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Support Services

Health Professionals

Cancer Council Tasmania

this service is currently available in:
ACT
NSW
NT
QLD
SA
TAS
VIC
WA

Supportive Care

Our Cancer Council Tasmania supportive care team provide free, professional supportive care services to all Tasmanians impacted by cancer. Health professionals can refer to supportive care through the online form or clients can self-refer through any of the contact methods listed below.

All referrals for transport 2 treatment and financial assistance will be contacted by a member of the supportive care team in the first instance.

Supportive Care includes:

  • Emotional support
  • Non-clinical drop-in centres in Sandy bay, Launceston and Devonport by appointment.
  • Support groups and activity based groups
  • Education, information and resources
  • Complementary therapies and wellbeing programs
  • Wig services
  • Transport to treatment (t2t)
  • Financial and legal assistance



Financial Assistance

Thanks to the generous support of our Tasmanian donors, Cancer Council Tasmania are able to offer a limited amount of financial relief funding, available for people affected by cancer that are experiencing financial distress.

All payments are subject to availability of funding and may vary depending on the financial scheme the person is eligible for.

Financial assistance payments for adults over the age of 25 years old will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Moderate Financial Distress

The client is unable to pay one or two utility bills, either upcoming or overdue

High Financial Distress

The client is unable to pay three or more bills, either upcoming, overdue OR increased medical bills, travel expenses, lack of income/job loss having a significant impact on day-to-day living expenses

Severe Financial Distress

The client is unable to cover basic living essentials including food, is in rental/mortgage arrears or another area/s (please provide details in the application below)

Applications will only be accepted from a health professional directly involved with the client’s treatment plan, after the individual’s financial circumstances have been assessed as causing distress due to their cancer diagnosis.

Important points to note:

  • Approved payments will be made within 7-10 business days of receipt of application.
  • All clients will receive an initial call from Cancer Council Tasmania’s supportive care staff.
  • A separate application is required for each person, even if they are part of the same family.
  • We are unable to process financial assistance payments if the client is not willing to provide their bank account details.
  • If sufficient details are not provided the referral may be declined.

Accommodation support

Tasmanians undergoing cancer treatment who require overnight accommodation to be closer to their treating hospital and are incurring out-of-pocket costs as a result, may be eligible for accommodation and living away from home financial support through Cancer Council Tasmania.

This financial support is available in addition to other Cancer Council Tasmania financial support payments and other accommodation assistance, such as PTAS or other cancer organisations. Once the referral is submitted, supportive care staff will contact the client directly for additional details about the out-of-pocket costs being accrued and other accommodation financial assistance supports already being accessed. Applications for accommodation assistance must be verified by the health professional.



Under 25s - financial assistance

Cancer Council Tasmania offers support for children, adolescents and young adults impacted by cancer.

There is a range of support and information available for families when a young person is diagnosed with cancer during and after treatment.

The Under 25s program can assist with:

  • Financial support
  • Links to relevant community services
  • Information and resources for young people and their families
  • Emotional support

Rachel & Jye Fund

The Rachel and Jye Fund was established with the aim of providing financial assistance to Tasmanian families where a young person up to the age of 18 years is diagnosed with cancer.

The Rachel & Jye Fund offers:

  • An initial payment to Tasmanian families when a child or adolescent is diagnosed with cancer and/or experiences a relapse.
  • Travel assistance funding where interstate travel is required for treatment

For further information on the Rachel & Jye Fund contact the Cancer Support Team on 1300 65 65 85 or refer@cancertas.org.au

Seize the Day Educational Scholarships

Applications open now.

Our Seize the Day Educational Scholarships help with post-secondary education costs for young Tasmanians impacted by cancer.

Scholarships are between $500 - $2,000, depending on personal circumstances, eligibility and the impact of cancer. Funds can be used towards study-related costs such as course fees, textbooks, stationery, course equipment, transport and accommodation.

Eligibility Criteria for Applicants

  • aged between 16 - 25 years (at time of application)
  • a permanent resident of Tasmania (if the young person has recently moved out of Tasmania for study purposes the parent/guardian must be a permanent resident of Tasmania)
  • impacted by a cancer diagnosis of self or immediate family member (parent/guardian, sibling, spouse, child)
  • the person diagnosed must have had a diagnosis or undergone treatment within 2 years of the application (exceptional circumstances outside of this timeframe will be considered on a case-by-case basis) OR
  • the young person is bereaved by cancer (within 5 years)
  • engaged in post-secondary education/training in the scholarship year including part-time or full-time study at university, TAFE, an apprenticeship or VET course or year 11 and 12 (in Tasmania only)

Scholarship guideline and application process can be found here.

For further information, please contact us by email:  under25program@cancertas.org.au or call 1300 65 65 85.

Apply online

Thank you to our Seize the Day sponsor: Cape Hope Foundation

KidzCan

The KidzCan financial assistance program offers financial assistance to families with children and young people who are either impacted by cancer (0-25yo) or diagnosed with cancer (19-25yo).

KidzCan financial assistance will fund activities and services which improve educational outcomes, build resilience, enhance coping strategies and increase social connection such as:

  • Mental health support (counselling, psychologist)
  • Educational support (tutoring, educational assessments with psychologist, remedial classes)
  • Resilience building, wellbeing and learning (extra-curricular activities such as music/art lessons, sports club fees)
  • Social connection and community engagement (camps and programs which offer respite, fun and new experiences)

For further information about Kidzcan contact the Cancer Support Team on 1300 65 65 85 or refer@cancertas.org.au

Kidzcan financial support program is possible thanks to the generous support of local Tasmanians. Thank you to our current Kidzcan sponsors: United Electrical and Watson Jewellers.



Transport to treatment

Cancer Council Tasmania’s transport2treatment service (t2t) provides transport support to Tasmanians having difficulty getting to and from their cancer treatment appointments. t2t offers a safe and supportive environment for clients.

T2t operates Monday to Friday across Tasmania. It is funded by Cancer Council Tasmania through public fundraising and donations and is made possible by our dedicated volunteer drivers. There are no out of pockets costs for eligible patients.

Eligibility

T2t is available for Tasmanians who otherwise could not get to their cancer treatment appointments, and meet the below eligibility criteria.

To access the service clients must have a cancer diagnosis, be undergoing active treatment and meet at least three of the following criteria.

  • Experiencing financial hardship
  • Unable to self-drive
  • Unable to access public or community transport
  • Experiencing limited family/social support.

Clients must be referred to the service by their treatment team, via the Cancer Council Tasmania supportive care referral form.

Whilst we endeavour to support all referred clients, due to demand on the service and existing bookings we may not be able to service all referral requests. Should that occur, we may work with other service providers in order to provide the transport assistance required or explore other practical assistance options.

The friendship that developed among the patients was very worthwhile and supportive."

An excellent service – I really don’t know what we would have done without it. Everyone was helpful and very caring."

Interested in becoming a t2t volunteer driver or need to talk to our Coordinator?

Please contact the Transport Coordinator at Cancer Council Tasmania on 1300 65 65 85.



Thank you to our financial assistance sponsors:

Find more information about Supportive Care in Tasmania