The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department
October 2021
Family - Centered Care Extends Support to the Children of Adult Patients Stefani Tower is a certified child life specialist currently working in a new role of patient and family-centered care specialist. Recognizing that cancer affects the whole family, the patient and family-centered care specialist continues the hospital’s mission of delivering holistic care by supporting children and young adults affected by a caregiver’s cancer diagnosis and treatment in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. In this role, Stefani works with adult patients and families both in person and remotely to understand their medical experience, how it affects their children and the best ways to support them. “What do I tell my child?” That is one of the most common questions for a parent or caregiver when facing a cancer diagnosis. In partnership with the family, Stefani provides guidance on how to have these difficult conversations with children regarding diagnosis and treatment. Stefani is able to meet with a child and caregiver virtually or in person and provides teaching for children, allows the opportunity for the child to ask questions and offers support regarding emotions that may arise. Various therapeutic interventions during these sessions allow for expression of emotions and help with the reduction of stress.
The patient and family-centered care specialist is able to meet with children of adult patients in person or virtually.
For a child, a caregiver’s stay in the hospital can be unsettling and scary. The current visitor policy during the COVID-19 crisis has placed restrictions on children visiting a parent in the hospital and has further affected the coping ability of children and families who have a loved one in the hospital. Recognizing the impact of this separation, Stefani provides books and activities to help enhance and facilitate connection during longer periods of separation. In working in this new role for the past year, families have shared feeling reassured and confident through the support given to their child/children during what is a significantly stressful time.
These are examples of books addressing feelings, diagnosis and separation used with children and families.
Holiday Gift Giving Update We are always extremely grateful to our donors for their support of therapeutic play programming throughout the year, and especially during the holidays. As we approach the holiday season, we’d like to share some helpful information.. We’ve adapted our donation guidelines in order to keep our patients and families as safe as possible in the current climate. The safest method to provide gifts to our pediatric patients and families is by purchasing your donation directly from our Amazon wish list ( http://bit.ly/MS-Child-Life ). Just point your phone camera at the code to the right, and follow the prompt to our wish list. If you are unable to purchase donations for direct delivery to us through our Amazon wish list, please contact our administrative coordinator at bianka.delvarin@mountsinai.org to discuss alternate contactless options.
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The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department Welcomes New Team Members Julissa Guzman joined our team in September 2021 as a patient service liaison. Prior to moving into this role, Julissa served as a business associate on P5 for 14 years. Julissa will rejoin the P5 team in this newly established position, providing vital care and service to pediatric patients and their families. Welcome to the team, Julissa.
Kiara Méndez joined our team as our KZTV weekend producer on July 2021, with a bachelor’s degree in acting and a concentration in drama therapy. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in drama therapy at New York University with the intention of becoming a Creative Arts Therapist. Welcome to the team, Kiara!
Leora Zomick joined the child life team in August 2021 as a certified child life specialist in the Cohen Center for Pediatric Comprehensive Care. With a Master of Science degree from Nova Southeastern University and child life training and work experiences at Good Samaritan Hospital, UPMC Children’s Hospital of
Jess Baer joined our team in July 2021, coming to us with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and experience working with children in a variety of settings. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in child life at Bank Street College of Education with the goal of becoming a certified child life specialist. Welcome to the team, Jess!
Pittsburgh and Englewood Hospital, Leora looks forward to applying her academic background and clinical experiences to this role in the outpatient clinic environment. Welcome, Leora!
Bianka Delvarin joined our team in August 2021 as an administrative coordinator. Prior to joining us, Bianka worked for six years as an administrative coordinator at the Icahn School of Medicine. Bianka is a graduate of Berkley College and has been in the field for over eight years. Welcome, Bianka!
Welcome 2021 / 2022 Interns
Ruthie Charendoff is a graduate child life intern from the Erikson Institute in Illinois where she is pursuing a master’s degree in child development with a concentration in child life. A fun fact about Ruthie is that she used to teach canoeing to kids!
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Olivia Centonza is a graduate intern from the NYU Masters of Music Therapy program. Fun fact: Olivia had a surgical procedure here at Mount Sinai as a child! She looks forward to being here now; this time as an aspiring music therapy clinician.
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Simi Shukla is a graduate art therapy intern in the School of Visual Arts (SVA) Masters of Art Therapy program. A fun fact about Simi is that her favorite genre of music is 90s R&B!
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Carson Lewis is a KidZone TV intern from Baylor University where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in film digital media. A fun fact about Carson is that he is a root beet connoisseur and collects root beer bottles!
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Welcome to the Faris Art Therapy Fellow The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department is grateful to the Faris Foundation for their support in allowing us to continue to grow our art therapy fellowship. Thanks to their generous funding, the fellowship has expanded from a weekend position to one that provides additional weekday art therapy services on Mondays and Fridays in our pediatric hematology and oncology clinic. This year we welcome Sabrina Rodriguez as our new Faris art therapy fellow. Sabrina completed her graduate art therapy internship here at Mount Sinai, and she now brings her great skill and compassion to our pediatric patients and families as she works towards obtaining her creative arts therapy licensure.
