Connection Commitment Collaboration - Child Life Council

Child Life Council 

26th Annual Conference On Professional Issues 

Connection 

Commitment 

Collaboration 

Conference Program 

May 22-25, 2008 

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina 

San Diego, California

Child Life Council 26th Annual Conference on Professional Issues 

Schedule at a Glance 

Thursday, May 22, 2008 

Pre-Conference Events 

8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Child Life Professional Certification Examination 

8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Registration Open/Badge Pick-Up 

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Executive Board Meeting 

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pre-Conference Morning Half-Day Intensives (3 PDHs) 

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Pre-Conference Full-Day Leadership Intensive with Lunch (6 PDHs) 

1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Pre-Conference Afternoon Half-Day Intensives (3 PDHs) 

2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tour of Rady Children’s Hospital (Limit 100) 

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall/Poster/Bookstore Set-Up 

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. New Member/First-Timer Orientation 

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Networking Roundtables for Child Life Professionals (with Refreshments) 

Friday, May 23, 2008 

7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Registration Open/Badge Pick-Up 

7:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Student Breakfast Event 

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Exhibit Hall/Poster/Bookstore Set-Up 

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Opening General Session and Emma Plank Keynote Address (2 PDHs) 

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch in Exhibit Hall, Posters and Bookstore Open 

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. International Networking Meeting 

1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Two-Hour Professional Development Seminars (2 PDHs) 

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Professional Development Workshops (1.5 PDHs) 

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Reception and Bookstore in Exhibit Hall 

8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Johns Hopkins Alumni Event (Not a CLC event) 

8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Wheelock Alumni Event (Not a CLC event) 

Saturday, May 24, 2008 

7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CLC Information Desk Open in Registration Area 

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Committee Meetings with Breakfast 

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Exhibit Hall and Bookstore Open with Beverages 

9:45 a.m. –11:15 a.m. Professional Development Workshops (1.5 PDHs) 

11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Lunch in Exhibit Hall, Posters and Bookstore Open 

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Child Life Educators Networking Meeting 


1:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall/Bookstore/Poster Break-Down 


Free Evening to Explore and Enjoy San Diego 

Sunday, May 25, 2008 

7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Internship Forum – Panel Discussion (2 PDHs) 

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Professional Development Workshops (1.5 PDHs) 

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Full-Day Clinical Supervision Intensive with Lunch—with break from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. (6 PDHs) 

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Distinguished Service Award Presentation & Closing General Session (2 PDHs) 

Child Life Council 26th Annual Conference on Professional Issues

Table of Contents 

Connection • Commitment • Collaboration 

2008 Conference Program Committee Members.... 2 

2008 Conference Host Committee Members.......... 3 

Conference Location Information 

San Diego, CA...................................................... 4 

Weather ................................................................. 4 

Hotel Information ................................................. 4 

Hotel Parking......................................................... 4 

Airport Transportation........................................... 5 

General Conference Information 

Registration Hours................................................. 5 

Name Badges......................................................... 5 

Exhibit Hall............................................................ 5 

Bookstore............................................................... 5 

Professional Development Hours (PDHs)............... 5 

Special Services for Participants with Disabilities...... 6 

Presentation Levels................................................. 6 

Conference Give-Away........................................... 6 

Room Monitors...................................................... 6 

Session Schedule by Level....................................... 7 

Schedule of Events – Thursday, May 22 

Child Life Professional Certification Exam ............. 9 

Pre-Conference Full-Day Intensive ....................... 9 

Pre-Conference Half-Day Intensives....................... 9 

Hospital Tour – Rady Children’s Hospital ............ 10 

New Member/First Timer Orientation Meeting.... 10 

Networking Roundtables for Professionals............ 11 

Schedule of Events – Saturday, May 24 

Committee Meetings............................................ 15 

Professional Development Workshops................... 15 

Lunch in Exhibit Hall .......................................... 16 

Poster Presentations ............................................ 17 

Child Life Educators Networking Meeting ........... 18 

Professional Development Workshops .................. 18 


Schedule of Events – Sunday, May 25 

Internship Forum – Panel Discussion ................... 21 


Full-Day Clinical Supervision Intensive................. 23 

Distinguished Service Award Presentation 

& Closing General Session............................... 23 


Executive Board................................................... 24 

Committee & Taskforce Chairs............................. 24 

Staff..................................................................... 24 

Our 2008 Conference Sponsors 

Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Supporter Level.......... 25 

Program Insert 

Registration Information, Fees & Policies............... 1 

Registration Form, Parts 1 & 2 ........................... 2-3 

Save the Date: CLC 27th Annual Conference......... 4 

2009 Call for Papers............................................... 4 




Schedule of Events – Friday, May 23 

Student Breakfast Event ....................................... 12 

Opening General Session and Emma Plank 

Keynote Address ............................................. 12 

Lunch in Exhibit Hall........................................... 13 

International Networking Meeting ....................... 13 

Two-Hour Professional Development Seminars .... 13 


Reception in Exhibit Hall .................................... 15 

San Diego, California • May 22 - 25, 2008

2008 CLC Conference 

Program Committee 


26th Annual Conference 

on Professional Issues 

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina 

Connection • Commitment • Collaboration 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW 

2008 Chair 

Kristie Opiola, MS, CCLS 

Hematology/Oncology Child 

Life Specialist 

Cook Children’s Medical Center 

Fort Worth, TX 

Chair Elect 

Toni Millar, MS, CCLS 

Director of Child Life 

The Morgan Stanley Children’s 

Hospital of New York 

Presbyterian Hospital 

New York, NY 

CLC Board Liaison 

Barbara Blair, CCLS 

Child Life Coordinator 

Providence St. Vincent 

Medical Center 

The Gerry Frank Center 

for Children 

Portland, OR 

Suzanne Graca, MS, CCLS 

Child Life Specialist III 

Children’s Hospital Boston 

Boston, MA 

Kristin Maier, BS, CCLS 

Clinical Coordinator 

All Children’s Hospital 

St. Petersburg, FL 

Melissa Hicks, MS, LPC, RPT, 

CCLS 

Program Director 

Camp Sunshine 

Decatur, GA 

Shawn Brasher, BS, CCLS 

Child Life Specialist 

Sutton Children’s Medical Center 

Shreveport, LA 

Each year, the CLC Annual Conference on Professional Issues offers child life 

specialists of all ages and career stages the ultimate experience in child life 

education and networking. In May of 2008, the CLC Conference Planning 

Committees, Executive Board and staff will continue the tradition of excellence 

with an innovative conference program dedicated to building community, sharing 

ideas, and inspiring our members to achieve new heights in their professional 

development! 

Against the backdrop of spectacular San Diego Bay, an anticipated 1,000 child life 

professionals, educators and students will celebrate the child life community’s unique 

spirit of Connection, Commitment and Collaboration. Cutting edge pre-conference 

intensives, seminars and workshops, hospital tour, and even the less formal networking 

events will offer unparalleled educational opportunities. Don’t forget to make 

time to enjoy tasty treats as you mingle with your peers and learn about the latest 

products and services in the ever-popular exhibit hall! 

The Emma Plank Keynote Address will be delivered by Sue Bratton, PhD, Director 

of the Center for Play Therapy and an associate professor at The University of 

North Texas. Dr. Bratton is a respected lecturer, author, researcher, and clinician 

with extensive experience in individual and group play therapy, as well as in filial/ 

family play therapy. 

Dr. Harvey Karp, a pediatrician and child development specialist and Assistant 

Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA, will speak at the Closing General Session on 

Sunday. Dr. Karp’s presentation will center on the concept behind his bestselling 

book and DVD, The Happiest Toddler on the Block, An Innovative Way to Reduce 

Struggles and Raise More Patient Toddlers, one of the top parenting books in the 

United States. 

When planning your schedule, remember to carve out time for reconnecting with 

friends and family; be sure to take advantage of a free evening on Saturday to 

explore one of San Diego’s many world class attractions. Better yet, extend your 

stay and enjoy a few extra days to soak up the sun, as well as your new-found child 

life knowledge! 

