Child Life and Music Therapy on Paediatrics Windsor Regional Hospital

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Child Life and Music Therapy on
PaediatricsWindsor Regional Hospital

• Jen Burton Liang, BFA, DipAT, OATR, CCLS
• Certified Child Life Specialist, Registered Art
  Therapist
• Windsor Regional Hospital

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What is a Child Life Specialist?

• Child Life Specialists aim to minimize and reduce
  the stress and anxiety experienced by a child and
  their family as a result of medical
  interventions, as well as maximize their ability
  to cope
• Child Life Specialists are non-medical members of
  the healthcare team, trained at a Bachelors
  level.

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What is a Child Life Specialist?

• Most Child Life Specialists have additional
  graduate level training in addition to their
  Bachelors and all have completed a 480 hour
  supervised internship under a Certified Child
  Life Specialist.
• In order to use the credentials CCLS or
  Certified Child Life Specialist, we must also
  pass a certifying exam offered through the Child
  Life Council.

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Child Life as Best Practice

• Child Life Specialists help hospitalized children
  by providing preparation prior to procedures,
  coping and distraction strategies, developmental
  play, support to families, advocacy, and
  opportunities for self expression.
• Play, art and music are various outlets for
  patients to explore and express their feelings
  surrounding hospitalization and diagnosis.

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Child Life as Best Practice

• As non-medical professionals, CCLS bring a unique
  voice to the multidisciplinary team on
  Paediatrics. We are able to advocate for a child
  and familys needs, and provide valuable
  perspectives on how to assist a child in coping
  within the hospital environment.
• The provision of child life services is a quality
  benchmark of an integrated child health delivery
  system and an indicator of excellence in
  paediatric care.

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Child Life on Paediatrics at WRH

• Child Life Specialists work in a variety of
  settings hospitals, outpatient clinics, dental
  offices, hospices, funeral homes, rehab centres,
  sexual assault clinics and private
  practiceanywhere a child may be medically
  involved.
• WRH began a Child Life program in September 2005
  when Paediatrics moved over from Hotel Dieu Grace
  Hospital.

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Child Life on Paediatrics at WRH

• WRH employs two full time and one part time CCLS
  covering Inpatient and Outpatient Paediatrics. We
  can also be paged to assist in other areas in the
  hospital such as ER, DI, Lab, ICU, etc.
• Child Life Specialists also orientate and
  supervise high school co-op students, volunteers,
  child life interns and music therapy students.

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Music Therapy on Paediatrics

• Paediatrics has enjoyed a long relationship with
  University of Windsors Music Therapy program. We
  typically receive music therapy students each
  semester. Over the years we have also been lucky
  enough to have several music therapy interns.

For 2011 we received a one year grant from
Transition to Betterness to pay for a Music
Therapist on staff, 12 hours a week.
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Music Therapy on Paediatrics

• Music Therapy can assist patients on Paediatrics
  by meeting the following goals
• Reducing and/or alleviating pain
• Relaxation Increasing self esteem
• Distraction Socialization
• Normalization Legacy building
• Fun Skill development/Mastery
• Self expression physical and/or occupational
  therapy

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Music Therapy on Paediatrics

• The use of technology by our current Music
  Therapist is exciting!
• Ipods/Ipads downloading apps where kids can
  create their own music (Garage Band, Baby
  Scratch) and making custom playlists for various
  purposes including relaxation. Hospital has WIFI
  so immediate access to online resources.
• Recording kids playing music and then burning CDs
  all in the same session. Kids that come for a
  clinic play music and leave with a disc.

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Case examples of typical Paediatric Music Therapy
sessions

• 5 year old oncology patient who loves to play the
  drums. Music Therapist utilizes our Xbox360 Rock
  Band drum set to allow patient to play as loud as
  she would like. She has a blast and looks forward
  to coming back!
• Music Therapist uses computer program and
  keyboard to allow 12 year old patient to work on
  increasing strength thus complimenting physical
  therapy goals.
• Music Therapist works with parents of a
  palliative infant to create a legacy song. Copies
  are recorded and burned on CD for the family.

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Case examples of typical Paediatric Music Therapy
sessions

• Music Therapist accompanies a child into a
  treatment room for an IV start. Through singing
  familiar and relaxing songs, the child feels more
  at ease and is distracted as well.
• Music Therapist plays soothing lullabies for an
  infant who stops crying and begins feeding from a
  bottle. During music session, baby has one of his
  most successful feeds since hospital admission.

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Case examples of typical Paediatric Music Therapy
sessions

• Busy waiting room in Outpatient Paediatrics. Many
  children are waiting for surgery, some of who may
  be anxious, others are feeling hungry, still
  others may be missing the routine of school.
  Music Therapist uses guitar and singing to engage
  kids and families thus providing relaxation,
  distraction, normalization and fun!
• Music Therapist works with an adolescent with an
  eating disorder to facilitate increasing self
  esteem and self expression.

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• Thank you!
• jennifer_burton-liang_at_wrh.on.ca