This month our featured service is Finding My Way, an online intervention that provides a convenient, user-friendly way to gain information and/or skills to improve physical and mental wellbeing during treatment for cancer.
During February we acknowledged World Cancer Day, promoting awareness and equitable access to cancer prevention and treatment. Anyone can develop cancer and the cancer diagnosis and treatment process can be very difficult, even after successful treatment. Many people have been affected by cancer, be it their own diagnosis or that of a friend or family member, and may need support. Digital mental health resources can provide information, support, counselling and tools to take care of their mental wellbeing.
Finding My Way is one of these services, developed and supported by Lifeline, Flinders University, Flinders Foundation, Cancer Council SA and the Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council. The program was designed as a self-help resource accessible across Australia for anyone coping with the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery from cancer.
About Finding My Way
Finding My Way is an online self-help coping program offering information, suggestions, and support for women and men who have recently been diagnosed with cancer and being treated with the aim of cure. The program was developed as part of a clinical trial for anyone who was going through cancer treatment, or diagnosed in the past 6 months, before being made publicly available for anyone with cancer.
The program offers 6 modules of information and interactive features, including worksheets, online activities, quizzes, relaxation, meditation, and personal note taking. The program contents are relevant to users’ cancer diagnosis and treatment.
It is important to note that Finding My Way is designed as a self-help tool, it is not aimed at people experiencing crisis situations and do not have the ability to respond to concerns out of business hours.
Who is Finding My Way for?
Finding My Way is open to anyone with cancer or undergoing cancer treatment however, it may be most helpful to those who have recently been diagnosed with early-stage cancer. The program is designed as self-help, and as such not aimed at people experiencing crisis situations.
Is there a cost to use Finding My Way?
There is no cost to access or register for Finding My Way.
How to access Finding My Way
Finding My Way can be accessed online at https://findingmyway.org.au/welcome and requires registration with a name, username, password and email address. Participation in the Finding My Way program involves;
- Completing an online survey at the time of registering.
- Completing 6 online modules.
- Completing a booster module one month after the main program has ended.
- Completing three further online surveys (after finishing the main program, after 3 months and after 6 months).
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