 


2008 Conference Host Committee 




Co-Chair 

Amy Bullock, MS Ed, CCLS 

Director, Child Life & Child 

Development Services 

Mattel Children’s Hospital 

at UCLA 

Los Angeles, CA 

Co-Chair 

Evelyn Kensel, MS, CCLS 


Rady Children’s Hosptial 

of San Diego 

San Diego, CA 

Volunteers 

Edith Alvarez, CCLS 


Children’s Hospital 

of Orange County 

Orange, CA 

Eileen Andrade-Kitching, CCLS 

Director, Child Life 

University Children’s Hospital 

at UCI Medical Center 

Orange, CA 

Adina Bodolay, CCLS 



at UCLA 


Laila Ramji, CCLS 



at UCLA 


Registration 

Rita Goshert, MA, CCLS 

Director, Child Life Services 

Miller Children’s Hospital 

Long Beach, CA 

Sandra Colson-Sternberg, 

CCLS 

Coordinator, Child Life Services 

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 


Sara Devaney, MS, CCLS 



at UCLA 


Dinah Evans, MS, CCLS 

Manager of Child Life Services 

Loma Linda University 


Loma Linda, CA 

Sponsorship 

Deborah Fingerhut, CCLS 

Senior Child Life 

Specialist/Educator 

Miller Children’s Hospital 

Long Beach, CA 

Linda Garcia, MA, CCLS 

Manager, Child Life 


Los Angeles 


Local Events 

Nicole Hadley, CCLS 


Children’s Hospital and Health 

Care Center of San Diego 

San Diego, CA 

Stephanie Hopkinson, 

MA, CCLS 


Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles 


Anglea Horak, CCLS 


Rady Children’s Hospital 

of San Diego 

San Diego, CA 

Denee Marx, CCLS 



of San Diego 

San Diego, CA 

Denise Matsuyama-Lai, CCLS 


UCLA Medical Center 


Carola Mendez, CCLS 



Los Angeles 


Michelle Minyard-Widmann, 

MS, CCLS 

Program Director 

Loma Linda University 


Loma Linda, CA 

Karineh Moradian, CCLS 

Director of Volunteer Services 

Kaiser Permanente, Woodland Hills 

Woodland Hills, CA 

Melinda Raybould, CCLS 



of San Diego 

San Diego, CA 

Deborah Roberts, CCLS 


Kaiser Permanente, San Diego 

San Diego, CA 

Stacy Smith, CCLS 


Kaiser Permanente, Anaheim 

Anaheim, CA 

Bookstore 

Hilary Gan 

Assistant Child Life Specialist 


at UCLA 


Publicity 

Conni VanBilliard, 

CCLS, CTRS 


Children’s Hospital of Orange 

County at Mission 

Mission Viego, CA 

Leslie Anne Young, CCLS 

Professor of Child Life 

University of La Verne 

La Verne, CA 

2008 Conference Program: Adjunct Reviewers 

Sheila Palm, MA, CCLS 

Child Life System Leader 

Children’s Hospitals and 

Clinics of Minnesota 

Minneapolis, MN 

Amy Seitz, CCLS 

Senior Child Life Specialist 

St. Jude Children’s 

Research Hospital 

Cordova, TN 

Farya Phillips, MA, CCLS 


Wonders and Worries 

Austin, TX 

Alexis Winnen, BA, CCLS 


Rainbow Babies & 


Cleveland, OH 

Kathy Payette, CCLS, BA, 

ECE.C., MA 

Program Manager, Residential 

& Day Treatment Services 

Lutherwood 

Waterloo, ON 

Patricia Boettcher, MA PC, 

CCLS 

Child Life Specialist II 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 


Cincinnati, OH 


Location Information 

CLC’s 26th Annual Conference of Professional Issues 

will take place in San Diego, California at the Sheraton 

San Diego Hotel & Marina, nestled at the edge of San 

Diego Bay. 

San Diego is renowned for its idyllic climate, 70 miles of 

pristine beaches and a dazzling array of world-class family 

attractions. Popular attractions include Sea World, the 

Gaslamp Quarter, Seaport Village and LEGOLAND 

California. Balboa Park, the largest urban cultural park in 

the U.S., is home to 15 museums, numerous art galleries, 

beautiful gardens, the Tony Award-winning Globe Theatres 

and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The region offers an 

expansive variety of things to see and do, appealing to 

guests of all ages from around the world. 

Local Attractions 

Please check the Annual Conference section of the CLC 

Web site for links to popular San Diego attractions, discount 

tickets and 25 Fun and Free Things to Do in San Diego! 

Weather 

San Diego enjoys beautiful weather year round with an 

average daily temperature of 70.5° F (21.4 degrees Celsius). A 

marked feature of the climate is the wide variation in temperature 

within short distances due to the topography of the land. 

You can enjoy coastal, mountain and desert environments all 

in the span of one day. 

Hotel Information 

The Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina enjoys panoramic 

views of the bay and the city skyline yet is just 10 minutes 

from renowned attractions including the San Diego Zoo, 

Old Town and Balboa Park. 

Spread across two distinctive towers on beautiful San Diego 

Bay, its 1,044 guest rooms and suites are filled with fine 

comforts and conveniences. The East Tower features 698 

guest rooms, four restaurants and lounges. The West Tower 

is located 300 yards away and features 346 guest rooms, an 

outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, and the award-winning restaurant 

Alfiere’s. 

All guest rooms feature the new Sheraton Sweet 

Sleeper(SM) Bed, custom-designed with a plush-top 

mattress, then wrapped in crisp cotton sheets with petal soft 

blankets and duvets. 

Special hotel rates for CLC conference attendees are $149 

per night, plus tax (single or double occupancy—each 

additional person is $20 per night). Interested in extending 

your stay in San Diego? This special rate is available to 

conference attendees from May 16 through May 29. Be 

sure and book your room as soon as possible as we anticipate 

that the room block will fill up quickly. 

To make your room reservation online, go to the Annual 

Conference, Hotel & Location Information section of the 

CLC Web site and click on Reserve Your Hotel Room Now. 

Or, if you would prefer to book your reservation by phone, 

please contact Group Reservations at 877-734-2726. Be 

sure to identify yourself as a Child Life Council conference 

attendee in order to ensure you receive the discounted 

group rate. All conference events will take place in the East 

Tower with the exception of the hospital tour. Complete 

room assignments will be included in your on-site registration 

materials, to be provided upon your arrival at the 

conference. 

Stay at the CLC Conference Hotel 

Staying at the CLC conference hotel means that attendees 

have unlimited networking opportunities for interacting 

with colleagues and making new friends. By booking your 

hotel through CLC, you enable us to reduce the overall 

costs associated with producing the conference. These 

savings allow CLC to offer reduced registration fees and 

increased conference savings. 

Hotel Parking 

Self Parking is available at the hotel at a rate of $20 

per day. Valet Parking is available at the hotel at a rate 

of $26 per day. 

IMPORTANT! 

Conference Registration and Receipt 

Participants who register online will receive an 

automatic registration confirmation and receipt 

via email. Please bring this receipt with you to 

the conference. On-site registrants may request a 

receipt at the time of registration. 

 


General Conference Information 




Airport Transportation 

Complimentary Shuttle Service 

Enjoy the free shuttle transportation, which runs every 15 

minutes, between the East and West Towers as well as the 

San Diego International Airport. Look for the gray, white 

and blue vans! 

Driving Directions 

From San Diego International Airport 

Follow the exit which becomes Harbor Island Drive. Drive 

straight through the intersection to Harbor Island Drive. 

The hotel will be on the right-hand side. 

Detailed driving directions from other locations are 

available in PDF format in the Annual Conference section 

of the CLC Web site at www.childlife.org. 

On-Site Registration Hours 


8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. 


7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

Name Badges 

Name badges are required for admission to all conference 

programs. Those attending their first CLC conference will have 

“First-Timer” ribbons affixed to their badges. If you spot 

someone with this ribbon, please extend a friendly welcome. 

Exhibit Hall 

The Annual Exhibit Hall features organizations that offer child 

life-related merchandise and information. Don’t miss this 

opportunity to speak to representatives who are eager to share 

their latest products and services with you. The following 

group meal events will be served in the Exhibit Hall: 

n Lunch on Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24 

Attendees will be provided with lunch on the first two days 

of the conference, as part of the basic registration fee. 

n Reception on Friday evening, May 23. 

