The American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) offers a toll-free national Helpline as a resource to help people with cancer and their caregivers find counseling services in their own communities.
Patients with cancer, caregivers, and advocacy organizations may obtain referrals for local counseling services throughout the United States by contacting the Helpline at 1-866-276-7443.
This referral program aims to connect cancer patients and their caregivers to psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and counselors skilled in the management of cancer-related distress.
If the Helpline staff cannot find local support services and there is an immediate need for help, an APOS mental health counselor from the Helpline will continue to support them by phone while they seek professional help with coping in their community. Counseling sessions will be scheduled at the discretion of the Helpline counselor according to patient need.
Confidential Referral
To request a confidential referral, interested persons may call: toll free 1-866-276-7443
(1-866-APOS-4-HELP) or send an e-mail to info@apos-society.org
The following information is requested:
- Caller’s name (spelling of the last name)
- Contact phone number(s), including area code
- Patient’s city/town and state of residence
- Zip code of the location where you are searching for a referral
Calls are accepted 24 hours a day through a voicemail system and then handled by trained staff members who have access to a national directory of community mental health resources. Helpline inquiries will normally be returned within 24 to 48 hours.
For additional information, visit http://www.apos-society.org/ ■
