Course Objectives

  • Participant will be able to describe the impact of a parent or caregiver’s illness on the child and family.

  • Participant will be able to articulate a variety of factors that contribute to a child or teenager's adjustment to a parent's illness.

  • Participant will be able to identify the importance and essential components of assessment.

  • Participant will become familiar with strategies to mitigate potential psychosocial stressors for children and families impacted by the illness.

Course curriculum

  1. 1

    • Course Description and Objectives

    • Navigating the Learning Platform

    • Introduction

    • Imagine this....
  2. 2

    • Introduction

    • Prevalence

    • Literature Highlights on Impact

    • Literature Highlights on the Importance of Intervention & Support

    • Families & Illness

    • Children & Illness

    • Changes in the Family

    • Reflecting on Myths & Misperceptions

    • Proactive Support

    • Sharing Information with Children Early

    • Who Does this Work?

    • Digging Deeper

    • Barriers to Doing this Work
  3. 3

    • Introduction

    • Infant/Toddler Understanding & Reactions

    • Preschool Child Understanding & Reactions

    • Preschool Illustrations

    • School Age Understanding & Reactions

    • School Age Child Illustration

    • Older School Age Illustration

    • Adolescent Understanding & Reactions

    • Young Adult Understanding & Reactions

    • Adolescent/Young Adult Illustration
  4. 4

    • Introduction

    • Child Psychosocial Factors

    • Family Psychosocial Factors

    • Adult Reactions to Illness

    • Digging Deeper
  5. 5

    • Introduction

    • Respecting Cultural Beliefs

    • Patient and Family Centered Care

    • Working Toward Culturally Sensitive Care

    • Critical Components of Cultural Competence

    • Tips for Culturally Sensitive Care

    • Spirituality and Religion
  6. 6

    • Introduction

    • Characteristics of Illness

    • Digging Deeper: Reflection Activity

    • Trajectory of Illness or Injury

    • The Debellas Family

    • Family Experience with Illness

    • Digging Deeper: Case Examples
  7. 7

    • Introduction

    • Assessment Is the Foundation

    • Digging Deeper: Case Example

    • Common Reasons for Request for Service

    • Request for Service: Referral Sources

    • High-stress points versus Low-stress points

    • High-Stress Point is a Specific Time on Disease Trajectory

    • Loss Produces High-Stress Moments

    • Significant Component of Assessment: Is it Loss, Trauma or Both

    • Childhood trauma, high-stress point related to medical event

    • Assessment of Special Circumstances: Why tell children the truth

    • Assessment of Special Circumstances: Children have been given incorrect information

    • Assessment Leads to Role Choice

    • Assessment Checklist
  8. 8

    • Introduction to Intervention
  9. 9

    • Introduction

    • Essentials of Therapeutic Intervention

    • Recipient Options

    • Therapeutic Goals of Intervention

    • Digging Deeper: Reflection Activity

    • Intervention Options to Achieve Goals

    • Supportive Listening

    • Supportive Listening Playroom Example

    • Identification of Feelings

    • Identification of Feelings Video Example

    • Development and Use of Coping Resources

    • Identification of Strengths & Resources

    • Additional Topics of Concern Overview

    • Additional Topics of Concern Explained

    • Delivery Options

    • Group Session Example

    • Suggested Items for Work with this Population
  10. 10

    • Introduction

    • At Diagnosis

    • At Diagnosis Video Example

    • Telling Children about Diagnosis

    • Importance of Telling Children

    • Communicating about Illness and Illness Education

    • Treatment Plan in Place

    • Hospital Visit

    • Visiting the Treatment Center

    • Example of 360-degree Treatment Center Tour

    • Emergency Room Visit

    • Visit in the Intensive Care Unit
  11. 11

    • Introduction

    • Understanding Chronic Illness

    • What Support is Needed for Chronic Illness

    • When Changes Occur

    • One Family's Story of Change

    • When the Change is in the Child

    • When Additional Support is Needed
  12. 12

    • Introduction

    • Getting Started

    • Considerations Regarding Service

    • When Things Will Not Get Better

    • The Role of Hope

    • Finding Balance between Honesty and Hope

    • Preparing for Death

    • Digging Deeper

    • Support Services for Families Facing Death

    • When Death has a Traumatic Component

    • In Conclusion
  13. 13

    • Resources

    • Professional Resources

    • Parent Resources

    • Resources External to Wonders & Worries
  14. 14

    • References

    • Reference Materials
  15. 15

    • Conclusion and Next Steps
  16. 16

    • Post Assessment
  17. 17

    • Course Evaluation

Instructor(s)

Co-Founder & Director of Education, Training & Program Initiatives

Melissa Hicks, MS, CCLS, LCMHC

Wonders & Worries

Clinician & Author

Kathleen McCue, MA, CCLS, LSW

What Others Are Saying

5 star rating

The Title for this course was perfect. It encompasses so ...

Tanya Armstrong

The Title for this course was perfect. It encompasses so much that it must have been difficult to name it. It caught my eye and didn't let me down. The i...

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The Title for this course was perfect. It encompasses so much that it must have been difficult to name it. It caught my eye and didn't let me down. The information in this course was outstanding. It was well organized, very informative with great examples and very real. I learned many new things and reaffirmed many things that I had been doing. It is refreshing to read this information coming from people who themselves have been asked to enter a room at the end of life of a parent and provide support to a variety of ages of children whom you have never met. It was definitely reaffirming as well as reinforced the importance of doing this. Thank you for this course and for the downloads.

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Wonders & Worries has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7106. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Wonders & Worries is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.