Conference Plenary Sessions 

Friday, May 23 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 

opening General Session and 

Emma Plank Keynote Address 

The Self-Directed Healing of Young 

Traumatized Children 

Sue Bratton, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, 

Director, Center for Play Therapy, 

Associate Professor, University of North 

Texas, Denton, TX 

Sunday, May 25 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

distinguished Service Award 

Presentation and 

Closing General Session 

The Happiest Toddler—An Innovative 

Way to Reduce Struggles and Raise 

More Patient Toddlers 

Harvey Karp, MD, Assistant Professor of 

Pediatrics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 

Bookstore 

Conveniently located in the Exhibit Hall, the Bookstore is the 

place to visit for the latest Child Life Council products and 

publications. Save money by taking advantage of conference 

discounts and eliminating shipping and handling fees! 

Professional Development Hours (PDHs) 

Conference attendees receive Professional Development 

Hours (PDHs) necessary for recertification for the Certified 

Child Life Specialist (CCLS) designation. A CCLS who has 

passed the Child Life Professional Certification 

Examination should be collecting the 50 PDHs required to 

recertify at the end of their five-year certification cycle. 

Exhibit Hall & Bookstore Hours 

Exhibit Hall Events 

Friday, May 23 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open with Lunch 

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Reception 

Saturday, May 24 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Exhibit Hall with Beverages 

11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open with Lunch 


Exhibitor List 

The following is a list of exhibitors scheduled to participate 

in the Exhibit Hall as of December 2007. For more 

information on exhibiting, please contact the CLC office at 

800-CLC-4515 or conference@childlife.org: 

Alicia Rose “Victorious” Foundation 

Beads of Courage 

Bravery Hearts 

Camp Mak-a-Dream 

CaringBridge 

Ceiling Scenes 

Emspiration LLC 

Flaghouse 

Infant Massage USA 

Kelsey’s Kids 

Kids Count Consulting Services, Inc. 

Kidzpace Interactive 

Legacy Products, Inc. 

Loma Linda University-Child Life Program 

Med Bears LLC 

Medical Memories 

Playscapes 

Playworks 

Songs of Love Foundation 

Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation 

SuperSibs! 

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 

The Oscar Litwak Foundation 

Thetis Breeze 

Special Services for Participants 

with Disabilities 

Individuals who require special services to allow full 

participation in the conference should notify CLC no later 

than March 25, 2008. 

Professional Development Workshop Levels 

Design a workshop curriculum that best enhances your 

career and personal goals based on your level of experience. 

Choose sessions from three experience levels: Entry, 

Intermediate or Advanced. 

Presentation Levels 

Designated by the speaker(s) based on their own assessment 

of the content, presentation levels provide participants 

with guidelines for choosing which sessions to attend. 

Though all sessions are open to any registrant—regardless 

of experience level —attendees with less experience or 

knowledge of specific topics are encouraged to participate 

in the Entry or Intermediate level sessions. Please remember 

that these designations are relative to your experience, 

education and training. 

n Entry Level – Presentations classified as Entry level are 

designed for child life specialists with less than three 

years of clinical practice or minimal knowledge of a 

particular topic. Entry-level presentations include broad 

background information and basic theory, skills and 

interventions. 

n Intermediate Level – Presentations classified as 

Intermediate level are designed for child life specialists 

with more than three years of clinical practice. Presenters 

of Intermediate-level sessions will assume that participants 

have experience in a variety of therapeutic situations 

and wish to expand their knowledge base. 

n Advanced Level – Presentations classified as Advanced 

level are designed for child life specialists with extensive 

clinical and/or administrative knowledge, skills and 

experience. Presenters of Advanced-level sessions will 

assume that participants have considerable knowledge of 

the topic, and will require minimal introduction. 

Conference Give-A-Way 

We are pleased to announce that one of the items to be 

given away to one lucky CLC 26th Annual Conference 

attendee will be a Fun Center, donated by the Starlight 

Starbright Children’s Foundation. A Fun Center is a mobile 

entertainment unit containing a flat-screen TV, DVD 

player, and a Nintendo Wii system. Whether hospitalized 

children are nervously awaiting surgery, sitting restlessly 

during a long treatment, or feeling lonely in their hospital 

room, the Fun Center helps them cope by providing 

endless hours of fun and distraction. 

Room Monitors 

Room monitors are assigned to each individual professional 

development session at the conference. Monitors are tasked 

with assisting speakers, distributing hand-outs (if applicable), 

checking on audio/visual set-up, and if necessary, 

checking off registrants as they arrive. We are in need of 

volunteer room monitors for all sessions. If interested, 

please indicate which session you would be willing to 

monitor upon registering for the conference. 

 


Workshop Levels 




ENTRY INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED ALL LEVELS 

Friday, May 23 

1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

1. Raising the Bar: Developing Core 

Competency Assessments 

2. Examining the Partnership Between 

Child Life and Procedural Sedation 

3. Kids of Our Own: Being a Parent and 

a Child Life Specialist 

6. In the Midst of Chaos—Empowering 

Families to Include Siblings During 

the Loss of a Child 

4. Giving the Greater 

Gift: Imparting 

Worth to the 

Abused Patient 

8. Getting It Write: A 

Child Life Writers’ 

Workshop 

9. Disney Leadership 

Institute–A Creative 

Thinking Workshop 

5. Utilizing Web Technology 

as a Coping Tool 

7. Advocacy: To Really Have 

a Voice 


4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. 

10. “I am”: A Digital Storytelling Project 

for Teens with Chronic Illness 

11. Key Elements of Child Life 

Assessment 

13. SBAR: A Coverage and 

Collaboration Process 

14. The Role of Child Life in Pediatric 

Pain Management: Research Findings 

and Implications 

15. Scoliosis, Spinal Fusion, Halo 

Traction- Oh My! 

17. There Is No “I” In TEAM 

16. Next Steps in 

Family-Centered 

Care: Implications 

for Child Life 

Leadership 

12. Gentle Sounds: Music 

and Music Therapy with 

Premature Infants 

18. Entiendo, Capisco, Je 

Comprends, I Understand: 

Providing Culturally 

Competent Child Life Care 

Saturday, May 24 

9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. 

19. Breaking New Ground: Establishing 

Child Life in the Community Hospital 

Setting 

20. Supportive Healing & Play in 

a Natural Setting 

23. Promoting the Power of Child Life 

Services in Same Day Surgery: From 

Idea to Implementation 

25. “…And the Emmy Goes to…:Using 

Closed-Circuit Programming as a 

Therapeutic Tool” 

21. Strategies for Preparation, Procedural 

Support & Trauma Debriefing With 

The Young Child in the Emergency 

Room 

22. Redrawing the Wonder Years: 

Functional, Context-Sensitive 

Intervention in Acquired Brain Injury 

27. Professional Peer Groups: Promoting 

Professional, Personal and 

Departmental Growth 

24. Patient-Centered Transition 

from Pediatric to Adult 

Health Care: Implications for 

Child Life Professionals 

26. Psychosocial Interventions to 

Facilitate Coping in Children 

Who Struggle with Weight 

Management 


Workshop Levels —continued 

ENTRY INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED ALL LEVELS 

Saturday, May 24 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 

30. Who’s the Parent? Who’s the Child? 

Solving the Challenges of Working with 

Teen Parents 

28. Working with Infants from 

Multi-Risk Families 

36. Child Life Practice: 

Spanning the Globe 

31. Movin’ on Up: The Transition from 

Student to Professional 

32. Get Your Groove On: Using Music 

Therapy Programming and Music as a 

Therapeutic Tool 

35. Life Beyond Blood Counts & Cancer 

Cells: Interventions to Enhance Quality 

of Life 

29. Back to Basics: Materials for 

Therapeutic Play in a Media Driven 

World 

34. Internships: The Nuts and Bolts 

of Building the Best and Brightest 

33. Developing a 

Model for Clinical 

Supervision 


3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

41. What About Me? Supporting The 

Siblings Of Seriously Ill Or Disabled 

Children 

42. Best of Both Worlds: Finding Balance 

When You Are Part of Two Teams 

37. A Children’s Hospital Dream Team: 

The Collaborative Works of Child 

Life and Child Advocacy in the 

Emergency Department 

38. Using Self as a Therapeutic Tool: 

The Art of Building Rapport 

43. Butterflies, Free to Fly: Help Patients 

with Epidermolysis Bullosa Soar 

39. The Ins and 

Outs of Three 

Distinctly Different 

Internship 

Programs—A Panel 

44. Transforming 

Healthcare 

for Children: 

Challenges and 

Opportunities 

40. Making Play Out of 

Adherence, at Home 

45. Happiest Baby on the Block 

– Comfort Techniques for 

Infants 0-3 Months 

Sunday, May 25 

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 

46. Child Life Position Available: Tips 

and Techniques for the Student or 

Interviewing Professional 

49. Do Hospitalized Children Really Want 

Their Art to be “Beautiful”?: 

How to Facilitate Creative Expression 

through Art 

51. All in the Family: The New Face 

of HIV Family-Centered Care 

47. “Can You Hear Me Now? Reading 

Cues for Successful Infant Care” 

50. “Cool! Sweet! Awesome!” Engaging 

Adolescents into the Child Life 

Groove 

48. How to Make Siblings Feel 

Like a STAR! 

