Parent volunteerism is a cornerstone of Project DOCC. Experienced parents from the community who volunteer to serve as Parent Partners in Education (PPIE) share what they’ve learned from caring for a child with special health care needs in order to help future physicians. 

To be a parent partner you must be:

• A parent or legal guardian of a child with special health care needs.
• Two years post diagnosis.
• Willing to participate in training sessions.
• Willing to teach physicians.
• Willing to share about your life and family experiences. 

Each parent volunteer participates in a two-part training session. The training sessions review Project DOCC’s nationally-recognized curriculum and review local resources in order to ensure uniform training of physicians. 

The training program consists of virtual “home visits,” parent interviews and grand rounds (lecture-style training sessions). Other opportunities for parent involvement include training sessions for medical students and the annual one4all Disability Expo.

Project DOCC is a mandatory part of the training for pediatric residents at Marshall University, demonstrating the university’s commitment to caring for children with special health care needs and value-added by family faculty.