UMF Peer Care Manager Program helps students take care of students

PHOTO: UMF Peer Care Managers (not in order) Brianna Hinkley, of Kingfield; Madison Vigeant, of Unity; Hunter Ellis, of Wilton; and Sam Folsom, of Winthrop. (Submitted photo)

FARMINGTON — A newly created Peer Care Manager Program at the University of Maine at Farmington will help students help students who must quarantine or isolate in order to keep the campus safe from possible COVID-19 infections.
The program was created by Shelley Hickey, director of the Health Center, to provide peer support in many forms and help student’s experience with quarantine and isolation be less stressful.
Quarantine is for students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 while the results of their PCR test is pending or who have had contact with someone who tested positive. It generally lasts for 14 days. Isolation is for individuals who have tested positive according to the campus Asymptomatic Testing Program or PCR symptomatic testing. They are isolated for approximately 10 days. In both cases, students are currently placed in private rooms on campus.
Four UMF students were hired as Peer Care Managers at the beginning of October and underwent several weeks of training before beginning their duties. On average, they work approximately 10 to 20 hours a week.
“Our Peer Care Managers are invaluable for ensuring needs are met for our students in isolation and quarantine, which is critical to gaining student compliance and protecting the safety of the UMF community,” said Hickey. “They assist students with understanding and managing the requirements and limitations of quarantine and isolation as well as advocate, connect students to necessary resources and communicate with appropriate personnel while maintaining confidentiality. They are a great group of students who clearly represent UMF’s commitment to keep our entire community safe.”
Brianna Hinkley, a senior from Kingfield, and a PCM was surprised at how well the student population is doing and how smoothly the plan is working. “Naturally, I was a little concerned at first, but we follow all the campus and CDC guidelines to make sure our safety comes first.”
Hinkley is majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Health and Medicine and wanted to make a difference at this important time.
Madison Vigeant, a senior from Unity; Hunter Ellis, a senior from Wilton; and Sam Folsom, a first-year student from Winthrop, round out the team of Peer Care Managers who support each other in addition to their peer support goals.
They created a Google calendar so they can take turns during the day escorting students to their quarantine room, bringing meals, and staying in communication. They stay safe with the consistent use of masks, gloves, handwashing and physical distancing. In addition they are regularly tested with UMF’s Asymptomatic Testing, as is the rest of campus.
“It was important to us that students have other students to help them through the challenges of being in isolation or quarantine,” said Christine Wilson, vice president of Student Affairs. “Who better to deliver meals or escort individuals to quarantine than the friendly face of another student who is pursuing a degree at UMF?”
The program not only helps students needing care, it also provides valuable experiential learning for the Peer Care Managers. A psychology major, Vigeant has a lot of experience with counseling and is interested in applying those skills to help decide which field of Psychology she wants to pursue. Ellis is majoring in Biology and Farmington’s Pre-Professional program to help her prepare for medical school.
“I have had some great pre-professional experience opportunities at UMF to help me on the path to becoming a doctor,” said Ellis. “This program is unique in that it has us involved with a real-world health crisis and applying the CDC’s best practices to keep our campus community healthy.”
A Special Education major, Folsom was a CNA during her junior and senior year in high school and was interested in getting back into the helping field. She herself had been in quarantine for flu-like symptoms while at UMF and understands what students are going through.
“Students have been very cooperative and are doing well at reporting any symptoms,” she said. “We all have the same goal. We want everyone to feel cared for and do our best to keep the entire community safe.”