52. Tell Me Why? Medical Preparation 

through the Ages and Stages 

54. Mission POSSIBLE! Practicing 

Family-Centered Care in Challenging 

Situations 

53. Supporting Patients with Autism and 

Other Developmental Disabilities 

Full-Day Clinical 

Supervision Intensive 

(additional cost event) 

Special Note Regarding Sessions 

Plan to get to your session meeting rooms 10 minutes prior to when sessions are scheduled to begin. Sessions will start promptly at 

the time they are scheduled. Once a session has begun, the doors will be closed and we ask that attendees avoid any room disruptions. 

Out of consideration for other attendees and presenters, we ask that you please attend the sessions that you have registered for, as 

room size and set-up are based on registration numbers. 

 


Schedule of Events 


8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 

Child Life Professional Certification 

Examination 

The Child Life Professional Certification Examination 

will be administered Thursday, May 22, from 8:00 a.m. 

to 12:30 p.m. A separate application process is required 

to sit for this examination. Those wishing to take the 

exam must apply through the Child Life Council office 

using the Certification Application found in the Child Life 

Certification Candidate Manual. The application deadline 

for the exam is March 31, 2008. For complete information 

on certification and the application process, please refer to 

the Candidate Manual, available from the CLC office or on 

the CLC Web site at www.childlife.org. Examination participants 

are encouraged to register for the conference as well, 

to take advantage of valuable educational and networking 

opportunities. Those who successfully complete this exam 

may use PDHs (Professional Development Hours) from the 

2008 conference toward recertification. 

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

Pre-Conference Full-Day 

Intensive –Includes Lunch 

Professionals Only: $150 – Limited Space (40) 

Register Early! 

The Leadership Journey: Chart Your Course 

Level: Advanced 

(6 PDHs) 

Jerrian Wilson, CCLS, Retired Director of Child Life, Johns 

Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore, MD 

Chris Brown, CCLS, Director, Child Life, Dell Children’s 

Medical Center of Central Texas, Austin, TX 

Shelia Palm, CCLS, Child Life System Leader, Children’s 

Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 

Linda Skinner, CCLS, Professional Practice Chief, IWK 

Health Centre, Halifax, NS 

Traci Woods, CCLS, Child Life Clinical Coordinator, Florida 

Children’s Hospital, Orlando, FL 

This all-day intensive will focus on leadership development 

for child life specialists in a variety of settings who are at 

different stages in their careers. Although it will be useful 

for current managers or leaders who are new to the 

manager role, it is also designed for those individuals who 

wish to grow and develop within their programs. The 

workshop will use a variety of methods such as didactic, 

assessment, as well as activities; there will be a heavy 

emphasis in each section on communication and engaging 

change. Vignettes of real-life examples, such as effective 




team building, setting strategic goals, project management, 

and presentation skills will be used to clarify different 

aspects of leadership. Attendees will be asked to think 

about the kinds of skills and leadership position or role they 

want and to come to this session with ideas or a plan of 

where they are now and where they want to be. Participants 

will practice identifying and understanding the value system 

in their own organization and will be more effective at 

mobilizing others in their achievements. 

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

Morning Half-Day Intensives 

A. Are We Ready for Surgery? Family Centered 

Outcomes Resulting from Lean Principles 

Level: Intermediate 

$75 – Limited Space (50) 

(3 PDHs) 

Julie Piazza, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Training 

Coordinator, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann 

Arbor, MI 

Virginia Gauger, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor 

Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Health System, 

Ann Arbor, MI 

Kelly Parent, Parent Coordinator, C.S. Mott Children’s 

Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI 

Mary Goulet Duck, Industrial Engineer/Lean Coach, 

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 

This workshop will focus on how lean principles, 

evidenced-based child life practice, and family partnerships 

resulted in service enhancement at a large teaching 

hospital. Successes and challenges encountered 

while creating the “Pediatric Surgery Readiness Center” 

will be shared. Participants will apply concepts learned 

in small group settings. 

B. Compassionate Communication along 

the Palliative Care Journey 



Kimberly O’Leary, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Johns 


Cora Welsh, CCLS, Intensive Primary Care Child Life 

Specialist, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore, MD 

Participants will increase understanding of palliative 

care and enhance skills in communicating with children 

and families throughout the process. Case studies from 

pediatric HIV and oncology populations will be used to 

highlight the art of disclosure from diagnosis to death 

and the role of children and adolescents in decision 

making. 

Thursday, May 22 



Thursday, May 22, 2008 —continued 

C. Anywhere but Here: Using Imaginative 

Techniques for Procedural Pain Control 



Jody Thomas, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, 

Children’s Health Council, Stanford, CA 

Attendees will learn about imaginative techniques for 

pain control, including specific interventions, how to 

apply them in clinical settings, and how to problem solve 

logistical issues that can make utilization challenging. 

Guidelines for how/when to coordinate with other care 

providers will be discussed. If time allows, an experiential 

component and Q&A session will be included. 

1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

Afternoon Half-Day Intensives 

D. Holistic Approach to Procedural Anxiety 

in Children: Non-Invasive Strategies for 

Child Life Specialists 



(3 PDHs) 

Kamyar Hedayat, MD, President, Attending, Pediatric 

Critical Care and Outpatient Integrative Medicine, 

AromaMD, LLC, Advocate Lutheran Children’s 

Hospital, Advocate Lutheran Center for Complimentary 

Medicine, Park Ridge, IL 

Procedural anxiety is common in children undergoing 

invasive procedures. Child life specialists require rapid, 

non-invasive strategies to help children allay their 

anxiety. This talk will discuss the holistic approach to 

treating anxiety, fear and pain in the peri-procedure 

period. Practical and simple techniques will be taught 

using clinical aromatherapy, massage, and acupressure. 

E. When the Fun and Games Are Over: Managing 

Personal Stress and Grief in Child Life Practice 



Jessica Irven, MS, LRT/CTRS, CCLS, Children’s Aftercare 

Coordinator, NC Jaycee Burn Center, UNC Hospitals, 

Durham, NC 

Jenni Davis, CCLS, Recreational Therapist, UNC 

Children’s Hospital, Durham, NC 

Working with sick, injured and dying children can be 

both rewarding and stressful. Come learn common 

causes for burnout and evaluate your stress triggers and 

coping style. Tools for individual use and to share with 

your department to improve coping and longevity in 

the child life field will be presented. 

F. Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT): 

A Filial Therapy Model 



Sue Bratton, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, Director, Center for 

Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 

Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) (Landreth 

& Bratton, 2006) is a Filial Therapy Training Model 

with a strong research base to support its effectiveness 

with diverse populations in a variety of settings, including 

chronically ill and terminally ill children in hospital 

settings. This approach is based on the principles/ 

procedures of Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) 

and focuses on enhancing the parent-child relationship 

and empowering parents to make a significant difference 

in their children’s lives. 

2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

Tour of Rady Children’s Hospital—San Diego 

(Limit 100) 

All Attendees: $25 

Founded in 1954, Rady Children’s Hospital’s mission is 

“to restore, sustain and enhance the health and developmental 

potential of children through excellence in care, 

education, research and advocacy.” 

Rady Children’s is the regional pediatric medical center for 

San Diego, Imperial and South Riverside counties. Each 

year approximately 143,000 children are provided medical 

care at its main campus in Kearny Mesa, or at one of its 28 

satellite facilities. 

Rady Children’s serves as the pediatric safety net medical 

center for the San Diego region. More than half of the 

children receiving care at Rady Children’s Hospital have 

little or no private medical insurance. Rady Children’s is the 

region’s primary pediatric teaching hospital for UCSD 

School of Medicine and for the U.S. Navy, and is the 

region’s major pediatric clinical research site. 

All major pediatric subspecialties are provided at Rady 

Children’s. Major clinical programs include Hematology/ 

Oncology, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, The 

Sam S. and Rose Stein Emergency and Trauma Care 

Center, The Ernest Hahn Critical Care Center, the 

Chadwick Center for Children and Families, Orthopedics, 

Dermatology, Infectious Disease, and Neonatology. For 

more information please visit www.rchsd.org. 

