Health and cancer HelpLineFills an urgent need
Sep 22, 2005 11:57 AM
There are times when you don't know which way to turn — and, anyway, turning at all seems like more than you can do.
This might be especially true if you are in the throes of a serious illness.
Help is a phone call away at the UFT Welfare Fund’s Health and Cancer HelpLine.
Recently, for example, a UFT member called the Welfare Fund to ask about keeping her health insurance coverage while on a medical leave. A Fund benefits specialist answered the member’s questions but noted that the caller seemed exceedingly stressed. She asked the member if she was all right.
The member admitted that she felt overwhelmed with the “to do list” she faced since the recent onset of her serious illness. The benefits specialist turned to the counseling staff across the floor in the Health and Cancer HelpLine to provide additional support and aid to the caller.
A HelpLine counselor spoke with the member about the impact of her illness and helped the member prioritize her “to do list.” She talked with the caller about other resources that might be available through employment/union membership and other benefits and services in the community. The counselor not only helped the member deal with her immediate emotional, stressful crisis but she maintained contact with the member over the next several months to help problem-solve as other issues emerged.
Staying with the member until the crisis has abated is the hallmark of the Health and Cancer HelpLine. The HelpLine is staffed by a full-time, experienced social worker and three peer counselors. HelpLine counselors — with the member's consent — consult with and refer to other union representatives and service units, such as chapter leaders, pension consultants, paraprofessional and Retired Teachers Chapter social services, Peer Intervention Program counselors and Victim Support Program representatives for further assistance.
And, HelpLine staff work hand-in-hand with other Welfare Fund staff who assist members with information about health benefits, UFT disability benefits and available drug coverage.
The HelpLine staff, as all Welfare Fund staff, operate under strict privacy guidelines and all calls are confidential. Most assistance is offered by phone but members are welcome to visit the Fund on the seventh floor of the UFT headquarters building at 52 Broadway in Manhattan. It is best to call ahead so time can be set aside for you.
The Health and Cancer HelpLine was launched in 1998 as the Breast Cancer HelpLine. It was the centerpiece of the union’s Teach Educators about Cancer and Health initiative to bring cancer awareness and health information to the membership. The program name was changed to Health and Cancer HelpLine a year later to reflect what counselors were hearing from members facing a range of health-related issues, from disabling illness to substance abuse to family crises. The Health and Cancer HelpLine became part of the Welfare Fund last November and adds another vital service to the Fund to enable it to respond to members’ health-related concerns.
So, if you ever find yourself overwhelmed with health problems, don’t know which way to turn or just need a sympathetic and knowledgeable ear to unburden yourself to, call the Welfare Fund at 1-212-539-0500 and tell them to connect you with the Health and Cancer HelpLine.
