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For Patients, Families & Visitors
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More on Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers provide vital assistance to our patients, families and healthcare professionals. Throughout the hospital, volunteers can be found lending a helpful hand by running errands, providing information to parents whose children are in the emergency room or undergoing surgery, welcoming patients and families to the Child Life playrooms, organizing toys and play materials, or visiting on the units. Volunteers can assist with children in the clinic waiting areas and serve as role models in the literacy programs. Foster Grandparents, our senior volunteers, spend time with hospitalized children, involving them in play activities and helping to distract them from the routines of hospitalization.
Child Life
The Child Life Program at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is a therapeutic play and activities program. It is designed to reduce the emotional impact of illness and hospitalization on children and their families. Members of the professional Child Life staff are trained in child development, psychology, education and other closely related fields. Child Life staff address some of the special needs of hospitalized children and adolescents by providing age-appropriate and therapeutic play activities which foster continued growth and development. The assistance of Child Life volunteers is vital to meeting this goal. Volunteers can welcome patients and families, provide toys, arts and crafts activities, play games with patients and be a companion when one is needed. Under the direct supervisor of a Child Life Specialist, volunteers can play with children both in the playroom and at bedside. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Clerical
This opportunity offers the chance for a volunteer to become a valuable member of a department team. Volunteers will provide much needed general office assistance at the direction of departmental staff. Duties may include answering telephones, filing, data entry or light typing, labeling, running errands, etc. Pleasant personality and accuracy are important. Opportunities are available in various settings: clinics, nursing units, doctor office, administration etc.
Diagnostic Suite
Many patients who come to the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital for testing are dealing with difficult illness. The process is stressful for patients and family members. Volunteers working in the Diagnostic Imaging Suite at the hospital will play a key role interacting with patients and staff. They will supervise the play area on the unit and coordinate activities with children who are waiting in this area. Volunteers will also serve as liaisons between staff in the testing area and families in the waiting area - bringing information on patient status when needed. Volunteers should be at least 18 years old. Training will be provided.
Emergency Department
With genuine concern and compassion, volunteers in the emergency department provide emotional support to the patients and their families in the waiting room. Volunteers liaise between patients, families and clinical staff, and are trained in various methods of interaction with children such as one to one or group readings, board games, activities, drawing, etc. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Foster Grandparent Program
Join the Foster Grandparent Program and work directly with patients at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital by offering emotional support and sharing your wisdom. This program will offer volunteers who are 60 years of age or older a powerful opportunity to make a difference in the life our patients! Foster Grandparents are required to serve 20 hours per week.
Gift Shop
The gift shop is looking for friendly, pleasant volunteers, who are able to stand for prolonged periods and could help put away stock, check and price new merchandise, stock gift cart, tag samples for display.
Interpreter Program
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital serves a very diverse community. Some of our patients need language assistance as they are cared for at our hospital. Volunteers will serve as an interpreter throughout the hospital. Bilingual volunteers provide the critical service of medical interpretation for limited English speaking patients and their health care providers. We are recruiting especially those who speak English and Spanish. Intensive training is provided.
Occupational/Physical Therapy
Volunteers assist therapists with follow-up phone surveys, appointment confirmation and patient registration. They greet patients upon arrival, and assist therapists with a variety of tasks such as setup/cleanup of the treatment area, organizing materials, assisting with treatment group, folding towels, sheets, and gowns.
Parent Support Network
Parents who have lived through the experience of having a child in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are trained to provide emotional support and mentoring to parents with children currently in the NICU. Volunteer Support Network parents will be available on-call to parents in need. Volunteers will meet regularly for training and for support for their own needs and issues. Intensive training will be provided to all volunteers.
Available daily at all times.
Special Events Assistant
The Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is fortunate to have a wide range of programs taking place and special guests performing for our patients in the Wintergarden. More than a hundred special events are conducted each year. Volunteers in this program will work with the Special Events Coordinator to plan and execute events. Volunteers will assist with making arrangements with performers, event publicity, set up and break down.
For more information on volunteer opportunities, please contact:
Volunteer Department
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
622 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10035
212) 305-2542
Family Advisory Council
The Family Advisory Council is a group of 30 parents, hospital staff, and faculty who work together as equal partners to make the hospital a better place for children and families. If you are interested in learning more about the Family Advisory Council or how you can join, click on the Family Advisory Council link in the right hand column or contact:
Michelle Morea
Membership and Placement Coordinator
Family Advisory Council
PO Box 338
Massapequa Park, NY 11762
(212) 305-0709
Email: familyadvisorycouncil@nyp.org