What are mentors and how can I find a mentor? What is the MyelomaCoach program?

[Music] water mentors and how can I find a mentor so there are several mentor programs available to patients and they go by different names Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for example has a program called first connection you can contact them and they will put you in touch with and experienced myeloma patient maybe you're experienced but you're going to be going through a transplant so you can specify I'd like to talk to a myeloma patient in my area that had a transplant at ucsf and they will try to do as close a match as possible some companies like Takeda offer a mentorship program essentially along the same lines where they will put myeloma patients trained myeloma patients in touch with other patients who want to just be on the phone in and learn more from an experienced myeloma patients and I've had the International myeloma Foundation the helpline folks I call me and ask if it's okay if I would contact so-and-so because I had a particular experience I've had an allergen a transplant which isn't so common among myeloma patients and they will ask if I would talk to another patient that is interested in doing an aloe transplant so don't be shy you have to go out there and ask unfortunately but there are lots of sources to be able to find mentors and and gain their experience after my husband's diagnosed in 2015 at the age of 39 with myeloma I've been his caregiver and I'm now involved with helping other caregivers and patients the myeloma coach program is a volunteer program where patients and caregivers can volunteer to coach other patients through their myeloma journey they offer support and resources and encouragement to them coaches meet with patients either in person or over the phone online to share resources with them coaches volunteer for a minimum of eight hours a month and make a commitment to volunteer for up to one year research shows the only a small percentage of individuals attend support groups and more work is done to meet myeloma patients one-to-one them to provide that support and encouragement and share those essential resources with them many myeloma patients have approached the foundation and have had a desire strong desire to get involved and to give back this gives them a way to be able to share their valuable experience that they've had with other myeloma patients that can really help them along their own journey the myeloma coach program is different in that when coaches register they create an online profile that includes a photo of themselves as well as their areas of myeloma experience whether it's stem-cell transplant insurance financial computer skills working with the younger myeloma population and health tree all of those areas that they are willing to share they're also able to share their myeloma story this allows patients to get to know them personally and to be able to choose a coach that's a right match for them coaches receive extensive training begins with an orientation program that covers a variety of topics from interviewing techniques communication skills confidentiality training on grief and loss when an individual may need to be referred to a mental health professional and how to do that training on confidentiality training is ongoing training is available consistently working consistently providing updated and ongoing training to support the coaches in their role they also receive training on health tree and also require to to complete the myeloma basics training within healthcare University coaches are also able to participate in a call with an expert twice a year and coaches who complete all of their required volunteer hours are eligible to participate in our pocus summit that's held once a year where they all receive additional training for myeloma experts our program is completely free and meant to be a resource and support for all myeloma patients our goal is that all patients will have access to the resources that are available to help them navigate myeloma you know protein is meant to be just that coaching brief not a long-term relationship but and an experience where filters are able to provide support encouragement and it's really whatever the needs are of that patient some may be ongoing for several months some may be just a few a few sessions to help answer questions or help them through some trouble spots help them get access to those resources that they weren't aware of patients can can connect with as many cultures as they'd like depending on those areas of experience that the coaches are are able and willing to share when you go to the website you can request a coaching session with the coach or also to ask the culture question so if there's a coach that has experience in those areas that you're needing information you can simply ask them a question or request a session with them to connect one-on-one you go to our website at www.archives.gov/calendar experience gender age or geographical area to become a coach just simply go to our website www.marykay.co.uk/awilliam share to other people [Music]