Child Life Programmes

Whether in the hospital, in the emergency room or in a clinic, all children have basic needs that must be met, and these needs may be magnified by illness, injury or loss of the familiar routines of life. Children bring specific developmental needs with them.
They may misinterpret the reason for their hospital admission or specific treatment, or create fantasies about what may occur. To help support these special psychosocial and educational needs, IABCD has certified child life specialists and counsellors to help paediatric patients and their families cope with a potentially stressful health care experience.
Child life services in healthcare settings strive to promote optimum development of children and their families, to maintain normal living patterns and to minimize psychological trauma. Child life staffs provide children opportunities for gaining a sense of mastery, for play, for learning, for self-expression, for family involvement and for peer interaction.

Child Life Programme Goals 
The goals of the Child Life Programme include:

  • Creating a child-friendly, family-centered environment.
  • Providing recreational, therapeutic and medical play opportunities for infants, children and teens.
  • Collaborating with the child and family to create a plan of care to best support their identified needs.
  • Minimizing anxiety and stress through emotional support and information sharing.
  • Promoting growth and development through normalization of the medical setting.
  • Encouraging and enabling parent and family involvement.

Child and family support services

  •  All services offered to the whole family, completely free of charge.
  • A knowledgeable personal guide helping patient and whole family navigate the cancer treatment process, connecting patient to support and services.

Oncology Social Work
Oncology social work is the professional discipline, who as part of the oncology and haemato-oncology team provides phycho-social services to blood cancer and blood diseases patients in specific and cancer patients in general, their families, and caregivers. Professional social workers and counselors connect patients and their families with essential community, state, national and international resources. Social workers and counselors and its members are dedicated to increasing awareness about the social, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of blood cancer patients through research, writing, workshops and lectures.
As a unit we are involved in collaborating with other patient advocacy groups, national and international oncology organizations with the primary focus access and quality care for cancer patients.

Mission of Oncology Social Work
To advance excellence in the psychosocial care of persons with cancer, their families, and caregivers through: Advocacy, Education, Networking, Research & Resource Development.
Goal of Oncology Social Work

  • Increase awareness of the psychosocial effects of cancer.
  • Advance the practice of psychosocial interventions that enhance quality of life and recovery of persons with cancer and their families.
  • Foster communication and support among psychosocial oncology care givers.
  • Further the study of psychosocial and social effects of cancer through research and continuing education.
  • Advocate for programs and policies to meet the psychosocial needs of oncology patients and their families.
  • Promote liaison activities with other psychosocial oncology groups and professional oncology organizations.
  • Promote the highest professional standards and ethics in the practice of oncology social work.

Scope

The scope of oncology social work includes clinical practice, education, administration and research.
Psychosocial services provided by oncology social workers include individual, family and group counseling, education, advocacy, discharge planning, case management and programme development. These services are designed to maximize the patient’s utilization of the health care system, foster coping, and mobilize community resources in order to support optimal functioning.
Oncology social work services are available to patients and families throughout all phases of the cancer continuum, including prevention, diagnosis, survivorship, terminal care, and bereavement. Services are delivered in a wide variety of settings including specialty cancer centers, general hospitals and health systems, ambulatory centers, home health and hospice programmes, community-based agencies, and private practice settings.
Oncology social workers are an integral part of the health care team and contribute to the development and coordination of the overall treatment plan. In collaboration with other disciplines, oncology, social workers provide discharge planning and case management, linking patients with a variety of services necessary to meet the person’s multiple needs.
In addition to services to patients and families, oncology social workers address organizational and community needs through professional practice. Services are provided to institutions, voluntary health organizations, and community agencies with the overall aim of promoting health and improving the delivery of care to individuals at risk for or affected by cancer.