BETHANY QUEENSAMANTHA HAHNELLIE GALLOWAY

Establishing Child Life in Behavioral Health

Ice Breaker…

Role in Behavioral Health

Check in with unit upon arrival for daily needsProvide procedural prep and support Meet with behavioral health patients/families prior

to transfer to BH unit from medical unit • Prepare patient, sibling and family for transfer to

behavioral health• Gain rapport and promote normalization prior to transfer

Therapeutic activities for individual patients as well as in group settings

Behavioral health unit consultsMeet with siblings to provide understanding of the

behavioral health unit and what it provides for patients

PopulationInpatient unit: Accommodates patients who are a threat

to themselves or others or have other behavior issues or problems.

• Suicidal ideation• Homicidal ideation• Suicide attempt• Ingestion• Overdose• Schizophrenia• Psychosis• Bi-polar• Depressive disorder• Explosive mood disorder

Outpatient unit: A partial hospitalization program for patient’s directly admitted for therapy or step down from inpatient unit

Voluntary: No threat to harm themselves or others• 72 hour holding period in which they are required to

stay in hospital with 1 on 1 supervision. Patients are allowed to leave

Involuntary: Patient has attempted to harm themselves or others.

• Patients will be transferred to behavioral health or another facility will admit the patient for further review and treatment

Baker Acted Patients

Inpatient Outpatient

Tuesday- Friday 11am- 12pm

Saturday 1pm-3pm

Group Schedule

Tuesday- Friday 2pm-3pm

Therapeutic groups include focusing on coping skills, self esteem, self control, enhancing positive

thinking. As well as an opportunity for open discussion among peers led by CCLS.

Therapeutic group activity research

Child life specialists collaborated with various disciplines to learn more about the population to best suite the therapeutic needs of all patients. • We were able to utilize our special education and psychology

backgrounds to create group activities.

5 main categories of research• Self image• Self esteem• Coping skills• Self awareness• Normalization of clinical/medical environment

Sources of research:• Therapeutic Activities for Children and Teens Coping with Health Issues• Hope at Hand Inc.- Steffani Fletcher (Power of Poetry: Workshop)• Pinterest

Weekly Plans

We begin each group with an icebreaker, allowing each patient to become familiar with their peers and staff leading the group.

Icebreakers

Therapeutic Icebreakers:

Affirmations I Am poem Compliment

bucket All About Me

poster

Non-Therapeutic Ice breakers

Question Jar 2 Truths and a lie Mad Libs Would you rather…

Self Care Plan

Strengths and

Struggles

Letter to my

future self

Healthy vs.

Unhealthy relationships

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Baker Act

Baker acted patients when first admitted will be consulted to child life services. • Introduction is provided • Activities/books are offered

o Provided materials are the same as those in the inpatient behavioral health unit

o Once patient care plan is established, child life will prepare patients for transition to behavioral health unit

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Patient, sibling and parent support

Child life will provide patient and family with the basic understanding of what will take place in the upcoming transition to behavioral health.

Siblings are addressed individually based on developmental level • Education about patient’s diagnosis is provided

Transition to Behavioral Health Unit

Child life will provide continuity of care by following patient from the inpatient medical unit to the inpatient behavioral unit.• Once the patient is assessed by behavioral health,

they may begin attending groups, dependent on their level on Focus.

Questions???