San Antonio Hospital Volunteer

WELCOME TO THE VOLUNTEER SERVICES COUNCIL OF THE SAN ANTONIO STATE HOSPITAL WELCOME TO THE VOLUNTEER SERVICES COUNCIL OF THE SAN ANTONIO STATE HOSPITAL WELCOME TO THE VOLUNTEER SERVICES COUNCIL OF THE SAN ANTONIO STATE HOSPITAL

Volunteer

Our volunteers make a difference in the lives of their friends and neighbors each day. A volunteer may be a student eager to contribute while learning more about a career in medicine or a member of the community who finds fulfillment in giving back. Many of our volunteers have learned new skills and met new friends. Others have redefined what it means to be retired with their active service at CHRISTUS. Each volunteer is essential to the fulfillment of the CHRISTUS Mission to Extend the Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ.

CHRISTUS Health is an exciting place to volunteer. Volunteers come from all walks of life and bring their unique talents to the hospital. There are a variety of volunteer placements. Each placement requires a slightly different set of skills and each is equally important.

Tell us your interests and we will find that special area where your efforts will be most helpful. There are opportunities for anyone in search of a rewarding experience.

Many of our volunteers are retirees, professionals and youth. As a volunteer, you will meet new people, learn new things, and gain the personal satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped your neighbors and your community.

A sample of placements include:

• Waiting rooms in surgery, ICU and ER
• Hospital lobby Information Desk
• Outpatient Pavilion Information Desk
• Gift Shop
• Greeters and escorts
• Assembling packets
• Assisting Lactation Team
• Home volunteers knit hats for babies and oncology patients

Volunteering isn’t all work. It is also a great way to meet new people and expand your social circle. Some of the rewards for volunteering include:

• Celebration luncheons for National Volunteer Week and Christmas
• Annual awards and recognition
• Free annual flu shot and TB screening
• Social outings
• The opportunity to sharpen your own skills or learn new ones

Would you like to join us?

We welcome individuals who would like to learn new skills, make new friends, and reap the blessings of helping others.

Pick Your Location Below

Pick Your Location CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System Shreveport-Bossier Health System CHRISTUS Health Southwestern Louisiana CHRISTUS Spohn Health System CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Health System CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System CHRISTUS St. Vincent Health System The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System

Listed in this section are all of our volunteer opportunities with CHRISTUS Health.

Locate the facility where you want to volunteer to find the correct contact details.

When you become a volunteer at CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System, you join our community.

As a volunteer, in addition to a regular weekly shift, you will have monthly lunch and learns, receive gifts and other benefits from the hospital, and connect meaningfully with associates, patients, and visitors. You will also be invited to holiday parties and other events, dress up for Halloween, participate in our annual flu shot clinic, help with our gift shop sidewalk sales and make new friends.

Thank you for your interest in the Volunteer Services Program in the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System. To continue each community’s spirit of giving, we invite you to “catch the volunteer spirit” at one of our facilities.

Prior to beginning any volunteer work, you must complete the following steps:

• Print, complete and sign the Application and Volunteer Disclosure form.
• Have each Reference Form completed and signed by a credible colleague other than a family member.
• Return all forms in person to the Volunteer Services Department or by fax.

San Antonio locations: fax to 210-704-2807
New Braunfels: fax to 830-620-5120

• A background check will be conducted. By signing the Volunteer Disclosure/Release form, you have given us permission to perform this mandatory check. You will be notified by phone when your background check has cleared.
• A tuberculosis test may be administered at the hospital by our Occupational Health Nurse.
• You will need to meet with our Occupational Health Nurse for a tuberculosis test and annual flu shot. At that time, submit a copy of your immunization record.
• Attend the mandatory Volunteer Orientation sessions.

We look forward to welcoming you to CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System. Please see below for contact information regarding Orientation dates and TB health screenings at your facility of choice.

WELCOME TO THE VOLUNTEER SERVICES COUNCIL OF THE SAN ANTONIO STATE HOSPITAL

WELCOME TO THE VOLUNTEER SERVICES COUNCIL OF THE SAN ANTONIO STATE HOSPITAL WELCOME TO THE VOLUNTEER SERVICES COUNCIL OF THE SAN ANTONIO STATE HOSPITAL WELCOME TO THE VOLUNTEER SERVICES COUNCIL OF THE SAN ANTONIO STATE HOSPITAL

Let’s make our community a better place!

Our Mission

The Council’s primary mission is to improve the quality of life and enhance the well-being of patients receiving treatment at the San Antonio State Hospital by providing goods and services not funded through traditional state funding.

History of SASH

San Antonio State Hospital

A Brief History

San Antonio State Hospital (SASH), as you see it today, is a far different place than existed on these grounds more than 100 years ago. In 1892 the Southwestern Insane Asylum opened on the southern edge of San Antonio. Nestled among pecan trees and situated on more than 539 acres, the bucolic setting, with its tree-lined main entrance on South Presa Street, offered “asylum” in the truest sense of the word. The asylum was a self-contained living environment: crops and livestock were raised on the grounds, which at the time included the land across South Presa. A large lake provided fishing and recreational activities for the patients. All staff members lived on the grounds and had to obtain permission to leave. The hospital grounds also included a cemetery where patients were buried when other arrangements were not possible. It was not until 1925 that the words ”lunatic” and “asylum” were removed from the titles of mental institutions and replace by “State Hospital.

In the beginning, each mental hospital was managed by its own individual Board of managers, which reported directly to the Governor. In 1920, mental health facilities were placed under a new agency, the State Board of Control. Another change occurred in 1949 when state hospitals were placed under the direction of the Board of Texas State Hospitals and Special Schools, a nine-member board appointed by the Governor. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, state hospitals became increasingly crowded and at SASH there was a time when as many as 3,000 patients were treated at the hospital with a staff one-third the size of today’s staff, which cares for approximately 300 patients daily. Increasing research and awareness of mental health issues resulted in the 1965 Texas Legislature passing the Texas mental Health and Mental Retardation Act. This act established the Texas Department of Mental Health and mental Retardation (TDMHMR); its purpose: to conserve and restore the mental health of Texas citizens and help people with mental retardation achieve their potential. Texas Department of State Health Services provides a network of residential and community services treatment approximately 151,700 citizens with mental disabilities.

In the mid-1960’s, the last of the original asylum building were torn down and replaced with modern dormitory-style units. In 1961, patient units were again refurbished losing the last of what remained of the old “institutional” look. Today, SASH shares its original 539 acres with the San Antonio State Supported Living Center and the Texas Center for Infectious Diseases. Staff no longer resides on the grounds. The two cemeteries still exist and are sought out by families searching for answers to hidden family histories.

San Antonio State Hospital is one of ten state mental health facilities within the Health and Specialty Care System, and serves individuals residing in 55 counties within 9 Mental Health Authorities.