Standards of Excellence

PLTC’s Standards of Excellence are for cancer peer-support programs. “Peer-support programs” are defined as those programs designed to help people facing cancer and are: 

  • based primarily on the experience and expertise of others who have “been there,” and
  • led by cancer survivors1 and family members.

    • These standards were developed for new cancer support programs and for existing programs that want to improve how they address the needs of cancer survivors and their families within the scope of a peer-support model. They are guidelines meant to reflect optimal goals and are not intended as an accrediting mechanism. Suggestions for further revisions are welcome. Cancer survivors at People Living Through Cancer2 developed these guidelines. During the process, drafts were reviewed by the following organizations:

  • Conversations, Amarillo, TX
  • George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
  • Friends Group, Cancer Anonymous, Austin, TX
  • American Cancer Society, New Jersey Division
  • Cancer Services of Allen County Inc., Fort Wayne, IN
  • Let’s Face It USA, Bellingham, WA
  • Living With Cancer program, McDonogh District Hospital, Macomb, IL
  • Bosom Buddies, Jacksonville, FL
  • Arkansas Cancer Research Center
  • The National Black Church Family Council, Eutaw, AL
  • Cure for Lymphoma Foundation, New York, NY
  • CanCare of Houston Inc., Houston, TX
  • Psychosocial Oncology & Cancer Patient Support Programs, Wake Forest
  • University, Winston-Salem, NC
  • Cancer Support Services, Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Denver, CO

    • Standards of Excellence for Cancer Peer-Support Programs

    To ensure consistent, high quality services and long-term viability, cancer peer- support programs will have the following:

    I. Sound Structure

    • a statement of shared beliefs of the leadership that defines the program'spurpose
      • philosophy and values
      • scope of work3
      • formal ground rules for support that include
    • non-judgmental interaction among group participants
      • respect for privacy and confidentiality
      • procedures to inform all program participants about the ground rules for support
    • planning based on participant evaluation, at least annually
    • strategies to involve under-represented populations in all levels of the program, including leadership and program development 

    II. Collaboration

    Cancer peer-support programs will actively maintain relationships with other cancer survivorship organizations locally, regionally, and nationally. They will also foster relationships with other health-care consumer groups, mutual-aid groups, health-care providers, and government agencies offering survivorship resources.

    III. Appropriate and Skilled Leadership

    By definition, the majority of leaders in cancer peer-support programs will be cancer survivors or family members of cancer survivors. Peer support programs will have shared leadership and a system in place to cultivate, recruit, and train leaders. Training for all staff, support volunteers, and group facilitators will ensure that they are:

    • knowledgeable about the program’s purpose, philosophy and values, and scope of work
    • emotionally prepared to focus on the needs of others as well as to share their own cancer experiences
    • committed to giving non-judgmental support; aware that people make different choices based on their own values and experiences; and respectful of the value of others’ experiences with cancer
    • sensitive to and knowledgeable about a wide range of psychosocial and survivorship issues faced by survivors and their loved ones, including psychological and emotional issues family issues spiritual issues grief and loss pain management death and dying financial, employment, and insurance issues cultural differences that affect survivorship
    • knowledgeable about cancer, cancer treatment, and short and long- term side effects of cancer treatment
    • well informed about new developments in resources that affect the quality of life of cancer survivors and their families knowledgeable about local, regional, and national survivorship and treatment resources

    This is excerpted from a document written by Catherine Logan-Carrillo, Founder, People Living Through Cancer.

    1 The following terms used in this document are consistent with the semantics used in the national cancer survivorship movement. Cancer survivor: anyone with a history of cancer, from the day of diagnosis onward. Survivorship: a dynamic concept that acknowledges the potential for quality living after a cancer diagnosis; addresses the issues that affect that quality; and encompasses all those touched by cancer, including survivors, their families, friends, work associates, and health-care providers.

    2 People Living Through Cancer was founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1983 by five cancer survivors. It is the mission of People Living Through Cancer, as a grass-roots, community organization, to provide peer-support services to people who have personal and family experiences with cancer. In 1996, the organization served 2,000 New Mexican families through support and education programs and outreach services to under-represented populations. Several times each year, People Living Through Cancer offers training sessions for support volunteers, group facilitators, leaders of peer-support programs, and those planning to start peer-support programs in their communities. For more information on People Living Through Cancer and its services, call (505)242-3263, or outside of Albuquerque, toll free at (888)441-4439.

    3 The scope of work defines how the program fulfills its mission, which survivorship issues will be addressed, and for whom the program is designed — the specific target population. There are more needs and issues in cancer survivorship than any one group can address; the scope of work sets realistic boundaries and limits for the program.