Chapter Resources 

Chapter Office

75 NE 6th Ave., Suite 110
Delray Beach, FL 33483

Phone: (561) 279-8606

Business hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Staff members and volunteers operate the office under the direction and supervision of the Chapter.  We respond to phone, mail and walk-in inquirers and provide information and materials on Lupus and are responsible for maintaining records and files, handling requests for research of chapter library materials, checking in/out library printed materials and more.

 

Information and Referral Line

Phone: (561) 279-8606 or 1-800-339-0586 (FL only).  Calls are handled by office staff during business hours. Callers after business hours may leave a message. Callers are mailed a basic package of information on LUPUS. All callers also receive two complimentary issues of the Chapter newsletter.

Chapter Newsletter - LUPUS LIFELINE

The Chapter newsletter, Lupus Lifeline, is published five times per year.  It contains articles on Lupus and related areas of interest from professional and lay sources, chapter news, and current development and research.  Highlights of Chapter programs, activities and other resource information are featured as well. Printable copies (in .PDF format) are available here.

 

Medical Symposium

Each year, the Chapter sponsors one or more symposiums that feature local and national speakers knowledgeable in the diagnosis, treatment and research efforts of Lupus and related disorders. Speakers include those in the specialty areas of Rheumatology, Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and more. Nationally known authors have also been involved in presenting information on coping strategies and patient roles and responsibility. The attendance from this event has grown from its first audience of 50 to nearly 300!  Every effort is made to ensure availability of attendance slots for all who wish to attend.

 

Patient Orientation and Support Group Services

The Chapter sponsors monthly sessions for newly diagnosed patients (or those patients who have been diagnosed but are new to the self-help group experience), family members and friends. You can find out more about the time and location of this patient orientation and the local support groups on this page.
The goals of these groups include:

• Provide participants with an opportunity to receive introductory information about Lupus
  

• Encourage the expression of concerns
  

• Provide an opportunity to share experiences
  

• Encourage and support positive coping strategies that might prove useful in daily life
  

• Emphasize the importance of medical treatment
  

• Assist participant with understanding/strengthening his/her role in the health care team

 

Outreach Programs

The chapter's Outreach Program seeks to locate persons with lupus throughout the seven counties served by the chapter; to provide them with information, education and referral services; to organize and conduct support groups for lupus victims and their families; and to provide education and training to medical and other health care professionals in detecting, diagnosing and treating persons with lupus.

 

Project Diversity

This new outreach project is designed address the most critical unmet need facing our organization. – that of finding and serving lupus sufferers within multi-cultural ethnic minority low-income populations. Primary target populations are persons with Hispanic, Haitian, Guatemalan or African-American heritage.

The lupus problem is growing rapidly in South Florida as a result of the exponential population growth and the influx of various ethnic minority groups, which suffer higher lupus incidence rates than the population as a whole. We have received grants from the Community Foundation of the Palm Beach and Martin Counties and the United Way of Palm Beach County to partially support PROJECT DIVERSITY.

PROJECT DIVERSITY is working collaboratively with agencies serving minority populations; is working on development of a training curriculum; is translating materials to Creole and distributing them to area rheumatologists; and planning to work with major employer's medical and human services departments to assist them in identifying workers with lupus.

 

Community Education Programs

The Chapter operates a Speakers' Bureau that is made up of lay and professional speakers that are available to present information on Lupus at meetings, health fairs and workshops. The Chapter operates a Resource Library with books, brochures, audio and video tapes, and printed articles relating to Lupus.  Chapter volunteers handle requests for information on specific topics - articles are copied and mailed to the requester.  Requests can be made by calling the office at (561) 279-8606 or 1-800-339-0586 (FL only) OR by filling out this email form (or by printing it, filling it out and mailing it to our office).