Sonoma County Home | Site Map | Contact Us | Search

The Medical Reserve Corps

Positions in the MRC

Many skills and abilities are needed during a public health emergency. Volunteer positions with the Medical Reserve Corps are organized into four broad categories:

The Nurse Volunteer performs clinical evaluations in an emergency clinical setting. Tasks for volunteers in this category may include medical information counseling, patient screening, and assisting patients with completion of forms. These volunteers may also conduct physical exams and evaluations, and dispense medication under the supervision of a physician. These volunteers may conduct vaccinations and provide medical counseling to patients, or work with medical supply inventories. Licensed Clinician Volunteers may also be asked to perform non-clinical functions, such as providing general assistance to patients or stocking of supplies.

The Physician Volunteer performs a range of physician services in an emergency clinical setting. Tasks for volunteers in this category may include medical information counseling, patient screening, and assisting patients with completion of forms. These volunteers may conduct physical exams and provide diagnosis and treatment to patients. These volunteers may also conduct vaccinations, dispense medication, provide medication counseling to patients, and may consult with Public Health staff to determine the need for isolation. Physician Volunteers may also be asked to perform non-clinical functions, such as providing general assistance to patients.

The Pharmacist Volunteer performs pharmaceutical services in an emergency clinical setting. Tasks for volunteers in this category may include medical information counseling, patient screening, and assisting patients with completion of forms. These volunteers may package and dispense medication, provide patient counseling on medications, and consult with other medical volunteers. These volunteers may also consult with Public Health staff to determine the need for additional medications, or the need for isolation. Pharmacist Volunteers may provide inventory and security of medications, and may be asked to perform non-clinical functions, such as providing general assistance to patients.

The Support Staff Volunteer performs a wide variety of tasks in an emergency clinical setting. Tasks for volunteers in this category may include traffic control in parking areas and greeting people arriving to the clinic. They may provide general, non-medical information to patients, assist patients with completion of forms, or provide translation services. Volunteers may provide short-term childcare, and assist with materials stocking and set-up and take-down of workspace. Support Staff Volunteers may provide security services, or assist with any other tasks that may arise.

The Mental Health Volunteer (psychologist, LCSW, MFT, psychiatric technicians) performs tasks such as overseeing individual and overall staff health and mental health, maintaining safety of the workplace, evaluating and triaging individuals and staff for a higher level of mental health care, training other staff on assisting the "worried well" during medical and public health emergencies, and facilitating a Critical Incident Staff Debriefing (CISD) process for the emergency response workforce. Mental health volunteers may be asked to perform other licensed activities in other settings.