The Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California is excited to offer a new peer-to-peer support program and we need Parent/Caregiver Mentors!
The “Peer2Peer” program provides 1:1 support to individuals living with epilepsy and their caregivers. A Mentor can make the world of difference as living proof that life does not end with epilepsy.
Each Partner-Mentor match is created using a detailed survey to identify appropriate pairs (e.g. similar age, seizure type, age of diagnosis, treatment type, etc.).
Mentors are volunteers trained in the following areas: HIPPA compliance, identifying and reporting suicidal ideation, CPS/APS reporting, setting boundaries, self care, role modeling, information sharing, linking to community resources and active listening. Each Mentor has agreed to dedicate one hour per week for one month to each Partner with the option of extending contact to 3-6 months.
Contact us at efnca@epilepsynorcal.org to learn more about participating in this program!
Testimonies:
“I feel like my Partner and I are creating a strong friendship connection, that I believe is also giving her a lot more confidence and strength to just be herself. She and I have both realized lots of things that we have in common and lots that we don’t, but that we still enjoy about each other. This experience was so wonderful and amazing I am so happy I got to do it. Doing this is also very healthy for me in the sense that I think about epilepsy more and I don’t always look at it as a negative impact on my life.” –MK, 18, Mentor