Use your experience to help someone else.

One of the most meaningful gifts you can offer another person affected by tethered cord syndrome is the reassurance that they are not alone.

The TCSA One-on-One Peer Support Program connects trained volunteer agents with individuals and families seeking support. As a peer support agent, you won’t be expected to have all the answers; you simply bring your lived experience, compassion, and willingness to listen.

Peer support is about walking alongside someone during part of their journey.

What You’ll Do

As a volunteer peer support agent, you will:

• Provide compassionate, one-on-one emotional support.
• Listen actively and respectfully.
• Share your own experiences to help others.
• Encourage hope and self-advocacy.
• Help participants locate reliable educational resources.
• Respect confidentiality.

What You Won’t Be Expected to Do

Peer support agents are not expected to be experts, counselors, or healthcare providers.

You will never be expected to:

• Give medical advice.
• Recommend treatments or medications.
• Interpret medical tests or imaging.
• Provide counseling or crisis intervention.
• Continue a mentoring relationship if healthy boundaries cannot be maintained.

Your role is to listen, encourage, and connect people with reliable information, not to solve their medical problems.

Volunteer Commitment

Most peer support relationships begin with one introductory conversation. After that, the agent and participant decide together whether additional conversations would be helpful.

Some matches involve only one conversation, while others continue with occasional check-ins over several weeks or months.

Volunteers are asked to:

• Respond to new match requests promptly.
• Schedule an initial conversation after receiving an introduction email.
• Maintain appropriate communication, boundaries, and confidentiality with participants.
• Track volunteer hours.
• Notify the Peer Support Coordinator when a mentoring relationship concludes or if concerns arise.

Is Peer Mentoring Right for You?

Successful peer support agents are people who:

• Listen more than they speak.
• Respect different perspectives and experiences.
• Can encourage others without trying to “fix” them.
• Are comfortable maintaining healthy boundaries.
• Are willing to learn and follow TCSA’s peer support guidelines.
• Believe in the value of compassionate community.

You don’t need to know everything about tethered cord syndrome. You simply need to be willing to share your experience with kindness, empathy, and respect.

Before You Apply

All volunteer peer support agents will:

• Complete a volunteer application.
• Complete a 2-hour virtual TCSA peer support orientation and training.
• Review and agree to the Peer Support Program guidelines.
• Follow all confidentiality and communication policies.
• Serve under the guidance of the TCSA Peer Support Coordinator.

Make a Difference

Every journey with tethered cord syndrome is unique, but no one should have to face it alone.

If you’re ready to use your experience to encourage someone else, we’d love to welcome you onto our team.