Get Peer Support
Become a Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporter
Launch a Phoenix SOAR Program
Peer Supporter Resources
Coordinator Resources
Course Registration
Get Peer Support
Recovery after a burn injury is physical—emotional—social. You don't have to travel that journey alone. Connect with community - wherever you are, whenever you need support.
There are many ways to get peer support
- Through your local Phoenix SOAR Hospital
- Through a local Phoenix SOAR Foundation or Nonprofit
- Through Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors
- 1:1 and group settings
- Online Facebook Group & Chat
Become a Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporter
As a Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporter, you will share knowledge, empathy, and a listening ear to new burn survivors and their loved ones. By sharing your similar experience, you can ensure other survivors don’t have to walk the path of healing alone.
What sets Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporters apart is the training you receive, which ensures both the peer supporter and the patient feel comfortable. Before offering support, you'll need to pass a screening process and complete an interactive training.
There are three ways to become a Peer Supporter
- Your local Phoenix SOAR Hospital
- A local Phoenix SOAR Foundation or Nonprofit
- Through Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors
Launch a Phoenix SOAR Program
Phoenix SOAR, developed in 2001, is a signature program of Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors and an integral part of the Journey Forward Program, connecting survivors and their support systems with others who have experienced similar trauma (trained Peer Supporters).
Phoenix SOAR was designed by a national advisory team of healthcare professionals and burn survivors to provide a structured volunteer peer support program. This training program is designed to provide insight, knowledge, and communication skills necessary for the peer supporter to interact with survivors and families who have experienced a burn injury. The program also enables the burn programs to develop motivated and trained peer supporters functioning as an extension of your burn team.
Peer Supporter Resources
Here's everything you need to provide successful peer support visits. The Peer Supporter Manual and evolutions are gated. To access, please enter the password provided to you.
Phoenix SOAR collateral are copyrighted materials owned by Phoenix Society. Your use of Phoenix Society brand assets (including but not limited to: name, logo, forms, manuals) is subject to the Phoenix Society Site Terms of Service.
Resources & More
Coordinator Resources
Phoenix SOAR Coordinators keep peer support programs running smoothly. Together, you make hope and connection possible for thousands of burn survivors and their loved ones each year.
Some of the resources below are gated. To access, please enter the password provided to you.
Phoenix SOAR collateral are copyrighted materials owned by Phoenix Society. Your use of Phoenix Society brand assets (including but not limited to: name, logo, forms, manuals) is subject to the Phoenix Society Site Terms of Service.
Course Registration
Phoenix SOAR training courses are now completely virtual! Peer Supporter and Coordinator trainings will be offered on a pre-scheduled basis, most months of the year.
Upcoming Courses
- Peer Supporter: June 15th, August 24th, October 12th, December 7th
- Coordinator: May 23rd, August 15th, November 14th
SANDRA CRAMOLINI, MHA, BSN, RN
Interim Sr. Director, Program Services
Sandra Cramolini is a former nursing administrator for the Leon S. Peters Burn Center and program in Fresno, CA. She retired from the position of Nursing Director after 40 years in healthcare. Sandra is now a healthcare consultant and remains actively involved in the burn community. Sandra believes in giving back to the community and is a volunteer for many nonprofit agencies. She is a SOAR (Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery) instructor for burn peer supporters and coordinators with the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors.
Sandra’s career in healthcare has provided her with an expertise in the care of adult and pediatric patients, critical care, supply chain and revenue management. She is married and currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Sara Byrne
Community Specialist - Phoenix SOAR
Sara is from Grand Rapids, MI and attended Western Michigan University for her bachelor’s degree in health and human services. She later went on to gain a Master’s in Public Administration, with a focus in nonprofit organizations from the University of Michigan.
Since joining the Phoenix Society team, Sara has worked as the Executive Assistant, Program Assistant, and now the Community Specialist for Phoenix SOAR! Phoenix SOAR is one of the flagship programs at the Phoenix Society, and Sara loves connecting survivors with a trained Peer Supporter to offer emotional support on their path to healing. When Sara is not working, you can find her spending time with her husband and two kids (being 3 and 1 years old). She credits them for her outstanding multitasking skills!
LILIANA PALACIOS
Community Resource Coordinator
Liliana grew up in Los Angeles and is a proud mother to three grown-up kids. She studied at San Francisco State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Health Education with a minor in Holistic Health and Women's Health Issues. Over the years, Lili has mainly worked supporting trauma survivors in various capacities. She discovered her passion for community service through her own experience as a burn survivor. Forty-one years ago, at the age of 19, Lili was in a house fire (she's on OG, you all!). She attended Phoenix World Burn Congresses throughout the years. Through a fellow burn survivor and her mentor, she learned about the different resources available to the survivor community - which inspired her to get involved in community service. Her other interests include art, photography, cooking, and gardening, among other things.
review publications for research and data on why Peer Support works
- Creating Emotional Safety in a Support Group
- Developing Trajectories of Social Recovery After Burn Injury
- Facilitated and Peer Support Groups
- Interpreting Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation Profile Scores for Use by Clinicians, Burn Survivors, and Researchers
- Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation Profile (LIBRE)
- The Power of Peer Support
- The Relationship of Level of Education to Social Reintegration after Burn Injury: A LIBRE Study
- What Do You Need to Start Your Own Support Group?
- What to Expect: Getting Back Out There