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 

New Member/First Timer Orientation Meeting 

Sponsored by Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA 

Join veteran CLC members and staff for an informative 

overview of CLC and the Annual Conference on 

Professional Issues. Whether you are a new member, a firsttime 

conference attendee or potential member, you will 

walk away knowing how to make the most out of member- 

10 





ship benefits and services. You’ll learn how to better 

navigate the conference, how best to take advantage of the 

exhibit hall and everything the conference has to offer. 

Refreshments will be served, and participants are sure to 

leave with questions answered! 

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. 

Networking Roundtables—Child Life 

Professionals Only 

Networking discussions are special small group discussions 

for child life professionals led by a networking facilitator. 

The purpose of these sessions is to give professionals a 

chance to meet in groups in order to explore a particular 

topic of special importance. These sessions allow participants 

to meet others with similar responsibilities and begin 

or continue building an informal network of child life 

colleagues. An excellent opportunity to make lasting 

professional connections and collaborate with your peers! 

A. Adolescents 

Susan Gorry, MA, CCLS, Adolescent Child Life Specialist, 

Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 

Janis Welter, CCLS, Teen Life Specialist, Lutheran 

General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL 

Cora Welsh, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Johns Hopkins 

Hospital Harriet Lane Clinic, Baltimore, MD 

B. Alternative Settings 

Sue Waltermeyer, MA, CCLS, Director of Family Services, 

Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation 

of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 

Ann Roseman, MS, CCLS, Pet Team Coordinator, 

Hospice of the Valley, Phoenix, AZ 

Jacquelyn Rebecek, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Wonders 

and Worries, Austin, TX 

C. Bereavement 

Chris Flood, MA, CCLS, Child Life Coordinator, Bristol- 

Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson 

University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ 

Breanna Zung, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Loma Linda 

University Children’s Hospital, Loma Linda, CA 

Alisha Alanis-Ayala, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Loma 

Linda University Children’s Hospital, Loma Linda, CA 

D. Bone Marrow Transplant 

Elizabeth Fairall, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Johns 


D. Burns 

Caroline McIntire, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO 

Tanya Hastings, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 

Medical Center Dallas, Dallas, TX 

E. Cardiac 

Morgan Ford, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Medical 

University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital, 

Charleston, SC 

F. Child Life Education and Training 

Jenny Chabot, CCLS, PhD, Associate Professor, Child & 

Family Studies, Ohio University, Athens, OH 

Ann Moylan, PhD, CCLS, CFLE, Professor, Department 

of Family and Consumer Sciences, Director, Center for 

Family Studies, California State University, Sacramento, 

Sacramento, CA 

G. Clinical Supervision 

Ruthann Mitchell, MEd, CCLS, Child Life Coordinator, 

Holtz Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL 

Sheila Palm, MA, CCLS, Child Life System Leader, 

Children’s Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota, 


H. Creative Arts 

Jennifer Tudor, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 

Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 

Morgan Livingstone, CCLS, CIMI, Consultant, Private 

Practice, Toronto, ON 

I. Critical Care/Intensive Care –TBD 

J. Cystic Fibrosis 

Nikki Orkoskey, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH 

K. Directors/Leaders 

Diane Hart, MA, CCLS, Site Supervisor, Child Life 

Department, British Columbia Children’s Hospital, 

Vancouver, BC 

Joy Daugherty, MBA/HCM, CCLS, Coordinator, Child 

Life Department, Banner Thunderbird Children’s Center, 

Glendale, AZ 

L. Emergency Department 

Bonnie Bishop, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, ED, 

Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 

Wendy Burns, CCLS, Child Life Specialist II, ED, 


M. Ethics 

Nora Besinaiz, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Driscoll 

Children’s Hospital of South Texas, Corpus Christi, TX 

Chantel LeBlanc, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, IWK 


N. Hematology/Oncology 

Christine Campbell Marcoux, MS, CCLS, Child Life 

Specialist, Medical University of South Carolina, 


Erin Hall, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 

Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 


San Diego, California • May 22 - 25, 2008 11


Thursday, May 22, 2008 —continued 

O. Hospice 

Barbara Ross, CCLS, Bereavement Coordinator, 

Arkansas Hospice, Little Rock, AR 

Cinda McDonald, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Community Hospice of Texas, Dallas, TX 

P. Infants 

Sarah Braukman, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 


Chantelle Bennett, CCLS, CTRS, Child Life Specialist, 

Florida Children’s Hospital, Orlando, FL 

Q. Internships 

Troy Pinkney-Ragsdale, CCLS, Director of Child Life 

Program, Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY 

Judith Duncan, MSW, CCLS, Professor, Child & Youth 

Work, Cambrian College, Sudbury, ON 

Tara Cook, Child Life Intern, Komansky Center for 

Children’s Health at Weill Cornell Medical Center of New 

York Presbyterian, Manhattan, NY 

R. Kidney Disease 

Cindy Barshay, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Portland, OR 

S. NICU 

Jessica Claspill-Garcia, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Kaiser Permanente Hayward Pediatrics, Hayward, CA 

Julie Grassfield, CCLS, CIMI, ED Child Life Specialist, 

Sr., Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, 

Austin, TX 

T. One Person Programs 

Beth Van Buskirk, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Virtua 

Health, Voorhees, NJ 


U. Operation Smile 

Priti Desai, MSc, MPH, CCLS, Child Life Coordinator, 

East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 

Jennifer Kreimer, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Raleigh, NC 

V. Orthopedics 

Mary Faith Roell, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 


W. Outpatient Clinics 

Erika Croswhite, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Sutter 

Memorial Hospital, Sacramento, CA 

X. Pain Management 

Leah Class, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Saint Joseph’s 

Children’s Hospital of Tampa, Tampa, FL 

Y. Siblings 

Sandi Ring, MS, CCLS, National Director-Outreach 

& Education, SuperSibs!, Buffalo Grove, IL 

Stephanie Lorig, Executive Director, Art with Heart, 

Seattle, WA 

Annie McCall, Therapist, Art with Heart, Seattle, WA 

Z. Surgery 

Traci Woods, CCLS, Child Life Clinical Coordinator, 


Jennifer Redfern, MS, CCLS, Senior Child Life Specialist, 

Intern Coordinator, MUSC Children’s Hospital, 


AA. Volunteer/Special Events 

Renee Ethans, CCLS, Manager, Child Life Department, 

Children’s Hospital, Winnipeg, MB 


7:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. 

Student Breakfast Event – Students Only 

Sponsored by Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital 

(Limited Attendance—Must Pre-Register to Attend!) 

This is a special breakfast program allowing students the 

opportunity to ask open-ended questions to child life 

professionals. All students are encouraged to register for 

this interactive event. 

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 

Opening General Session & Emma Plank 

Keynote Address 

The Self-Directed Healing of Young 

Traumatized Children 

Sue Bratton, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, Director, Center for 

Play Therapy, Associate Professor, University of North Texas, 

Denton, TX 

The child’s journey toward healing in the context of the 

play therapy relationship and the importance of allowing 

traumatized children to access and integrate their experiences 

in safe and manageable ways will be explored. Video 

vignettes and case of illustrations will be used to examine 

the complexity of trauma play in terms of its personal 

12 





meaning for the child and how that informs our work 

within the child’s system (family, school, hospital, etc). 

Neurobiological, physiological, psychological, and developmental 

aspects of interpersonal trauma will be addressed in 

support of the process of self-directed healing. 

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 

Lunch and Bookstore in Exhibit Hall 

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. 

International Networking Meeting 

Students and professionals from outside North America are 

invited to attend the International Networking Meeting. 

Join us for an opportunity to collaborate with your peers 

and commit to advancing child life practice worldwide! 

Please bring valuable resources that you would like to share 

with colleagues. 

1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

Two-Hour Professional 

Development Seminars 

(2 PDHs) 

1. Raising the Bar: Developing Core Competency 

Assessments 


Leah Dabaghian, Child Life Specialist, CHRISTUS 

Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital, San Antonio, TX 

Farya Phillips, CCLS, Program Coordinator, Wonders 

and Worries, Inc., Austin, TX 

Discover how to raise the bar in your department by 

promoting professional growth and increasing staff’s 

confidence in their own clinical skills. This presentation 

will outline the development and implementation of a 

competency-based education and assessment curriculum 

used for annual staff evaluations, new hire orientations, 

internships and more. 

