Overview
The mission of the Family Support Network at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is to provide efficient, comprehensive care to support the quality of life for children with cancer, blood diseases, immunodeficiencies and their families.
The Family Support Network consists of specialists in the fields of:
- School intervention
- Child life
- Holistic health
- Pastoral care
- Social work
- Financial services
Services Include:
- Resource connections (financial, insurance and community)
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Advocacy
- Assessment of needs
- Program development
- Community outreach
- Education, teaching and consulting
- Research
We would like for your family to be informed and very comfortable seeking whichever type of service you need. Below, are some of the key points of service each field within the network provides. Please let us know how we can best serve you.
Child Life Specialists Offer:
- Support and distraction for medical procedures
- Creative and innovative medical play
- Preparation for medical procedures
- Bereavement support
- Therapeutic play with developmentally appropriate activities
Financial Services Offers:
- Verification of financial eligibility
- Pre-certifications
- Pre-authorizations
- Customer service for financial issues
- Liaisons with financial counselors and customer service representatives
Holistic Health Supplies:
- Stress reduction and other comfort measures
- Pain management techniques
- Education, teaching and counseling on holistic health topics
- Staff, parent and community support and education
Pastoral Care Gives:
- Spiritual and emotional support 24 hours daily
- Visitation and prayer
- Reflecting with you on upcoming decisions
- Regularly scheduled worship services and opportunities for sacraments
- Support as a liaison with community clergy
School Intervention Program Provides:
- School reintegration
- Support for preschool through college age students
- Support in all stages of care (pre-, during and pos- treatment)
- Home instruction
- Individualized education plans
Social Workers Provide:
- Emotional support / crisis counseling
- Community outreach / program development
- Resource connections / advocacy
- Education, teaching and consulting
- Family support from diagnosis onward
