Know your benefits
Health and Cancer HelpLine, Retiree Social Services: Just a phone call away
Apr 10, 2008 12:54 PM
Are you or a close family member struggling to cope with a health-related problem? The UFT has created social services to help that are free, strictly confidential and only a phone call away.
The UFT Welfare Fund’s Health and Cancer HelpLine provides confidential assistance to members dealing with physical and emotional problems, whether it be a cancer diagnosis, multiple sclerosis, marital difficulties, the stresses of elder care, or alcoholism and drug addiction. The HelpLine provides information and support, helps members plan job leaves, and guides callers to the resources they need, including support groups, doctors or other health professionals, Web sites and union benefits.
Call the Welfare Fund at 1-212-539-0500 and ask to speak to a HelpLine counselor. The HelpLine is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the school year and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the summer. At other times, callers can leave a message, and their call will be promptly returned.
The HelpLine’s team of counselors, headed by a licensed social worker, works closely with employee benefits counselors in the UFT Welfare Fund, as well as other UFT service units including Retiree Social Services, the Pension Department, the Victim Support Program, the Peer Intervention Program and the Capably Disabled Committee, which handles requests for job accommodations.
The HelpLine staff also work collaboratively with the UFT Paraprofessional Social Service Program, a free and confidential information and referral service for UFT paraprofessionals seeking social service assistance and professional counseling concerning non-workplace issues. Paraprofessionals can contact the program’s coordinator, who is a licensed social worker, at 1-212-598-9291.
While HelpLine counselors work primarily by phone, members can come to 52 Broadway to see a counselor in person if they prefer. It’s best to call ahead and schedule an appointment.
Retiree Social Services
The UFT’s interest in the well-being of its members carries through to their retirement years. A full-time, licensed geriatric social worker, a gerontologist and nine case managers in Retiree Social Services, located on the 17th floor at 52 Broadway, provide an array of free and confidential social services to retirees and their families wherever they live in the United States.
The services include:
Nationwide telephone reassurance program:
A case manager will make weekly, friendly telephone calls to retired members who are coping with an illness, recent loss or family problems, or who are at home recovering from a recent hospital stay. These calls will continue until the retiree tells the union that he or she no longer needs the support.
Nationwide hospital stay-in-touch program:
Because a hospital experience can be overwhelming, a gerontologist, at the retiree’s request, will be in touch on a daily basis throughout a hospital stay. The gerontologist will assist the hospitalized retiree with dietary and physical therapy needs and discharge planning as well as help prepare for transportation services, rehabilitation, home care and home modification for when the retiree returns home. You should call prior to a scheduled hospitalization to request this service.
Referrals to retirement communities and nursing homes:
Case managers will explore with the retiree the growing housing options available for older people. Retirees will receive valuable information about when to start looking and what to look for.
Short-term counseling and referrals:
Case managers will provide confidential counseling to retirees who need help with a problem or a decision. After meeting with the retiree a few times, the case manager will make suggestions or make a referral to someone who can provide further counseling.
For further information or to schedule an appointment, call Retiree Social Services at 1-212-598-6880, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. At other times, callers should leave their name and telephone number in a message and the call will be promptly returned.
