The Peer Mentor Program can link you with a volunteer who knows what it is like to have cancer. Our volunteer peer mentors are people who have experienced cancer treatment and are trained to support you and help you to navigate your care.
If you would like to meet with one of our peer mentors who understands what you are going through, this program can match you with someone who has lived experience with a similar or the same type of cancer.
This program is currently available to support people with:
- Head and neck cancer
Peter Mac also has bicultural peer mentors who are available to provide culturally specific and in-language support for the following community groups, if needed:
- Indian (mentor speaks Hindi, Marathi and Konkani)
- Taiwanese and Chinese (mentor speaks Taiwanese, Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese)
- Croatian (mentor speaks Croatian)
What does the program involve?
The Patient Experience and Wellbeing team can link you with a volunteer peer mentor who has had a similar cancer experience to you. They can engage in one-on-one conversations, whether in person, over the phone, or via video call. The type and level of support can be tailored to meet your specific needs.
The support they will provide is flexible but might involve:
- The volunteer peer mentor sharing things they learnt during their cancer experience.
- Help to navigate cancer treatment and the healthcare system.
- Support before, during or after appointments.
- Assistance to access the right information at the right time.
This program has been made possible by a research grant from the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund. The aim of the research project is to determine whether peer mentors can improve the experience and access to healthcare for people with cancer.
If you decide to participate in this program, you will need to complete a set of surveys. The Peer Mentor team will provide you with a plain language statement explaining the research project and obtain your consent for involvement.
To be linked with a peer mentor or to find out more:
Email:
Phone the Wellbeing Centre: (03) 8559 6260