Start a Support Group

Self-help support groups provide much-needed support systems among people with common experiences. These groups, run by their members, meet to share common happenings, knowledge, strengths, and hopes. HFI has the following suggestions to assist people interested in starting their own hepatitis support group.

Talk with others who have successfully started support groups. Discuss what methods worked best for them and what problems they encountered.

Put together a list of healthcare professionals interested in hepatitis. Call physicians, social workers, hospitals, and public health workers and ask their help. These people can help you reach other hepatitis patients interested in attending a support group. They can't, by law, give you the names of patients. Create a flier with your name, phone number, and date of your meeting, so they can give it to interested people.

Obtain a free, neutral meeting place. Try a community center, a YM/ YWCA, library, church, synagogue or the Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions clubs. If you choose a hospital, remember some doctors may be reluctant to send patients to the meeting if they don't practice at that hospital.

Decide when and how frequently you want to meet. Weeknights or evenings are usually best, and holding meetings the same night each month helps.

Publicity is important to your success. Place fliers in hospitals, doctors offices, the Health Department, community centers; place a notice or ad in a local paper.

Structure your first meeting to allow time to discuss what the members would like from the group. Shared leadership is easier than doing it all on your own. Each meeting should have an educational component, a time for business and sharing concerns, and a time to set a date for the next meeting. It is helpful to have activities for members such as distributing flyers, calling a shut in, etc. Do you want to do fund raising?

Discuss what members feel the group's responsibility to each other is. Address the issue of confidentiality such as things discussed at the meetings remains within the group unless someone is suicidal or threatening others.

It is wise to have some written policies to give to new members, including the group's purpose, meeting times, an explanation of how meetings are conducted, the groups policy on confidentiality, contact names to call with questions or concerns, etc.

Ask members to provide their name, address, phone number, and any skills they feel they can contribute to the group, such as publicity, printing, organization, recruiting speakers, and finding information.

Meetings should have a structure so they don't wander off course and so no one person monopolizes the group. Begin and end on time. Frequently members introduce themselves and state their reason for joining the group or share an experience.

Speakers and experts on various topics of interest - for example hepatologists, nutritionists, and nurses – make the meetings interesting. Discussions may include diet, treatment, exercise, medical tests, dealing with insurance companies, or dealing with employers. It is wise to have a health care professional attend each meeting.

Call HFI to provide you with a supply of updated information written by hepatitis specialists to ensure group members have correct information: 1-800- 891-0707.

Click here to locate a clearinghouse that may be able to provide further advice to help you develop a new support group. Clearinghouses on this page are located in 22 states, Canada, and around the world.