CL DISCOVER 2022 October

DISCOVER The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department

October 2022

Young Patient Recovers with the Support from a Wide Array of Child Life Interventions Two-year-old Anniston and his family arrived at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital from Louisiana earlier in the year. Anniston received a small bowel transplant, and just a few days after surgery, he arrived on the general pediatrics unit, P5, for monitoring as well as healing from his surgery. Anniston recovered on P5 for two months with his mother, Tricia, by his side.

Throughout his two-month admission, Anniston quickly adjusted to the hospital setting and happily engaged in as many activities as he could with the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy team. “These activities provided Anniston with a sense of normalcy and supported his development while in the hospital,” according to Michelle Badejo, P5 CCLS II. During his admission, Anniston eagerly engaged in music, art and dance-movement therapy. He also participated in animal assisted therapy, KidZone TV programming and play sessions with child life.

Early on, it was made known to all that Anniston was a huge Disney fan. Anniston’s hospital room was bright and decorated with Disneythemed bedding and pictures from friends and family. Artwork made

by Anniston also filled all four walls of his room, creating a more comfortable and homey space. Songs from the Disney movie, Moana, were often heard from Anniston’s room whenever he met with his music therapist and dance-movement therapist. Anniston also shared his love for Disney movies with the in-hospital studio, KidZone TV. As an avid KidZone TV bingo player, Anniston was invited to create a bingo board for the studio and went with the theme of Disney villains.

When bingo had finished for the day, Anniston would usually be found in the playroom, which is run by the P5 child life team. Anniston’s favorite play activities included cooking up a meal in the kitchen, creating new artwork with stickers and markers and engaging in medical play by becoming “Dr. Anniston,” and helping all the baby dolls with a stomachache feel better.

Anniston enjoys the P5 Child Life playroom

Anniston’s journey on the P5 inpatient unit truly captured the array of therapeutic offerings provided by the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy team. “As his journey with P5 comes to an end, we are certain that Anniston’s bubbly personality and resilient attitude will carry him through the rest of his medical journey,” said Badejo.

LB 2019

Mountsinai.org/childlife

-

Facebook.com/MSchildlife -

Instagram: @MSchildlife

@KZTVlive

@mountsinai_pawsandplay

Use of Heartbeat Music Intervention in PICU Increases Heartbeat recordings offer families a unique form of memory making and a means of sustaining a connection to their child during periods of critical illness. Using a modified stethoscope that houses a contact microphone, our music therapy team captures a recording of the child’s heartbeat and then collaborates with the child’s family in identifying preferred music that is recorded live and set to the tempo of the heartbeat. With the heartbeat as the natural rhythmic foundation to the music chosen by the family, a meaningful composition is created that can support coping during a very challenging time.

A customized stethoscope is used by our Music Therapists

Project Sunshine and NICU Caregiver Event In September, the NICU, along with Project Sunshine, hosted the first inperson caregiver event since the start of the pandemic. Families from the NICU, PICU and PCICU were invited to participate in a variety of self-care activities. Caregivers were able to connect with one another while creating their own aromatherapy lotions or decorating keepsake boxes and picture frames. Beautiful pieces of jewelry from designer Kendra Scott were donated to families. Events such as these allow caregivers a moment for themselves to focus on their own physical and emotional well-being.

Welcome to the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Team!

Amber Deas, born and raised in Manhattan, recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Syracuse University. She is now attending Bank Street University to obtain a Master’s Degree in Child Life. “My family calls me the ‘Child Whisperer’ and says I was born to bring joy to the little ones,” Amber stated. Amber started as a child life volunteer in an outpatient clinic and is now a child life assistant. Some of her duties include running evening zone group and bedside activities. Amber is very excited and grateful to be a part of the child life team!

Bethany Pincus recently joined the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy team as a music therapist.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy from Molloy College (now Molloy University) and a Master of Arts in Music Therapy from New York University. Bethany’s passion for working in the pediatric medical setting began as the music specialist at Sunrise Day Camp on Long Island, a summer camp for children with cancer and their siblings. This passion led to opportunities to intern at Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Although born and raised in New York City, Bethany began her professional career as a music therapist in Los Angeles, California, working at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and Memorial Care Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital. Bethany is very excited to be back at home in NYC and to be working with this very special team at Kravis Children’s Hospital.

Rosemary Quispe is a recent graduate of New York University’s Masters in Art Therapy program.