3. Kids of Our Own: Being a Parent and 

a Child Life Specialist 


Camilla Sutter, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, UCSF 

Children’s Hospital, San Francisco, CA 

Becky Higbee Sumner, MA,CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

UCSF Children’s Hospital, San Francisco, CA 

Eve Alley Limbert, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Children’s Hospital Oakland, Oakland, CA 

Simultaneously being a CLS and a parent often changes 

the practice and focus of our work. Through small and 

lighthearted group discussions, we will support each 

other and validate changes in roles, emotional balance 

between home and work, use of child life skills at home, 

boundary issues and self-care. 

4. Giving the Greater Gift: Imparting Worth to 

the Abused Patient 


Eugene Johnson, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Dallas, TX 

A critical component that must pervade what is 

communicated to the abused child/teen is that s/he is 

valued unconditionally—the greater gift that is not 

always accepted. This seminar focuses on a method of 

inculcating this message to children/teens in order to 

minimize rejection and maximize their acceptance of it. 

5. Utilizing Web Technology as a Coping Tool 

Level: All Levels 

Christine Puder, MEd, CCLS, Professor, Director, 

University College of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC 

This presentation explores the use of Web-based 

technology as a therapeutic tool for coping. Participants 

will learn about the historical context of Web-based 

technology and become familiar with tools currently 

available. 


2. Examining the Partnership Between Child Life and 

Procedural Sedation 


Lisa Gray, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist II, UCSF 

Children’s Hospital, San Francisco, CA 

Tiffany Martorana, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist II, 

UCSF Children’s Hospital, San Francisco, CA 

Glenn Rosenbluth, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, 

University of California San Francisco, Department 

of Pediatrics, San Francisco, CA 

The increase in sedating pediatric patients for procedures 

has implications for child life practice. We will 

explore the ethical, pharmacological, and practical 

facets of sedation. We will break down medical logistics, 

discuss how distraction can compliment the goal of 

sedating patients, and provide a model of a procedural 

sedation team. 

6. In the Midst of Chaos—Empowering Families to 

Include Siblings During the Loss of a Child 


Jennie Geartz-Ott, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist III, 

University of Chicago Children’s Hospital, Chicago, IL 

Erica Turner, Child Life Specialist II, University of 

Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, Chicago, IL 

“They don’t need to be here…they won’t understand.” 

Parents often struggle with supporting children when 

dealing with the loss of a child. How do we advocate 

for involvement of siblings in the midst of chaos? Learn 

innovate ways to empower families and involve siblings 

in the grief process. 



Friday, May 23, 2008 —continued 

7. Advocacy: To Really Have a Voice 


Bindy Sweett, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, British 

Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC 

In your daily work, do you meet clients who have difficulty 

in speaking, have no voice, or need help being heard? This 

motivating session will define, highlight and demonstrate 

through case study and interactive work the value and 

breadth of advocacy within the field of child life. 

8. Getting It Write: A Child Life Writers’ Workshop 


Kathleen Murphey, MS, CCLS, Disabilities Specialist, ICF 

International, Philadelphia, PA 

Paul Thayer, D.Min, Assistant Professor of Child Life and 

Family Studies, Wheelock College, Boston, MA 

This writers’ workshop offers aspiring child life authors 

an inside view of what to expect of the publication 

submission and editing process. Participants will analyze 

a manuscript from the reviewer’s and editor’s perspectives, 

and will develop their own outlines, plans and 

sample pages for a child life article. 

9. Disney Leadership Institute—A Creative 

Thinking Workshop 


4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. 

Professional Development 

Workshops 

(1.5 PDHs) 

10. “I am”: A Digital Storytelling Project for Teens with 

Chronic Illness 


Janice Baker, MA, Coordinator, Arts and Enrichment, 

Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, New Haven, CT 

Teens express their feelings through multi-media 

autobiographical storytelling. Poetry, music, video and 

art facilitate expression and coping. The storytelling 

curriculum, project implementation, collaboration with 

child life, theoretical support, and sample stories are 

featured. The workshop will include a hands-on 

expressive art activity with opportunities to discuss 

facilitation questions. 

11. Key Elements of Child Life Assessment 


Donna Koller, PhD, Academic and Clinical Specialist in 

Child Life, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON 

In an effort to reduce the negative impact of hospitalization, 

child life must determine whether a child is at risk for 

experiencing negative psychological sequelae. This 

workshop will present current research based on a systematic 

review of the literature. Key elements of evidencebased 

practice will be explored for clinical consideration. 

12. Gentle Sounds: Music and Music Therapy 

with Premature Infants 


Alyssa Yeager, MA, MT-BC, Music Therapist, Rainbow 

Babies & Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, OH 

Elizabeth Ray, MA, LSW, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, OH 

Attendees will learn how appropriate music use can 

improve the physical, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing 

of premature infants. Research and hands on 

techniques will be explored to determine when a music 

therapist is necessary, and when family and staff can be 

empowered to provide this care. 

13. SBAR: A Coverage and Collaboration Process 


Jennifer Rupp, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 

Hospital at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 

Katie Arneson, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 

Hospital at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 

Sharing patient care responsibilities can be a challenging 

task. Participants will learn effective communication 

skills through the utilization of SBAR (Situation, 

Background, Assessment, Recommendation), the 

JCAHO recommended communication tool. 

Collaboration within child life and the multi-disciplinary 

team will be examined, allowing participants to 

explore a new coverage and collaboration model. 

14. The Role of Child Life in Pediatric Pain 

Management: Research Findings and Implications 


Linda Skinner, CCLS, Professional Practice Chief, IWK 


Chantal LeBlanc, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, IWK 


Ellen Hollon, CCLS, Director, Child Life Department, 


Results from an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional and 

collaborative research project on the role of child life in 

pain management will be shared. Implications for 

practice will be introduced; extrapolation of the results 

to education and preparation of child life clinicians will 

be explored, as well as the need for future research. 

15. Scoliosis, Spinal Fusion, Halo Traction—Oh My! 


Lucy Raab, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s Mercy 

Hospital, Kansas City, MO 

This workshop will provide attendees with a basic 

understanding of spinal abnormalities. An emphasis will 

14 





be placed on scoliosis, anterior and posterior spinal 

fusions, spinal curvatures and a halo traction program. 

Preparation, therapeutic play, and family support will be 

discussed in detail. 

presentation will offer CLS practical information and 

creative ideas on creating that effective team—within 

both an interprofessional context, and within their 

own child life departments. 

16. Next Steps in Family-Centered Care: 

Implications for Child Life Leadership 


Joanna Kaufman, RN, MS, Resource/Information 

Specialist, Institute for Family-Centered Care, Bethesda, MD 

Patient and family-centered care has become a widely 

touted concept in health care practice. This presentation 

shall define the shifting paradigm towards patientand 

family-centered care, describe its influence on all 

levels of the service delivery system, and discuss new 

opportunities that patient-and family-centered care 

offers to child life professionals. 

17. There Is No “I” In TEAM 


Diane Hart, MA, CCLS, Site Supervisor, British 


Although child life specialists are accustomed to 

working in a team environment, many may not have 

thought critically about creating effective teams. This 


Saturday, May 24, 2008 

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 

Committee Meetings with Breakfast 

For Current Committee Members 

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. 

Exhibit Hall and Bookstore Open 

with Beverages 

9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. 


Workshops 

(1.5 PDHs) 

19. Breaking New Ground: Establishing Child Life 

in the Community Hospital Setting 

Level: Entry 

Christine Rupp, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Dover, NH 

Colleen Ramsey, CTRS, Child Life Specialist, 

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Dover, NH 

18. Entiendo, Capisco, Je Comprends, I Understand: 

Providing Culturally Competent Child Life Care 


Priti Desai, MSc., MPH, CCLS, Teaching Instructor/ 

CDFR, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 

Through use of self-reflective exercises participants will 

explore their own heritage and how it influences their 

worldview and interactions with children and families 

from diverse cultures. The cultural proficiency model 

improves self-awareness and encourages participants to 

confront prejudices. Attendees will obtain information 

about other cultures and discover practical skills to 

improve culturally competent care. 

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. 

Reception in Exhibit Hall 

Come and join your fellow child life colleagues for food 

and fun! Take a stroll through the Exhibit Hall, enjoy tasty 

treats, renew old acquaintances and make new ones! 

