Boundaries Presentation

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Volunteer Boundaries
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Volunteer Boundaries
What are boundaries?

• A sense of personal identity and self definition
  that has consistency and cohesion over time.
• This remains constant regardless of emotional ups
  and downs or external pressures.
• The framework within which the staff-patient
  relationship occurs.
• Provides a system of limit setting

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Volunteer Boundaries
Why Talk About Boundaries?

• Reduces risk of patient/family exploitation
• Reduces patient/family anxiety as rules and roles
  are clear
• Increases well-being of the staff/volunteer
• Provides role model for patient/families

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Volunteer Boundaries
Who Negotiates Boundaries?

• Duty of the volunteer to act in the best interest
  of the client
• The volunteer is ultimately responsible for
  managing boundary issues

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Volunteer Boundaries
Why the Volunteer?

• The Volunteer/Staff is the professional!
• Patients/Families may not be aware of the need
  for boundaries or able to defend themselves
  against boundary violations
• There is an inherent power imbalance between
  staff/volunteer and patient/families
  staff/volunteer is perceived as having power and
  control

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Volunteer Boundaries

• Boundaries are an excellent way to care for
  yourself as a hospice volunteer.

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Friendly Volunteering vs. Friendship

• A hospice volunteer relationship is an important
  part of the therapeutic process

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Friendly Volunteering vs. Friendship

• As patients and families face end of life issues
  signs of intimacy may appear.

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Friendly Volunteering vs. Friendship

• Patients and family members often want to talk
  about really personal issues. An untrained ear
  might interpret this as an invitation to
  friendship.

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Areas Where Boundaries Blur
Self disclosure Giving or receiving significant
gifts Dual or overlapping relationships Becoming
friends Physical contact
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Danger Zones!

• Over-identification with clients issues

• Strong attraction to clients personality

• Strong physical attraction to client

• Clients who can potentially reward you with their
  influence

• Transference and counter transference

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Definition
Transference and counter transference manifests
as an romantic attraction towards staff, but can
be seen in many other forms such as rage, hatred,
mistrust, extreme dependence, or even placing the
staff member in a god-like or guru status
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Volunteer Boundaries

• One Important Boundary is Time
• Typical
• Volunteer Visit is
• 2- 4 Hours
• Do Not overextending yourself!

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Volunteer Boundaries

• One Important Boundary is Time
• Unscheduled Visits

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Volunteer Boundaries
Contact Your VSM
Politely let the family know Must check with
your VSM
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Friendly Volunteering vs. Friendship

• Interesting Scenarios

What would you do?
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Friendly Volunteering vs. Friendship

• Family member of patient asks you out on a date.

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Friendly Volunteering vs. Friendship

• Family calls you in the middle of the night
  wanting you to come over

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Friendly Volunteering vs. Friendship

• The family offers you a gift
• before you leave.

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Friendly Volunteering vs. Friendship

• Patient want to go gambling.
• Or sends you for a pack of smokes

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Boundary Crossings and Violations
Is this in the patients best interest? Whose
needs are being served? How would I feel telling
a colleague about this? How would this be viewed
by the patients family or significant
other? Does the patient mean something special
to me? Am I taking advantage of the patient? Does
this action benefit me rather than the patient?
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Dual Relationships
When you have more than one role with a
client Such relationships can blur
boundaries This blurring of boundaries
increases the risk of exploitation as roles can
become confused
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Not All Interactions are Dual Relationships
Running into a patient/families at a social
event Your patients family member is your waiter
at a restaurant How you participate in the
interaction will determine the outcome
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Some Dual Relationships are Unavoidable
You and a patient/family belong to the same
church or the patient lives in your neighborhood
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Dealing with Unavoidable Dual Relationships

• Open and honest discussion with patient/family on
  the nature of your relationships
• Separate functions by locations- work, home, etc.
• Be aware of threats to confidentiality
• Understand your role as volunteer

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Minimizing Risk of Boundary Crossing
Be alert to potential or actual conflicts of
interest Be aware that isolation is often a major
factor in ethical violations Meet your personal
needs in other areas of your life Relationship
should focus on patient at all times A clear
understanding of ethics and attention to
professional boundaries
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Are You A Rescuer?
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Are You A Rescuer?
The Responsible Ones
Dysfunction magnets
Failure to fix everything
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Are You A Rescuer?

• Characteristics of a Rescuer
• Gives When Not Asked

• Is offer welcomed?

• Gives more than is needed.

• Are they actually helping?

• ONLY Feels good if accepted

• Feels bad when turned down

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Be A Healthy Helper
Helper is equal to the one being helped
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Be A Healthy Helper
Characteristics of a Helper
Listens for a request
Presents an offer of help
Gives only what is needed
Checks in
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Boundaries makes it safefor us to be close
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The only way you can help others is to
firstTake Care of Yourself!
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Questions?