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Member, Grief and Bereavement Project Team, BC Centre for Palliative Care

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Commitment: Long-term

Connection method: Virtual

Open to Provincial Region

Last updated

Volunteer Opportunity
The BC Centre for Palliative Care is commencing a provincial project to identify and promote evidence based supports for people experiencing grief and bereavement. They are looking to recruit patient partners who can provide their own experiences and perspectives to make sure that future supports are the most meaningful to those that need them.

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Lead Organization/Department
BC Centre for Palliative Care

Aim
The aim of this project is to gather information about evidence-based/proven supports for grief and bereavement, and to promote the uptake of these supports among British Columbians.
We are seeking patient partners who have experienced grief/bereavement so they can bring valuable first-hand experience to the project, making it more successful and relevant to British Columbia. The patient partner(s) will be a member of our planning team and provide feedback and suggestions on the planning and implementation phases of this project.

Level of Engagement
This opportunity is at the level of collaborate on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will work together with you to formulate solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

Eligibility
Open to patient partners across the province who:
Have experienced the death of a loved one (family member or friend)
Having accessed grief/bereavement support is an asset, but not required
Are comfortable sharing their story in a group setting
Are comfortable attending meetings via Microsoft Teams / Zoom
Are comfortable communicating by email
Are comfortable reading documents and providing feedback

If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and Volunteer Agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact Cassy Mitchell.

Logistics
• Number of vacancies: 2
Date and Time: In general, likely monthly meetings, scheduled based on patient partner availability/convenience. For the first month of the project these meetings will be more frequent to meet an early June deadline. Some preparation work ahead of the meetings and providing feedback on resources will also be required.
Location: Online meetings
Commitment: Seven months to a year

Reimbursement
No out of pocket expenses are anticipated for this engagement opportunity. However, if you meet the eligibility criteria, but have concerns about your ability to participate, please contact Cassy Mitchell at cmitchell@bcpsqc.ca

Background
We recognise that the traditional supports for grief and bereavement have been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and new approaches have been developed. Therefore, we wish to identify and promote evidence-based supports that may help British Columbians with grief/bereavement in the future (including after the pandemic).

The project team (comprised of researchers and health-care providers) will conduct a current-state analysis consisting of a survey, literature review and interviews with providers of grief supports and people who have experienced grief. Informed by the current-state analysis, we will organise a round-table event to bring together applicable stakeholders to explore our findings (identified through current-state analysis), and develop plans for approaches to make supports accessible to more British Columbians.

We realise there may be potential for harm to patient partners when discussing grief/bereavement and their experiences. To reduce this risk, we emphasise that patient partners are under no obligation to share their personal experiences if they do not wish to. Should any patient partner experience discomfort, distress or other issues, we will ensure they are connected with appropriate supports.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Cassy Mitchell
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Provincial
250.279.o717
cmitchell@bcpsqc.ca

From Our Community

Ovey Yeung

Patient Partner, Vancouver

Ovey Yeung

Being involved in the Patient Voices Network has broadened my understanding of the system and helped me empathize with health care challenges and limitations. What matters to me is to walk away feeling that my experience matters, that I matter!