Privacy, Safety & Boundaries
Cancer PALS Foundation is committed to serving patients, survivors, caregivers, volunteers, mentors, and community members with compassion, dignity, and respect.
Cancer-related support often involves sensitive personal stories, health experiences, family needs, emotional concerns, and financial or practical challenges. We take that trust seriously.
Confidentiality
Cancer PALS representatives, volunteers, mentors, and partners are expected to handle personal information with care and discretion.
Confidential information may include:
- Cancer diagnosis or treatment details
- Personal stories or family circumstances
- Contact information
- Financial or assistance-related information
- Photographs, videos, or identifying details
- Information shared through applications, support requests, mentorship, events, or conversations
Information should only be shared with appropriate individuals involved in coordinating support, and only when needed for the purpose of providing assistance, maintaining safety, or meeting legal or organizational responsibilities.
Photo, story, and media consent
Cancer PALS values storytelling, awareness, and community connection, but consent matters.
Photographs, videos, testimonials, survivor stories, caregiver stories, or identifying details should not be shared publicly without permission. Whenever possible, written consent or a media release should be obtained before using someone’s image, story, or identifying information.
Individuals always have the right to decline participation in media, photography, storytelling, or promotional materials without pressure or consequence.
Medical advice disclaimer
Cancer PALS Foundation does not provide medical diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or individualized medical advice.
Volunteers, mentors, and community representatives should not:
- Interpret medical results
- Recommend starting or stopping treatment
- Discourage professional medical care
- Present personal experience as medical guidance
- Share unverified health claims or misinformation
Medical questions should be directed to qualified healthcare professionals.
Mental health, legal, and financial boundaries
Cancer PALS support is not a substitute for professional mental health care, legal advice, financial advice, or crisis intervention.
Mentors and volunteers may offer encouragement, resource connection, and compassionate support, but they should not provide counseling, legal guidance, financial planning, or crisis management unless specifically authorized and appropriately credentialed.
Volunteer and mentor boundaries
Healthy boundaries protect everyone involved. Cancer PALS volunteers and mentors are expected to maintain respectful, appropriate relationships with participants and avoid situations that create dependency, confusion, conflict of interest, or safety concerns.
Volunteers and mentors should:
- Communicate respectfully and professionally
- Protect confidentiality
- Avoid giving advice outside their role
- Report safety or boundary concerns to leadership
- Avoid unsafe environments or tasks beyond their training
- Ask for guidance when a situation feels unclear or concerning
Emergency situations
Cancer PALS Foundation does not provide emergency services and does not monitor email, forms, or social media as emergency channels.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, experiencing a medical emergency, facing a threat of harm, or considering self-harm, call 911 or contact appropriate emergency or crisis services immediately.
Cancer PALS representatives should not attempt to manage emergencies beyond their training or role.
Safety concerns and incident reporting
Cancer PALS encourages timely communication about safety concerns, inappropriate conduct, confidentiality concerns, accidents, injuries, or situations that may negatively affect participants, volunteers, or the organization.
Reporting concerns helps Cancer PALS:
- Protect participants and volunteers
- Improve safety practices
- Address issues appropriately
- Maintain accurate records
- Strengthen organizational trust
Concerns should be shared with Cancer PALS leadership as soon as reasonably possible.
Our commitment
Cancer PALS is committed to compassionate service, respectful communication, privacy, consent, healthy boundaries, and safe community support.
If you have questions about privacy, safety, or boundaries, please contact Cancer PALS.