Support Group Directory | UCSF Medical Center

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The general cancer group is a free, ongoing, weekly group open to patients with cancer of all stages and types. Please call for more information and to register.

Location: UCSF Cancer Resource Center, 1600 Divisadero St., First Floor
Meetings: Wednesdays from 5:20 to 6:50 p.m.
Contact: Patty Moran (415) 353-9745 or moranp@ocim.ucsf.edu

A group for men and women, and their significant others, who are coping with a diagnosis of bladder cancer and wish to connect with others to share their experiences and stories, educate, advocate and support each other in the process of navigating this illness.

Location: UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1600 Divisadero St., Third Floor Conference Room H-3805
Meetings: Please call for times and dates
Contact: Karen Schanche (415) 353-7632 or Janelle Wenger (415) 353-7171

A support group for parents with children who received bone marrow transplants at UCSF Children's Hospital. Parents share practical advice and support one another and are encouraged to attend while their children are in the hospital and also after their children are discharged home. Coffee and light snacks are provided by Starbucks.

Location: UCSF Children's Hospital, 505 Parnassus Ave., Seventh Floor, Long wing waiting room
Meetings: At least once a month, more frequently as needed from 1 to 2 p.m.
Contact: Amanda Kice (415) 353-2896

A safe place to share feelings and feel supported by others diagnosed with breast cancer in the beginning or middle stages of treatment.

Location: UCSF Cancer Resource Center, 1600 Divisadero St., Room B-101
Meetings: First and third Thursday of the month, 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Contact: Kerri Keough, MSW, (415) 353-9874.

People living with various types of colorectal cancer meet to share their experiences, concerns and questions with one another.

Location: UCSF Cancer Resource Center, 1600 Divisadero St., Room B-101
Meetings: Second and fourth Thursday of the month, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Contact:Vittorio Comelli, (415) 637-2895, vittorio.comelli@ucsf.edu

A group for family and friends of cancer patients meets to discuss practical topics, such as community resources and caregiving, as well as share experiences and concerns.

Location: UCSF Cancer Resource Center, 1600 Divisadero St., First Floor, Room B-101
Meetings: Second and fourth Thursday of each month from 4 to 5:15 p.m.
Contact: Michele Francis, social worker, (415) 353-7982

A group for men whose wives or partners are dealing with cancer. The group explores positive ways of dealing with cancer, provides mutual emotional support and shares information about treatments, side effects, complementary therapies, financial and insurance issues.

Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, Hodgkin's Disease and Bone Marrow Transplant Inpatient Group

This is an informal educational and support group for hematology and bone marrow transplant patients who are in the hospital. Family members are welcome to attend. Topics include adjusting to a diagnosis of cancer, navigating the healthcare system, preparing for hospital discharge, complementary and alternative therapies, caregiver support and bone marrow and stem cell transplant.

Location: Second and fourth Thursday of the month from 3 to 4 p.m.
Meetings: 505 Parnassus Ave., 11th Floor in the Solarium of the Long wing
Contact: Lisa Ramsey and Tiffany Harris (415) 353-2965

Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma and Hodgkin's Disease Support Oupatient Group

A support group for patients and their families to share their thoughts and feelings with others living with cancer. The group is facilitated by social worker Carolyn Long and nurse Cheryl Breed.

Location: 513 Parnassus Ave., Room S-168 or S-170
Meetings: Second Tuesday of the month from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Contact: Shirley McGrath, of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, (415) 625-1105

For persons living with various types of lung cancer to share their experiences, concerns and questions with one another.

This longstanding group welcomes new members. Current members include people with a range of stage and treatments, with members in their 20s to 70s. Group discussions range from comparing experiences with treatment, efforts to reduce stress and improve health, and supporting each other's emotional wellbeing.

Location: UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1600 Divisadero St.
Meetings: Third Monday of the month, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Contact: Dianne Shumay (415) 353-9973

Share common experiences with other survivors of oral, head and neck cancer. Hear useful information from a speech and language therapist.

Location: UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1600 Divisadero St.
Meetings: Third Wednesday of the month, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Contact: Daphne Stuart, LCSW, (415) 885-7394

This group is open to UCSF patients and the community. It's a place for men and their significant others to exchange information, provide support to one another and improve symptom management.

Location: UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1600 Divisadero St., Room 704-B
Meetings: Second and fourth Wednesday of the month, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Contact: Vittorio Comelli, (415) 637-2895, vittorio.comelli@ucsf.edu

This is a group for gay men and their significant others. It is open to UCSF patients and to the community. It's a place for men and their partners exchange information, provide support to one another and improve symptom management.

Location: UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1600 Divisadero St., Room 704-B
Meetings: First and third Wednesday of the month, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Contact: Vittorio Comelli, (415) 637-2895, vittorio.comelli@ucsf.edu

This support group is a place for people in their 20s and 30s to come together to share their stories, insights and offer support to each other. The group is open to people with all types of cancer at all stages of disease and treatment, including people who are post-treatment, but are looking for a cancer support community.

