Deliberate partner selection
SLCAS has been highly deliberate in their development of eight volunteer station partnerships. Not only have these partnerships led to greater reach into the community, they have also helped ensure that the Senior Companions are fully supported in the field and placed in settings where they can best serve their clients while also having a positive volunteer experience.
Shared management functions
As a result of these successful partnerships, the volunteer stations have emerged as an established component of the Senior Companion Program management team. They bring on-the-ground insight and experience into key program operations including screening, placement, and training of companions. While these functions are formally managed by SLCAS's central program staff, over time they have evolved as shared responsibilities.
- Screening: Volunteer station supervisors participate in interviewing prospective companions before they are accepted into the program and placed in a client's home.
- Placement: Once SLCAS places a companion with a particular volunteer station, that station is responsible for matching the companion with a client who falls within their organizational and geographical purview.
- Training: The volunteer stations play a critical role in training companions and reinforcing core competencies taught in the initial training provided by SLCAS, as well as providing specialized training related to their specific assignment. The specialized training allows Senior Companions to help target resources efficiently by being the ears and eyes for the partner aging care services. For example, a Senior Companion who sees a VA client four hours a day may notice a change in the client's condition that could go undetected by a medical professional during a single visit; the companion can report this observation to the VA for follow-up from an appropriate professional.