Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities

Volunteers provide nearly 100% of the care at The Olympia Free Clinic. From registration, to triage, to Spanish interpreter, to provider, every volunteer plays a meaningful role in delivering high-quality medical and mental health care to our community members. Since our founding in 2011, hundreds of local volunteers have been part of TOFC’s journey, and we couldn’t be more grateful for their service.  

Volunteering at TOFC is flexible, with options to accommodate your schedule. Some volunteers complete a weekly shift at the clinic, while others join us a few times per year. We are thankful for any amount of time that our volunteers can give. For administrative volunteer roles like registration and discharge, no medical experience is necessary–just a desire to provide a positive and affirming experience for TOFC patients.

Non-Medical Volunteer Roles

• Discharge:

  Discharge volunteers complete patient visits by scanning and uploading paperwork and scheduling follow up appointments. Volunteers say this is a busy, fast-paced, and fun role! 

• Interpreter:

  Interpreters provide necessary language translation during patient encounters. Native speakers, certified translators, and other experience levels are welcome. Use your language skills in a practical way to support our community members in receiving the best possible care and information. 

• Registration:

  The Registration Volunteer is the first person a patient interacts with when arriving at the clinic. They are responsible for checking patients in, scheduling appointments, and other administrative duties. Like discharge, registration is a busy, fast-paced (and fun!) role.

Medical Volunteer Roles

• Mental Health Provider:

  Mental health providers are responsible for our patients’ mental health care. Our mental health services include psychiatric medication management, and mental health counseling sessions. Psychiatric providers include MD, DO, and psych ARNP; and mental health counselors include LMHC(A), and LICSW(A). 

• Pharmacist:

  Volunteer pharmacists (PharmDs) receive, inventory, and safely dispense prescription medication from our in-house pharmacy. This role is critical for keeping our pharmacy organized and efficient.

• Provider:

  Volunteer providers diagnose, educate, and treat patients to ensure they have the best possible outcomes. This includes: evaluating past medical history, performing physical exams, creating treatment plans, and managing medications. Licensing requirements: MD, ARNP, PA, DO. Specialty clinic provider roles include Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Doctor of Chiropractic (DC).

• ROOM ASSISTANT:

  The Room Assistant is responsible for supporting the provider with various aspects of the patient encounter. Rooms Assistants room patients, complete discharge paperwork, and communicate follow-up needs with patients and interpreters. While medical credentials are not required, many of our room assistants are RNs and medical assistants. 

• Triage:

  The Triage Volunteer is responsible for the initial evaluation and vitals once the patient arrives in the clinic. The triage volunteer also interacts with the patient's family member(s) and facilitates interpretation services for the visit. Required credentials for triage include RN, LPN, EMT, paramedic, and CNA. Triage volunteers may also administer vaccines, based on their credentials.