For Aging / Human Service Providers

Our mission is to increase transportation options for older adults and enhance their ability to live more independently within their communities throughout the United States.

Training

Materials related to the Dec. 4th, 2007 distance learning audio conference

“Recruiting and Retaining Volunteer Drivers”

As part of the National Center on Senior Transportation’s Distance Learning Event Series, the NCST presented “Recruiting and Retaining Volunteer Drivers on Dec. 4. This event featured co-presenters Jean Teel of Faith in Action Caregivers West Austin and Ira Doom of Bedford Ride. Each presenter discussed effective strategies to recruiting and retaining volunteer drivers.

Transcript of the conference are available through this page as a MS Word document. Please contact NCSTdistancelearning@easterseals.com to request the transcript in Braille or audio CD format.

Meet the presenters

Jean Barrett Teel has served as Executive Director of Faith in Action Caregivers-West Austin (FIAC-WA) since 1998. This program formerly known West Austin Caregivers is one of eight neighborhood-based groups in the Austin, Texas metropolitan area that provides volunteer transportation to older adults. In 2001 FIAC received national recognition as a model program for alternative senior transportation. As a member of a county Aging Services Council, she often has the opportunity to share information regarding senior mobility issues on the local level by coordinating panel discussions such as Keeping Seniors “out & about,” and serving as mentor to a civic organization for the development of a Senior Transportation Seminar. Ms. Teel holds membership in the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging and as a DriveWell expert for the National Highway Transportation Administration and has presented at national conferences on senior mobility issues. Before working in community service, she taught Nursing Home Administration for a community college and Long Term Care Administration at a university for 10 years. Her experience in the Long Term Care industry dates from 1972 as a Social Worker and Nursing Home Administrator.

Ira F. Doom serves as the Program Director of Bedford Ride in Bedford Virginia. This program was awarded the Governor’s Warner Award for Volunteerism and Community Service. Mr. Doom holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Economics from the University of Virginia and a Masters of Commerce from the University of Richmond. Previous to his current position, Mr. Doom has served as the Assistant Management Services Officer for the Virginia Department of Highways and as the Public Transportation Coordinator in Huntsville, Alabama. During his time in Virginia, Mr. Doom has also served as the Executive Director of the Governor’s Council on Transportation. During his time in Alabama, Mr. Doom initiated a Volunteer Transportation Program which was awarded the Presidential award form Volunteerism from President Reagan.

Questions to presenters

Both of our presenters have been very gracious with their time as to provide their contact information for further questions on the topic of Volunteer Driver Programs. Their contact information is:

Jean Teel
Ph: (512) 472-6339
Email: wacaregivers@sbcglobal.net

Ira Doom
Ph: (540) 587-3215
Email: bedfordride@lynchburg.net

Supplemental materials for this audio conference:

Volunteer Driver Recruitment: An Idea Book for Action: The Beverly Foundation has created this guide on Volunteer Driver Recruitment which was mentioned during this audio conference call.

Recruitment Poster: This is a marketing poster used by Ms. Teel at Faith in Action Caregivers West Austin.

Seniors’ Resource Center will have an electronic copy of their “Guide to a Successful Volunteer Driver Program” available after Jan. 1, 2008. If you are interested in receiving the link or having the guide emailed to you once it is ready, please contact: jhjelmgren@SRCAging.org and put BPG in the subject line.

ITN America is the only national non-profit transit agency. To learn more, visit their website at http://www.itnamerica.org/.

Caregiver Transportation Toolkit: This toolkit includes an information booklet and a list of helpful products and resources for family caregivers and volunteer drivers of older adults with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The material is focused mainly on drivers who use their own vehicles to provide transportation for their loved ones, but it can be helpful to any drivers of older passengers with impairments.

The Volunteer Driver TurnKey Kit is an online resource and includes planning, implementation, and evaluation materials for organizations interested in starting volunteer driver programs. The Volunteer Driver TurnKey Kit also includes resources on the Volunteer Friends model, a specialized pilot program for providing volunteer rides for seniors.

This PowerPoint presentation, developed by the Beverly Foundation, focuses on the role of volunteer drivers, why they are needed and the future of senior transportation programs and volunteer drivers.

The National Conference of State Legislatures has developed a Web site with information on driver liability laws by state. Visit their Web site to find out the laws in your state.

Volunteer Drivers A Guide to Best Practices: The Washington State Agency Council on Coordinated Transportation (ACCT) has prepared a comprehensive guide for organizations using or planning to use volunteer drivers.

Volunteers in Transportation Some Issues to Consider: The National Transit Resource Center (NRC) has made available this resource written by the Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP). It includes information on the advantages and disadvantages and many additional resources on volunteer driver programs.

Bridging the Gap Between the Elderly and the Disabled: A Volunteer Transportation Option: Easter Seals Project ACTION has made this resource available at no cost. Based on a Merrimack Valley, Mass., project, this report focuses on how volunteer drivers with their own vehicles can act as the main alternative to established transit systems and concludes with guidelines for replicating this program across the United States.

A Volunteer Driver’s Handbook developed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents includes information regarding legal matters, journey planning, fitness to drive, safe speed, distractions, driver training, occupant safety, safe vehicle, emergency procedures, additional resources, useful websites and seat belt laws.

Volunteer Driver Liability and Immunity Report: This recently released report by the National Conference of State Legislatures contains information regarding state laws and practices related to insurance and liability for volunteer drivers.

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