LupusLine: Helping Lupus Patients One Phone Call at a Time

LupusLine uses the skills of volunteer counselors from the US, Canada, Europe, South America, Jamaica, China, and India to provide its free service to lupus patients. When patients initially call the line, they will be screened and assessed by a clinical social worker. Based on the information gathered by the social worker, the patient will be paired with one of the volunteer counselors and offered a time slot. After the first session, callers can either end their session or receive ongoing support through weekly, biweekly or monthly phone calls.

One of the best things about the volunteers who work with LupusLine is that many, if not most of them, have lupus themselves. Aside from the 20 hours of training they receive, they can bring to the table a deep understanding of the disease and compassion that only a fellow lupus patient can truly understand.