ABout phoenix SOAR
Phoenix SOAR (Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery) connects survivors and loved ones with others who have experienced similar trauma - whether through their own burn injury, or as the loved one of a burn survivor.
Get Peer Support
Become a Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporter
Launch a Phoenix SOAR Program
Peer Supporter Resources
Coordinator Resources
Course Registration
Get Peer Support
Recovery after a burn injury is physical—emotional—social. You don't have to travel that journey alone. Connect with community - wherever you are, whenever you need support.
There are many ways to get peer support
- Through your local Phoenix SOAR Hospital
- Through a local Phoenix SOAR Foundation or Nonprofit
- Through Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors
- 1:1 and group settings
- Online Facebook Group & Chat
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Become a Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporter
As a Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporter, you will share knowledge, empathy, and a listening ear to new burn survivors and their loved ones. By sharing your similar experience, you can ensure other survivors don’t have to walk the path of healing alone.
What sets Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporters apart is the training you receive, which ensures both the peer supporter and the patient feel comfortable. Before offering support, you'll need to pass a screening process and complete an interactive training.
There are three ways to become a Peer Supporter
- Your local Phoenix SOAR Hospital
- A local Phoenix SOAR Foundation or Nonprofit
- Through Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors
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Launch a Phoenix SOAR Program
Phoenix SOAR, developed in 2001, is a signature program of Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors and an integral part of the Journey Forward Program, connecting survivors and their support systems with others who have experienced similar trauma (trained Peer Supporters).
Phoenix SOAR was designed by a national advisory team of healthcare professionals and burn survivors to provide a structured volunteer peer support program. This training program is designed to provide insight, knowledge, and communication skills necessary for the peer supporter to interact with survivors and families who have experienced a burn injury. The program also enables the burn programs to develop motivated and trained peer supporters functioning as an extension of your burn team.
Peer Supporter Resources
Here's everything you need to provide successful peer support visits. The Peer Supporter Manual and evolutions are gated. To access, please enter the password provided to you.
Phoenix SOAR collateral are copyrighted materials owned by Phoenix Society. Your use of Phoenix Society brand assets (including but not limited to: name, logo, forms, manuals) is subject to the Phoenix Society Site Terms of Service.
Resources & More
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Coordinator Resources
Phoenix SOAR Coordinators keep peer support programs running smoothly. Together, you make hope and connection possible for thousands of burn survivors and their loved ones each year.
Some of the resources below are gated. To access, please enter the password provided to you.
Phoenix SOAR collateral are copyrighted materials owned by Phoenix Society. Your use of Phoenix Society brand assets (including but not limited to: name, logo, forms, manuals) is subject to the Phoenix Society Site Terms of Service.
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Course Registration
Phoenix SOAR training courses are now completely virtual! Peer Supporter and Coordinator trainings will be offered on a pre-scheduled basis, most months of the year.
2025 Courses
- Peer Supporter: January 25th, March 8th, April 26th, June 14th, August 2nd, September 20th, November 22nd
- Coordinator: January 16th, April 3rd, June 25th, October 2nd
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Meet your phoenix society program team
Jill Sproul, MS, RN
Senior Director of Programs & Services
Jill Sproul, MS, RN, has worked in burn care for over 30 years. She started her nursing career in 1990 as a new graduate nurse from San Jose State University and started in the Burn Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. In 1996, Jill began working as the Assistant Nurse Manger at UCSD in San Diego in the Burn Center. In 1997, she returned to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center as the Burn Center Nurse Manager and was in that role for 20 years. Jill also served as the Director of Critical Care, Emergency Department, and Perioperative Services. In 2017, she became the Chief Nursing Officer for Valley Medical Center and became the System CNO for the hospitals and clinics in 2019. She served in that role until June 2023, when she retired from Santa Clara County.
Sara Byrne
Community Specialist - Phoenix SOAR
Sara is from Grand Rapids, MI and attended Western Michigan University for her bachelor’s degree in health and human services. She later went on to gain a Master’s in Public Administration, with a focus in nonprofit organizations from the University of Michigan.
Since joining the Phoenix Society team, Sara has worked as the Executive Assistant, Program Assistant, and now the Community Specialist for Phoenix SOAR! Phoenix SOAR is one of the flagship programs at the Phoenix Society, and Sara loves connecting survivors with a trained Peer Supporter to offer emotional support on their path to healing. When Sara is not working, you can find her spending time with her husband and two kids (being 3 and 1 years old). She credits them for her outstanding multitasking skills!
LILIANA PALACIOS
Community Resource Coordinator
Liliana grew up in Los Angeles and is a proud mother to three grown-up kids. She studied at San Francisco State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Health Education with a minor in Holistic Health and Women's Health Issues. Over the years, Lili has mainly worked supporting trauma survivors in various capacities. She discovered her passion for community service through her own experience as a burn survivor. Forty-one years ago, at the age of 19, Lili was in a house fire (she's on OG, you all!). She attended Phoenix World Burn Congresses throughout the years. Through a fellow burn survivor and her mentor, she learned about the different resources available to the survivor community - which inspired her to get involved in community service. Her other interests include art, photography, cooking, and gardening, among other things.