This session will explore the inception of child life in 

one community hospital, from program proposal to 

our current scope of services. 

20. Supportive Healing & Play in a Natural Setting 

Level: Entry 

Katie Vogel, Project Director, Healing and Hope Through 

Science, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Durham, NC 

Caroline Sweezy, MS, CCLS, Child & Adolescent Life 

Specialist, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 

Susan Trout, CCLS, P-LCSW, Clinical Social Worker, 

Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 

Children and families facing life-threatening illness 

benefit from opportunities for socialization and play. 

To address these needs, an interdisciplinary team 

developed a nature-based activity program for patients 

and siblings while meeting parental needs through a 

support group. 

21. Strategies For Preparation, Procedural Support 

& Trauma Debriefing With The Young Child 

in the Emergency Room 





Saturday, May 24, 2008 —continued 

Julie Grassfield, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Sr., Dell 

Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, Austin, TX 

This session will discuss the young child in the 

Emergency Department, specifically focusing on 

trauma debriefing, procedural preparation and support 

and helping young children during bereavement 

situations. 

22. Redrawing the Wonder Years: Functional, 

Context-Sensitive Intervention in Acquired Brain 

Injury 


Heather Crawford, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON 

Maureen Jones, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 

Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON 

Brain injury rehabilitation is an ongoing process to 

help the child, adolescent and family achieve real life 

goals in real world settings. Functional, contextsensitive 

assessment and intervention ensure integrated 

programming to achieve maximum functional and 

psychological recovery. Case studies to illustrate the 

application of this framework will be presented. 

23. Promoting the Power of Child Life 

Services in Same Day Surgery: From Idea 

to Implementation 

Level: Entry 

Rachael Kaiser, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Gundersen 

Lutheran, La Crosse, WI 

Creating a new position can be daunting and stressful. 

This presentation will discuss how one program, in an 

outpatient surgery setting, was created from the 

ground up. It will discuss ideas for documentation, 

statistics, tours, pre-op videos, and marketing which 

can be applied to positions in any area. 

24. Patient-Centered Transition from 

Pediatric to Adult Health Care: Implications 

for Child Life Professionals 


Joanna Kaufman, RN, MS, Resource/Information 

Specialist, Institute for Family-Centered Care, 

Bethesda, MD 

John Reiss, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of 

Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 

This session will describe ways in which child life professionals 

can assist youth in participating in medical decision 

making, how to promote positive strategies for professional 

involvement in transitioning youth to the adult care 

system, and methods for engaging families as partners in 

transition for their youth-turned-young adult. 

25. “…And the Emmy Goes to…:” Using Closed- 

Circuit Programming as a Therapeutic Tool 

Level: Entry 

Ingrid Dahlin-Doherty, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA 

Suzanne Graca, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist III, 


Miranda Guardiani, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 


Television can be tough competition! However, we can 

come up a “winner” by using popular shows as a 

template for education, family-friendly, developmentally 

appropriate programming in child life. This entertaining 

session will describe full production development. 

26. Psychosocial Interventions to Facilitate 

Coping in Children Who Struggle With 

Weight Management 


Holly Kihm, PhD, CCLS, Assistant Professor, 

Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA 

The focus of the presentation is to discuss findings 

from a research study that highlights the importance of 

addressing typical psychosocial challenges that are met 

by children with obesity and obesity-related conditions. 

Specific psychosocial interventions that may be implemented 

by child life specialists will also be discussed. 

27. Professional Peer Groups: 

Promoting Professional, Personal 

and Departmental Growth 


Markelle Springsteen, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 


Marilyn Friedman, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 


This presentation will focus on the development of a 

professional peer group model that can be adapted and 

applied to a variety of settings. A description of our 

group structure process, goals, positive outcomes and 

transitions will be highlighted. Participants will gain 

knowledge about a new form of professional 

communication. 

11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. 

Lunch and Bookstore Open in Exhibit Hall 

16 





11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. 

Staffed Poster Presentations 

A. Children’s Rainforest Art Explorer Program 


Deborah Roberts, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Kaiser 

Permanente Hospital, San Diego, CA 

This presentation outlines the impact art activities have in the 

lives of chronically-ill patients and their families. Participants 

experience first-hand how art serves as a diversion from 

illness, alleviates stress and anxiety, and offers an escape 

from the reality of hospitals and procedures. 

B. VEEG Online: Child Life in Your Living Room 


Debra Monzack Powell, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, San 

Francisco, CA 

Most children having a video EEG have had previous 

EEG experience and believe they understand what is 

involved in VEEG monitoring. For those families 

that cannot attend a preparation session, online 

preparation has proven to be a useful tool in getting 

parents and children ready for this procedure. 

C. Happy Meals: Becoming a Mealtime Partner 


Michele Tache, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 


Manon Rollin, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 


This poster will demonstrate the uniqueness of 

creating a positive, comfortable and supportive 

mealtime milieu for hospitalized patients and families 

as part of the treatment care plan. Explore a refreshing 

medium, which fosters continued emotional, 

social and physical growth and enhances proper 

nutrition through happy meals partnerships. 

D. Get Up & Get Moving: Physical Activity & Goal 

Setting for Patients 

Level: Entry 

Allison Pummell, Child Life Specialist, The Hospital 

for Sick Children, Toronto, ON 

Caron Mills, Child Life Specialist, The Hospital for Sick 

Children, Toronto, ON 

Jennifer Butterly, Child Life Specialist, The Hospital 

for Sick Children, Toronto, ON 

With the prevalence of childhood obesity, child life 

recognizes the importance to focus on both psychosocial 

and physical needs of hospitalized children. 

The “Get Up & Get Moving” initiative offers a week 

of specialized activities that encourages physical 

activity. This program is based on individual goal 

setting and positive reinforcement. 

E. Intern Projects: Making A Difference 


Rhonna Robinson, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist 

I, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 


So you’re an intern, now what? One of the most 

significant tasks of an internship is creating an 

internship project. In some cases, a great internship 

project can be a factor in attaining a job. This poster 

presentation will demonstrate four intern projects 

that students completed during their internships. 

F. Cultural Competency in Child Life 

Level: Entry 

Kelly Warren, Child Life Specialist, IWK Health 

Centre, Halifax, NS 

Jennifer Lynch, Child Life Specialist, IWK Health 

Centre, Halifax, NS 

With an ever-changing world, it is essential for child life 

staff to be aware of cultural issues and barriers which 

may inhibit a patient and family’s coping. This poster 

will illustrate ways that child life staff can create culturally 

competent Activity Areas and intervention plans. 

G. Child Life Interventions and Patient Satisfaction 

during the Suture Experience in 

the Emergency Department 


Mindy Teele, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 

Hospitals and Clinics, Minneapolis, MN 

A research study was conducted in the Emergency 

Department focusing on patient satisfaction and 

parental satisfaction with their child’s experience 

during laceration repair in presence and absence of 

CLS services. The results showed a significant 

decrease in patient anxiety when a CLS intervention 

was a part of their experience. 

H. Developing Research Interest and Skills 

Through Supervised Undergraduate Research 

Experiences 


Joan Turner, PhD, CCLS, Assistant Professor, Mount 

Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS 

This poster is designed to show the process and 

benefits of two means through which undergraduates 

can access supervised research opportunities. A 

description of two research experiences, sequence of 

research tasks, potential learning outcomes, and 

summary delineating a model of supervisor - student 

collaboration will be presented. 





11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. 

Staffed Poster Presentations —continued 

I. Tracing the Paths of the Pioneers 


Lois Pearson, MEd, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 

Civita Brown, MS, CCLS, Coordinator of Internships, 

Psychology, Utica College, Utica, NY 

This poster session will profile the lifetime contributions 

of four pioneers in the field of child life as a way 

to highlight our unique history and to increase 

awareness of the importance of the archives as a 

resource for ongoing professional development. 

J. Avoid Research Frustrations! Simplified 

Ways to Conduct Literature Reviews and 

Read Research Articles 

Level: Entry 

Toni Crowell, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist/Doctoral 

Student, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 

Farya Philips, MA, CCLS, Program Coordinator, 

Wonders & Worries, Inc., Austin, TX 

Rose Resler, MA, CCLS, Director, Child Life Program, 

University of Akron, Akron, OH 

This poster presentation will illustrate and simplify two 

basic, yet integral, steps of research; conducting a 

comprehensive literature review and learning how to 

read and comprehend an existing research article. 

