Register now to express your interest in
Circle of Support
(Click here to join IDFA if you are not a member before completing the Circle of Support form)
Complete the form below to express your interest to chat with a Peer Mentor to find out more about Circle of Support.
Circle of Support is available to all IDFA members with a recent diagnosis, as well as members experiencing isolation or other challenges managing their immunodeficiency.
Members will be able to chat with a Peer Mentor about issues related to their immunodeficiency or that of a family member, and develop an action plan for areas of support. Regular contact with the Peer Mentor can then be arranged to work towards personal goals and actions to improve quality of life and support self-management.
If you’d like to express interest in Circle of Support please fill in the form below and IDFA staff will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
To find out more view our Circle of Support FAQs here.
Circle of Support - Sign Up
Why participate in Circle of Support?
Connect with a Peer Mentor who can get to know your journey and help you work though issues impacting your Immunodeficiency.
Be empowered to work towards your personal goals for wellbeing, treatment, social connection and lifestyle
Receive free, personalised, holistic mentoring support to improve your quality-of-life with an Immunodeficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Peer Mentoring?
Peer Mentoring is free support for IDFA members to improve their self-management of treatment and wellbeing while living with an immunodeficiency.
The aim of Peer Mentoring is to support members to improve their quality of life.
Peer Mentors aim to:
- Connect with you to understand your personal journey and challenges
- Empower you to identify and work towards personal self-management and lifestyle goals
- Support you to develop skills to self-manage and self-advocate to maximise your wellbeing and quality of life.
Peer Mentors provide social and emotional support and member directed health coaching and mentoring to build confidence to help you maximise your wellbeing living with your immunodeficiency.
What experience do Peer Mentors have?
IDFA Peer Mentors are members with lived experience managing their own immunodeficiency or caring for another with an immunodeficiency.
They have completed training to provide IDFA Circle of Support Peer Mentoring. This includes mental health and wellbeing, treatment options and working with healthcare providers, self-advocacy, managing fatigue and pain, options to manage the cost of treatment, managing work or study or other life transition impacting on you and your management, and supporting holistic self-management for immune health such as nutrition, sleep and physical activity.
Can I choose my Peer Mentor?
You will be matched to an IDFA Peer Mentor ideally in your state and territory. If you are a carer ideally you will be matched with a Peer Mentor who is a carer.
A matched Peer Mentor will contact you at a nominated day and time so you can ask questions and find out more about them and Circle of Support.
You can then decide to continue with Circle of Support or find another Peer Mentor if gender or age is a strong consideration for you. You can discuss your specific needs with the IDFA team.
Do I have to participate for 12 weeks?
You can choose to receive Peer Mentoring support for a period of up to 12 weeks or less to focus on key areas. You can also choose to extend the Circle of Support period if needed in consultation with your Peer Mentor to focus on other self-management areas and update your Circle of Support Plan.
Circle of Support content is directed by members. You can discuss with your Peer Mentor contact arrangements and goals and actions for your personal Circle of Support Plan.
Once you are happy with your Circle of Support plan send it to your Peer Mentor to send to IDFA as part of your enrolment. You may also choose to update your plan, particularly if you have arranged to extend your Circle of Support period.
What if I get sick or need to travel during Circle of Support
Circle of Support is flexible, and Peer Mentors understand the day-to-day challenges of living with an immunodeficiency.
If travelling or managing study, work or caring commitments you can make contact arrangements to include in your personal Circle of Support plan.
Are my mentoring sessions private?
Yes. All contact with your Peer Mentor remains private and confidential. In the case that a Peer Mentor is concerned for your mental wellbeing they will refer you to relevant support services and your GP and let IDFA know a referral was made.
The Peer Mentor can also send any health or medical questions you may have to the IDFA Health Professional Advisory Panel and will send their response.
All Peer Mentors are IDFA Volunteers and abide by IDFA Code of Conduct and Privacy, Disclosure and Confidentiality Policies.
What areas can I receive support?
Your Circle of Support Plan can include a wide variety of personal goals and actions. These may include mental health and wellbeing, treatment options and working with healthcare providers, self-advocacy, managing fatigue and pain, options to manage treatment and medication costs, managing work or study or other life transition impacting on you and your self-management, and supporting holistic self-management for immune health such as nutrition, sleep and physical activity.
You can also discuss any other areas impacting on your wellbeing with your Peer Mentor to include in your Circle of Support plan.
Your Peer Mentor will work with you to help you prioritise personal areas for support and develop a practical and realistic Circle of Support Plan for your mentoring period to suit your personal circumstances.
How often can I contact my Peer Mentor?
You and your Peer Mentor will also discuss your specific contact arrangements, and this will be included in your Circle of Support Plan.
This can include weekly or fortnightly contact depending on Peer Mentor availability, method of contact and member or Peer Mentor initiated contact.
Your assigned Peer Mentor will contact you for an initial introduction to the and answer any questions you may have.
If you and your Peer Mentor decide to continue with Circle of Support and phone calls are the arranged method of contact, you can call the Peer Mentor at the agreed nominated times.
If video-chat is the arranged contact method, then the Peer Mentor will send an email or phone text message your video-chat session link for the arranged time and day. You are then required to join in the arranged sessions.
Both you and your Peer Mentor can make flexible contact arrangements to manage any health care needs and work, study, caring and other commitments.