POTSDAM -- Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley’s fall public education and volunteer training program, The Hospice Journey 2012, is set for a series of six sessions beginning Sept. 24 and ending on Oct. 6.

All sessions are held at the Hospice Center, 6805 U.S. Rt. 11, and are free and open to the public. Participants interested in becoming patient care volunteers must complete the training program.

There will be two day-time Saturday sessions, Sept. 29 and Oct. 6, and evening sessions Sept. 24 to 27 and Oct. 2 to 4. The 21-hour curriculum will cover the hospice concept, stress management, patient spirituality, bereavement and grief, the medical aspects of dying, patient safety, and the ethics of caring for the dying, and other topics. The book “The Hospice Journey: A Guide for Those Who Help at the End of Life” will be available for a suggested donation of $10.

Since Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley was founded in 1983, volunteers have been critical to the kind of care it provides. According to Volunteer Coordinator Jennifer Brailsford, “Volunteers are always needed, and Hospice has increasing opportunities for caring people who can volunteer, particularly on weekdays.”

While most hospice patients live in private homes, others live in nursing homes, or are patients in any of the five hospitals in St. Lawrence County. Volunteers are needed to help patients and families in all of these settings.

“Each volunteer decides what geographic area he or she would like to serve, how much time to give, and whether to accept a particular assignment. Volunteer choices are always respected,” said Brailsford.

Pre-registration is required. Call 265-3105 to register or register online at www.seriousillness.org/slc.

Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley is a private, non-profit New York State licensed professional health care organization dedicated to providing care and support for seriously ill people and their families in St. Lawrence County.