She also has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design. Her artistic inclinations and education throughout life have allowed her to witness how art can be a powerful tool for self-expression and has led her on the road to becoming an art therapist. At NYU Langone, Rosemary co-facilitated support groups for adults living with neurological degenerative illness, guiding them through the struggles and triumphs of treatment. Additionally, she has experience working with students through a wide range of concerns surrounding identity, depression, anxiety, and academic success. Her most recent experience was with the Summer Rising program, a summer project organized by New York City and the DOE in response to the educational and psychosocial adjustments of the (COVID-19) pandemic. Rosemary is very excited and immensely grateful to the Faris Foundation and the Creative Arts therapy Department here at Mount Sinai for the opportunity to continue growing and offering support while working towards obtaining licensure.

Mountsinai.org/childlife

-

Facebook.com/MSchildlife -

Instagram: @MSchildlife

@KZTVlive

@mountsinai_pawsandplay 2

Youth and Family Advisors Gather and Celebrate!

Youth and family advisors enjoyed a rooftop gathering on September 13, 2022.

Facilitators from all three councils came together to celebrate the work of the dedicated youth and family advisors.

Music Therapist Hosts Engaging Interactive Live Show On KidZone TV with Patient Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital pediatric patient and KidZone TV star, Sheldon, shared his musical talents on our monthly “Drop-IN The Beats Show.” Hosted by music therapist, Todd and his trust side-kick, Squeaks, “Beats” is all about selfexpression and creativity. Sheldon joined Todd and Squeaks to help create a unique song live during the 30-minute show. Sheldon also wowed our audience by performing, “You Ain’t Nothin But A Hound Dog,” by Elvis Presley for our KZTV viewers.

Edel Law Joins Team of Hospital Teachers This fall the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital welcomed a new teacher to the Hospital Schools Program. Edel Law joins our team of teachers from the NYC Department of Education designated to provide educational services for NYC public and private school students hospitalized at Kravis. The team also works with patients receiving care at the hospital’s Blau Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disease. In addition to reducing academic gaps due to illness and associated school absences, participation in the hospital school program can help children and adolescents retain a sense of normalcy and reduce the stress related to being in the hospital. Principal of the Hospital Schools Program, Mary Maher, MSED, champions the mission "to provide individualized instruction to sustain academic achievement and social emotional learning, while facilitating flexible lessons that encourage critical thinking and a love of learning."

Staff Accomplishments Morgan Stojanowski presented “SPS NYS Regional Patient and Family Engagement Committee: Bringing the Patient and Parent Experience to the Forefront” at the Solutions for Patient Safety regional conference on September 16, 2022.

Diane Rode presented a half-day workshop on clinical supervision and reflective practice at the annual child life leadership conference in Arizona in September.

The September edition of the Children’s Hospital Association newsletter, “Children’s Today,” highlighted the work of Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, Jaclyn Craig, and full time facility dog, Moby.

Mountsinai.org/childlife

-

Facebook.com/MSchildlife -

Instagram: @MSchildlife

@KZTVlive

@mountsinai_pawsandplay

3

National Newsletter Spotlights Kravis Animal Therapy Program In September, the Children’s Hospital Association newsletter, Children’s Hospitals Today, highlighted the work of full-time facility dog, Moby. Jaclyn Craig, Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, and Moby work together within The Mount Sinai Health System supporting health care workers. The article summarized the importance of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) in addressing the broad range of challenges and vulnerabilities clinical teams face working in the hospital setting. Together, Jaclyn and Moby bring positivity and comfort throughout the Mount Sinai Health System.

Scan this code with your phone camera to read the full article.

Art Therapist Introduces Entertaining Interactive Game in Hematology/Oncology Clinic Patients in the outpatient hematology/oncology clinic engaged in a group art making experience called “Roll the Dice & Draw!”

This game “provided an outlet for socialization, creative expression and fun during treatment with the special addition of facility dog, Professor, who joined in on all the fun,” stated Christina Auriemma, art therapist. Patients took turns rolling the art dice to indicate what type of image to draw on the page, such as lots of lines, silly swirls or shiny stars. Professor also took a turn rolling his own set of dice to indicate colors for patients to use to decorate the collaborative artwork.

Holiday Preparations are Underway The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department is preparing for the holidays! From Halloween to the winter holiday season, celebrations are in the works. For Halloween and Día de Muertos, patients and families can choose from racks of exciting new costumes at the costume shop, in addition to “reverse trick-or-treating” in which staff deliver festive giveaways from room to room. For the winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and more) we transform our theater space into a wonderful holiday gift shop where donated gifts fill the shelves. Caregivers can stop by to “shop” for gifts for patients and even their siblings at home. Christmas morning brings extra fun as our volunteer Santas visits families at bedside. These celebrations would not be possible without your generous support.

Please scan the QR code, visit our wish list, and choose an item to help our families celebrate!

Link to our wish list: https://amzn.to/3jHGTs9

Follow Us and See the Exciting Things

Instagram Child Life

Facebook Child Life

Instagram KZTV

Instagram Paws & Play 4