Sabrina Rodriguez, Faris Art Therapy Fellow
Sabrina with a patient during the “Let There Be Gold” week.
With additional funding and support from the Faris Foundation, Sabrina and the art therapy team curated a “Let There be Gold” week in September, in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Our hematology and oncology patients enjoyed decorating hats, socks, superhero capes and other themed activities included in their giveaway bags. Parents joined in the fun as well, creating projects alongside their children, and nurses in our hematology/oncology clinic got really spirited this year, dressing up for each of our themed days!
Paws & Play Update: Happy Birthday Amos and Professor! Celebrations were in order in August as the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department recognized Amos and Professor’s birthdays, as both dogs turned six this year. The Paws & Play team hosted a sweets-themed joint birthday party to mark this special occasion. Amos, Professor and Moby dressed up in festive costumes and held a doggy parade through the halls of Kravis Children’s Hospital, as well as in the outpatient hematology/oncology clinic. A special treat cart, including candy and crafts giveaways for patients and families to enjoy, was part of the parade! Sweet treats-themed activities took place in the Child Life Zone, as well as a special birthday KidZone TV show. Celebrating our beloved Animal Assisted Therapy dogs was a joyful and fun day for all. We cannot wait to celebrate Moby’s 4th birthday coming up in December!
A patient’s mother enjoys cuddle time with Professor in the hematology/oncology clinic.
Our two boys celebrating Professor and Amos's birthday during the puppy parade on the units.
Staff Accomplishments Since July, music therapist Jasmine has co-facilitated two more “Chats for Change” for pediatrics. She is also an adjunct professor at Montclair State University, teaching two practicum courses in the graduate music therapy program. As part of a panel, Jasmine will present on a peer-generated Diversity, Equity and Inclusion supervision group in June 2022 at the World Congress for Music Therapy in Edinburgh, Scotland. In October, child life specialist Gretchen presented at the Great Lakes Association of Child Life conference on the individual and group virtual play sessions she facilitated throughout the pandemic. She also highlighted how expanding programming through CCTV allowed her to continue meeting psychosocial needs of patients on a larger platform. In her presentation, she guided the audience through the planning, creating, and implementation of virtual child life programming. In September, Lu Borges, our Patient Media and Technology administrator, presented in the first national Pediatric Gaming Technology Symposium. He presented on our 3D scanning and printing services, specifically our 3D Family Portrait project, were patients and families in any of our units and clinics can capture special moments with their families and make creative decisions on their piece. Lu showed clinicians from around the world how to use this technology to create unique and memorable experiences for patients.
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NICU Child Life Expands Staff and Services The NICU recently welcomed child life specialist, Jennifer Reeves, to the team. With three child life specialists now in the NICU, the team has been able to expand child life services and introduce new projects.
To celebrate this patient turning 7 months old, his footprint was turned into a lion. His mother has identified the lion as an important symbol in her son’s life.
NICU child life has begun offering monthly milestone projects. In the NICU, child life specialists capture weekly milestones and other milestones, such as a caregiver’s first time holding the baby or a baby’s first bath, through photography. Families can now choose from a variety of projects to celebrate their child’s monthly milestones. Projects include plaster cast molding, ink or paint handprints/footprints and 3D printing. Each project is individualized to the patient and catered to meet the family’s needs. While the child life specialist facilitates the project, caregivers are given creative license and are invited to be involved. Siblings can also be involved in these projects from home. For example, a plaster cast mold of a patient’s foot can be made and sent home for siblings to decorate. These projects provide the opportunity to create positive memories during an experience that is often times scary.
Putting the Pieces Together: An Art Therapy Intervention In art therapy, there are many opportunities to explore how to use familiar art material in new ways. The possibilities are endless when provided simply colored paper and a glue stick. One could fold paper to create origami, cut strips for paper weaving, make a simple journal or even create a colorful collage. Recently, one of our art therapists, Christina Auriemma, has been exploring creative colored paper techniques to offer patients and families art experiences as an outlet for self-expression, adjustment, and coping during hospitalization. Christina gained inspiration from the ArtWorks Creative Library,* which features workshops with a variety of art instruction videos and tutorials. One video titled, ‘Ripped Paper Landscapes’ walks the viewer through a simple step by step process of learning a ripped paper technique to create an abstract landscape. This technique offers a non-threatening approach to engaging in art making and supports the notion that all patients and family members can be artists, no matter their skill level or training. Not only is the process of creating therapeutic in itself, this intervention offers a completed product, one to admire and take pride in. The process of ripping paper can aid in releasing inner frustration and coping with anxiety, as well as providing an experience for breaking down and making something whole again in a new way. Christina worked with a teen patient who learned this new process, created an abstract landscape with her favorite colors and gained inspiration to start a series throughout her hospitalization. She even shared interest in teaching her mom this technique and expressed looking forward to a shared creative experience! *provided by ArtWorks, The Naomi Cohain Foundation: www.artworksfoundation.org
Here is just one example of an abstract ripped paper landscape. Simply rip different colored construction paper and layer on the page!
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