What Is Hep Connect?
       

Hep Connect is an initiative of the Hepatitis C Council of NSW. It aims to reduce isolation and ease treatment difficulties often associated with hep C. HepConnect provides a phone based peer support service for people living with hep C, their partners and carers, and particularly for people who are considering or currently undergoing hep C combination treatment.

     
How can Hep Connect help me?

• better coping with the course of treatment
• assisting in your decision whether to undergo treatment
• providing an opportunity to discuss your personal experiences with a trained volunteer who has been through treatment
• help prevent you from feeling alone and provide you with support

      
Who can access Hep Connect?

• People living with hep C
• Partners & carers, family and friends of people living with hep C
• People thinking about treatment and people undergoing treatment

      
What are the benefits of talking with a volunteer?

Our volunteers have all undergone the often challenging course of treatment. They provide support and encouragement to other people with hep C, and can assist in decision making around treatment, or offer practical ways to cope while on treatment.

They are available to talk about their personal experiences and about their own treatment journeys. A peer volunteer can provide you with more insight and understanding to the road ahead, and emotional support along the way.

     
A peer volunteer will call you a time convenient for you. You can talk to one or more volunteers to get different perspectives about treatment - each person’s journey is different. Support can be either a one off phone call or regular ongoing contact for the duration of your/your relative’s treatment. At your request, we can try to match you with a peer who had the same length of treatment, a male or female, similar experiences and backgrounds. It’s your choice!

          
What do people have to say about Hep Connect?
      

From Callers…

"Throughout my 24 week treatment she was the only person I had contact with that had hep C….it meant so much to me to actually speak to another person who has been affected by hep C”

    
“This definitely helped me, and I am motivated by other people who have been through the treatment”

   
“I am pretty isolated where I live, and it helped to know that someone was there for me. It really helped me to manage some of the side effects of the treatment.”

       
From Volunteers…

“It’s so much better to talk to someone than bottling it all up inside, especially if you are on treatment”

    
“I like being able to help people who are going through what I’ve been through, I wish Hep Connect was around back when I was on treatment.”

To organise a time to speak to a volunteer just phone the Hep C Helpline on 9332 1599 (Sydney) or 1800 803 990 (regional NSW) and mention Hep Connect.