Location: UCSF Cancer Resource Center, 1600 Divisadero St.
Meetings: The first and third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.
Contact: Keren Stronach (510) 540-5147

Location: F.I. Proctor Foundation, 95 Kirkham Street, San Francisco, CA 94143-0944
Meetings: Every other month
Contact: Lizzi Esterberg, elizabeth.esterberg@ucsf.edu, (415) 476-6687

The group is designed to provide support and education to the families of people with FTD and related neurodegenerative diseases. The group addresses the needs of FTD caregivers whose concerns are often different than those of Alzheimer's disease caregivers. Format is informal with open discussion and occasional speakers. Caregivers and family members of patients are welcome.

Location: UCSF Ambulatory Care Center, 400 Parnassus Ave., Eight Floor, Neurology Conference Room
Meetings: Second Thursday of the month from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Contact: Robin Ketelle (415) 502-1053 or rketelle@memory.ucsf.edu

The group welcomes affected individuals, at-risk individuals, family members, loved ones, friends and caregivers. The group offers support and education in a caring, safe and relaxed environment. The format is informal with occasional guest speakers who are invited to share their knowledge of medical management, research and resources.

Location: Westminster Presbyterian Church, 240 Tiburon Blvd., First Floor, Tiburon
Meetings: Third Thursday the month from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Contact: Andrea Zanko (415) 476-9320 or azanko@itsa.ucsf.edu

This group is for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, offering hope and help for coping and living with the illness. Their family members meet in a separate support group at the same time and location and focus on caregiving issues unique to the beginning of the illness. Occasionally both support groups meet together, enhancing communication between those with Alzheimer's and their families.

Location: Call for location
Meetings: Weekly meetings. A pre-enrollment interview is required. To join the group, interested individuals must have a diagnosis of dementia, be informed of and at least occasionally able to acknowledge the illness, have good communication and social skills and want to participate in the group.
Contact: Clients can be referred for screening to Heather Gray at the Alzheimer's Association (650) 623-3133

This group, under the guidance of an artist facilitator, offers individuals a means of self-expression through the process of painting and drawing. In this program, a person with diminished verbal and organizational skills can communicate using paints or pencil by recreating a memory on paper or canvas. The art sessions are facilitated by an artist and assistant who have extensive art backgrounds and knowledge of dementing illnesses.

Location: Nursing Building, Room N-61720, 2 Koret Way (or enter through 513 Parnassus)
Meetings: Second Thursday of the month from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m., RSVP required
Contact: Tremaine Thomas (415) 476-5591 or tthomas@memory.ucsf.edu

A.W.A.K.E. (Alert, Well, And Keeping Energetic) is a support group for people with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a sleep and breathing disorder. The meetings focus mostly on coping with using CPAP therapy for OSA. The meetings are educational as well as supportive, and usually include a guest speaker to talk on a topic relating to OSA or CPAP.

The group encourages all patients, friends and family members to join the support group. A guest speaker will be featured followed by open discussion.

The support group allows Teens affected by epilepsy to share their stories and concerns with others that are in similar situations. Education and resources will also be presented by guest speakers.

Location: Ambulatory Care Center, 400 Parnassus Ave, 8th floor Rm. A-888
Meetings: The first Saturday of every month from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Contacts: Maritza Lopez, RN (415)353-2437 or maritza.lopez@ucsfmedctr.org

This group is open to patients and their loved ones and is facilitated by two neuroscience nurses, Mary Lovely and Sharon Lamb. The meetings are an open round-table format with time for questions and sharing.

Location: Medical Sciences building, 521 Parnassus Ave., Room C-130
Meetings: The first Wednesday of the month from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Contacts: Mary Lovely (415) 990-4461 or mary.lovely@sbcglobal.net and Sharon Lamb (415) 661-1442 or lambs@neurology.ucsf.edu

The group offers peer-based psychsocial support for heart and lung transplant patients. The group varies and may have both pre and post transplant patients in attendance. It is facilitated by two transplant social workers. Periodically, speakers are invited to present on a topic relevant to transplant. Caregivers or family members are welcome to the group.

Meetings: Every fourth Thursday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. Please call for location.
Contact: Nikki Galin (415) 353-8818

This support group includes patients who have had a liver transplant as well as those who are waiting for one, and their families. It allows patients to hear about the liver transplant experience from the patient's perspective. It can also help you prepare, both physically and emotionally, for the changes you'll face before and after a liver transplant.

Location: UCSF Medical Center, 505 Parnassus Ave., Room L-949, Ninth Floor Solarium
Meetings: Every Tuesday from 1 to 2 p.m.
Contact: Sherry Laemmermann (415) 353-1040 or Pauline Rogers (415) 353-1284

This is a group open to patients affected by interstitial lung disease (ILD) and their families and caregivers. This support group provides an opportunity learn from each other in an informal setting in hopes of living well with ILD.

Meetings: Please call for dates and location.
Contact: Sally McLaughlin (415) 353-2577

This support group is open to patients with pulmonary hypertension and their caregivers. The group strives to offer both peer and professional support and education andßis facilitated by a clinical social worker with the UCSF Medical Center Pulmonary Hypertension Program.

Location: 500 Parnassus Ave., Millberry Union West, Fourth Floor, Room W-427
Meetings: Second Tuesday of every other month from 1 to 3 p.m.
Contact: Andrea Gergay (415) 353-1382 or andrea.gergay@ucsfmedctr.org