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  • Educational

Returning to Work

Intended Audience

All members living with cancer.

Program Description

Members often have a variety of concerns when considering returning to work after living with a cancer diagnosis. This six-week educational and support program is designed to address work following cancer, providing support and strategies to move forward. Under the guidance of accomplished and attentive facilitators, this program offers personalized preparation for returning to work, tips on managing health and personal information at work, and assistance in developing a primary self-care plan to support sustained health and wellness.

*Also offered*

  1. Legal and Employment Matters: Legal and HR specialists clarify your legal rights as an employee. 
  2. Money Matters: A solution-based program that assists members in navigating income replacement programs, insurance issues, drug coverage and many other topics. By appointment only. 
  3. Resumes and Interviews: Learn to craft an effective resume for today’s workplace and practice your interview skills with HR professionals.

“Excellent model for ‘coping with change’ with transitions and strategies for self-care.”

“Great program – really enjoyed it. Found most sessions very thought provoking.”

“Excellent information and I loved the facilitators.”

What to Expect at a Session

Members participate in six, two-hour sessions. Topics covered include: the impact of cancer in work and life; decisions and considerations for returning to work; communication and negotiation with employers; and, physical and emotional challenges. In addition to listening and sharing, participants engage in brainstorming sessions, hear from others who have returned to work, and develop personal self-care plans. If returning to work sounds like work, Wellspring;s program lights the way with compassion and humour.

Benefits and Impact

Financial strain and job loss are common problems experienced by people living with cancer (CPAC, 2019; Iragorri et al., 2021; Longo et al., 2021). Many cancer survivors seek to return to work, and an Albertan study from 2022 found that doing so is among the top three practical concerns for many cancer patients (Link et al., 2022). However, returning to work is not always straightforward, and recent studies suggest that interventions supporting this process are needed for some cancer survivors (Fitch & Nicoll, 2019).   

Literature investigating such interventions in cancer survivors have found that they may improve anxiety around returning to work, work self-efficacy, and the likelihood of returning to work (Bains et al., 2011; Grunfeld et al., 2019; Schumacher et al., 2017).  

Program Details

Online

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Wellspring Alberta’s Returning to Work program is generously supported in part by CIBC.

Related Programs

Children’s and Parents’ Program

Wellspring offers a Children’s and Parents’ Program that brings parents and their children together for networking, conversations about having cancer in the family, and for tools to help cope with and express feelings.

Next Steps: Making a Plan with Cancer in Mind

Making a plan to move forward with your life, while factoring in cancer, can be a challenge. In this four-week program you will kick-start your new outlook by building confidence, finding secure footing, and exploring the next steps that feel...

Resumes and Interviews

This multi-week program identifies strategic and competitive advantages in the workplace, and helps members identify and present their distinctive collection of knowledge, skills, abilities, strengths, and experiences that are valuable and marketable.

Returning to Work

Members often have a variety of concerns when considering returning to work after living with a cancer diagnosis. This six-week educational and support program is designed to address work following cancer, providing support and strategies to move forward.