Peer Volunteer Training
Comprehensive instruction for peer volunteers supporting parents carrying to term following a prenatal diagnosis.
Register NowWhat is a peer volunteer?
Your understanding and compassion can make a difference to parents carrying to term following a prenatal diagnosis.
A peer volunteer is a parent who has experienced a prenatal diagnosis and carried to term or has had a perinatal loss. Peer volunteers use their experience to provide empathy and support to newly-diagnosed parents as they carry to term.
While overall abortion rates are falling, those associated with the news of prenatal diagnosis remain high. Studies indicate that 80% of parents who receive a serious prenatal diagnosis end the pregnancy, and documented abortion rates associated with
some specific diagnoses may be 90% or higher.
However, most parents experiencing a prenatal diagnosis want a better option than abortion. Most will carry to term if offered information and support supporting that option.
Peer volunteer support is an effective means for the provision of support to those parents. It can be offered as a stand-alone service or within the context of a more comprehensive service model.
This course is focused on building real-world solutions.
This course includes the following:
Topics covered include:
- Prenatal diagnosis as a traumatic event
- The parameters of peer support
- Grief Support
- Spiritual Support
- Referring Parents for more comprehensive care
The following are organizations who have utilized BNA training in the development of peer ministries:
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
The Diocese of Charleston
The Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend