should have good communication skills and enjoy building relationships with other parents. You must be willing to understand that parents also have a wide range of experiences and emotional responses during their NICU journey, and be a good listener to meet parents where they are. A great Parent Mentor is someone who has a strong commitment to helping parents going through a similar experience.

Parent Mentors commit to:

• Attend an 8-hour orientation and training session.
• Communicate with their mentee regularly either in person, video chat, phone, or email.
• Attend periodic check-in and training sessions with Parent Mentor advisors.
• Document all contact made and visits with parents.

To apply – simply fill out this form and email it to Riya Jacob ([email protected]). Once an application is submitted it is reviewed by mFICare staff to see if the parent mentor program is a good fit and that you meet the eligibility requirements. Those that do will have a phone interview so you can learn more about the program and we can learn more about you! Final decisions for acceptance into the Parent Mentor program are based on the current needs of the program. All applicants will receive notification of final decisions.

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, however Parent Mentors are accepted to a specific cohort and will go through the training and onboarding process together. To be part of the next cohort of Parent Mentors, applications must be received by March 31st, 2020.

All Parent Mentors must attend a training orientation session prior to being matched. The training session will cover basic program guidelines, safety issues (including mandatory reporting), confidentiality, communication and relationship building skills. It’s also a time to meet other Parent Mentors and mFICare staff!!!

The mandatory orientation and training session is tentatively scheduled for May, 2020

Parent Mentors participate in ongoing training and support meetings throughout the year.

Parent Mentors* are required to become an official BCH-SF Hospital Volunteers. UCSF Volunteer Services oversees this process.

The Volunteer Services process includes:

1. Onboarding: Complete the volunteer onboarding process by the specified dates for your onboarding cohort. This includes the completion of the online orientation and attending an interview (in person or remotely).
2. Health Requirements: Volunteers must have the proper immunizations. You may visit your own provider or utilize complimentary services through UCSF Occupational Health Services. HOWEVER, all volunteers must attend a visit with UCSF Occupational Health Services to get your final health clearance appointment.
3. Background Check: Adult volunteers are required to complete a background check

*Note: if you will only provide mentorship remotely, the process to become a volunteer is different.