needs of toddlers and teenagers are very different , so the team must stay attuned to them . For instance , very young children may not understand what ’ s happening , but teenagers need to feel understood , says Chaplain Danny Tomlinson . “ They really want someone who will hear them , and they want their privacy respected .”
High school students who are in the hospital for a week or longer may worry that they will fall too far behind in their schoolwork . A full-time teacher , provided by the Temple Independent School District , keeps students up to date with their classes . “ She ’ s been known to even help children get college applications set up ,” Ms . Upchurch says .
Child life programs let children be themselves One of the goals of child life specialists is to ease the stress and anxiety that children and families may feel about the hospital experience through education , support , and strategic interventions . In addition , the child life assistants provide a safe and therapeutic environment in the child life activity center , known as the playroom . Coordination of special events and special guests is done through the child life team in order to effectively serve the children , families , and guests .
Ms . Upchurch says , “ We as child life specialists focus on the emotional and developmental needs of the children throughout the course of their healthcare journey . We are an integral part of the medical care .” The child life team provides services that promote the child ' s ability to understand and cope with what may be unfamiliar and often uncomfortable . This can include developmentally appropriate preparation programs , support during and after procedures or tests , and opportunities for self-expression .
Programs such as child life are an important illustration of why philanthropy is crucial to a children ’ s hospital . “ The things that make children ’ s hospitals unique are also expensive ,” says Robert Pryor , MD , chief operating officer and chief medical officer at Scott & White Healthcare . “ Having the ability to raise money to provide the extra services that make children ’ s healthcare really work is very important to patients ’ overall recovery .” Child life services are not reimbursed by health insurance companies and are not charged back to the patient ; in fact they are funded mostly by philanthropy .
Social workers and chaplains Another integral member of the patient ’ s team is the social work professional . Social workers , who also function as case managers , coordinate each patient ’ s discharge plan and serve as a conduit between the medical team and the child ’ s family . Their key priority is to strengthen families and ensure successful communication with the medical team . Social workers are busy anticipating patients ’ needs by performing psychosocial assessments , providing support to families , and learning more about them long before
“ We as child life specialists focus on the emotional and developmental needs of the children throughout the course of their healthcare journey .”
— Jan Upchurch , MA , MSc , CCLS
parents have even thought about when their child will go home . Social workers also help to secure financial assistance for families who need it . “ Basically , our job is to connect families with resources ,” says pediatric clinical Social Worker Serena Harkins . “ We try to offset all the little things that pop up . We try to make the family as comfortable as possible so they can focus on their child ’ s recovery .”
When families and patients need spiritual counseling , Chaplain Tomlinson , an ordained Baptist minister , will visit . “ In pediatrics the chaplain is seen as someone who contributes to the health and wellbeing of the patient by addressing emotional and spiritual issues ,” he says . Religious leaders representing other faiths are available as well .
Stepping in during a crisis While nurses , social workers , and child life specialists meet with all families and patients who come to the children ’ s
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