Presented by members of the Evidence-Based Practice 

Committee. 

K. Emergency Preparedness and Child Care: 

A Model Program 


Deborah Roberts, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Kaiser 

Permanente Hospital, San Diego, CA 

During the California wildfires in October 2007, San 

Diego suffered the worst fire damage in the history of 

the City and the County. Due to the closure of all City 

and County schools, I had the opportunity to prepare 

for, and operate the emergency child care center at 

Kaiser Permanente Hospital. The center served 375 

children of employees, ranging in age from infants to 

adolescents, while their parent’s attended work. It was 

open 24 hours a day, for 1 week. The children’s needs 

were met daily to include meals, sleeping accommodations, 

medication administration, socialization, age 

appropriate activities and entertainment. 

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. 

Child Life Educators Networking Meeting 

Child Life Educators are encouraged to take advantage of 

this opportunity to meet with the leadership of the CLC 

Child Life Education & Training Committee, as well as 

board liaison, Ellen Hollon. 

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 


Workshops 

(1.5 PDHs) 

28. Working with Infants from Multi-Risk Families 


Julie Parker, MS, CCLS, Instructor, The University of 

Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 

Child life professionals often identify concerns in 

behavioral and emotional development in infants from 

multi-risk families. The role of the child life specialist 

is identified in the literature as a critical mechanism 

for reducing the negative chain reaction after risk 

exposure. This presentation provides strategies for 

assessment and intervention. 

29. Back to Basics: Materials for Therapeutic Play in a 

Media Driven World 


Elizabeth McMillan, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

MUSC Children’s Hospital, Charleston, SC 

Michelle Vandermaas, MS, CCLS, Senior Child Life 

Specialist, MUSC Children’s Hospital, Charleston, SC 

Sandra Oberman, MEd, CCLS, Manager, Child Life 

Department, MUSC Children’s Hospital, Charleston, SC 

Toys are crucial to child life programs, yet we often 

overlook their therapeutic possibilities, allowing trendy 

and popular varieties to prevail. This presentation 

emphasizes selection, use and benefits of play materials. 

A walk- through of the Wal-Mart toy department will 

enlighten participants. Case examples further illustrate 

the importance of materials. 

30. Who’s the Parent? Who’s the Child? Solving the 

Challenges of Working with Teen Parents 

Level: Entry 

Terre Kugler, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Cincinnati 

Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 

The developmental tasks of adolescence are in direct 

conflict with skills needed for effective parenting. 

Professionals working with teen parents have two 

generations simultaneously going through similar 

developmental stages. This professional development 

session will discuss teen parent behavior based on 

neuroscience brain research and offer techniques to 

support these families. 

18 





31. Movin’ on Up: The Transition from Student 

to Professional 

Level: Entry 

Erica Southern, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Cincinnati 

Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 

Rhonna Robinson, CCLS, Child Life Specialist I, 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 


This session is designed for students and new specialists 

who are trying to make a smooth transition from an 

internship program to employment. A diverse range of 

topics, ideas, and tools for discussion will be presented, 

encouraging participants to seek advice and express 

concerns about entering the child life profession. 

32. Get Your Groove On: Using Music Therapy 

Programming and Music as a Therapeutic Tool 

Level: Entry 

Judith Sawyer, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 

Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota-Minneapolis, 


Christina Ufer Kane, MT-BC, Music Therapist, 

Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota- 

Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN 

Music therapists and child life specialists have unique 

roles yet similar goals. This seminar will focus on handson 

learning designed to enhance your clinical repertoire. 

Meet and learn from two professionals who collaborate 

to promote the use of both therapeutic music and music 

therapy to enhance their work. 

33. Developing a CLC Model for Clinical Supervision 


Gloria Mattera, MEd, CCLS, Director, Child Life & 

Developmental Services, Bellevue Hospital Center, New 

York, NY 

Diane Rode, MPS, CCLS, LCAT, Director, Child Life 

and Creative Arts Therapy Department, The Kravis 

Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 

Toni Millar, MS, CCLS, Director of Child Life, The 

Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York 

Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 

CLC Clinical Supervision Task Force members will 

present on the development process and outline for a 

best practice child life clinical supervision model. The 

panel will also engage the audience in discussion 

regarding clinical supervision’s role in future CLC 

initiatives. 

34. Internships: The Nuts and Bolts of Building 

the Best and Brightest 


Kellye Carroll, CCLS, Child Life Specialist/Internship 

Coordinator, Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Dallas, TX 

Tanya Hastings, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 


During this seminar, participants will be given the 

components to successfully develop an internship 

program. The main emphasis will be creating a balance 

of hands-on clinical experience with formal educational 

opportunities in the form of student seminars, oral and 

written assignments and developmentally based projects. 

35. Life Beyond Blood Counts & Cancer Cells: 

Interventions to Enhance Quality of Life 

Level: Entry 

Jennifer Krieger, MS, LSW, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Comer Children’s Hospital at University of Chicago, 

Chicago, IL 

This workshop is designed to help practitioners 

recognize the impact child life programming has on 

the psychosocial wellbeing of children with cancer. By 

using case studies and the perspective of children and 

their families, the meaning of quality of life and unique 

interventions will be reviewed. 

36. Child Life Practice: Spanning the Globe 


Andrea “Andy” Standish, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Austin, TX 

Travel around the world and learn about child life 

practice outside of North America. Learn where child 

life services exist. Three “international” presenters will 

give an in-depth look at their child life program. Learn 

how to seek global child life experiences, e.g. internships, 

volunteer opportunities and conferences. 

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 


Workshops 

(1.5 PDHs) 

37. A Children’s Hospital Dream Team: The 

Collaborative Works of Child Life and Child 

Advocacy in the Emergency Department 


Leah Class, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, St. Joseph’s 


Stefanie Alt, MS, Senior Child Advocate, St. Joseph’s 


A new and innovative approach to providing familycentered 

care during an Emergency Department visit. In 

addition to receiving medical treatment, patients and 





families are provided with educational tools to increase 

positive coping with the hospital visit and safety awareness 

to prevent future hospitalization. 

38. Using Self as a Therapeutic Tool: 

The Art of Building Rapport 


Eugene Johnson, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 


Emily Parker, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Our 

Children’s House at Baylor, Dallas, TX 

A CLS does not simply provide an intervention, but 

his/her presence makes a considerable contribution to 

the outcome. The strength of the relationship with 

children/teens and families can have a significant 

impact on the potency and longitudinal range of one’s 

effectiveness. Building therapeutic rapport is an art to 

be learned. 

39. The Ins and Outs of Three Distinctly Different 

Internship Programs — A Panel 


Chris Marie Flood, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New 

Brunswick, NJ 

Eileen Mapes, MS, CCLS, Information and Outreach 

Coordinator, Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative, 

Wilmington, DE 

Stephanie Rogerwick, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 

Lucy Raab, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 

Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO 

Three child life specialists from three distinct child life 

programs will compare and contrast their internship 

programs. Following a detailed description of each 

program, the audience will be invited to share in an 

open discussion regarding internship programming. 

40. Making Play out of Adherence, At Home 


Cindy Clark, PhD, Associate Professor, Penn State 

University, Media, PA 

Chronically ill children, treated largely at home, 

exhibit poor adherence with treatments that could 

hold out the promise of better health. Based on both 

ethnographic research and a controlled experiment, 

the session will explore the underlying dynamics by 

which play makes treatment more child-accepted, and 

avenues for improving adherence. 

41. What About Me? Supporting The Siblings 

Of Seriously Ill Or Disabled Children 

Level: Entry 

Annie McCall, MA, LMHC, Therapist, Private Practice, 

Seattle, WA 

Steffanie Lorig, Executive Director, Art with Heart, 

Seattle, WA 

In the high-stress, resource-intensive world of caring 

for a hospitalized child, families don’t always have 

much left for siblings. This presentation explores 

current research and programs that address their 

needs. Participants will increase their understanding of 

risks and opportunities facing siblings and will be 

invited to share their experiences. 

42. Best of Both Worlds: Finding Balance When 

You Are Part of Two Teams 

Level: Entry 

Ashley Wilson, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Monroe 

Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN 

Stacey Chambers, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Monroe 

Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN 

The nature of many child life jobs demands time and 

energy to be shared among two teams: the medical 

team and the child life team. Two child life specialists 

in service-line based positions share the challenges and 

successes they have experienced in their effort to find 

the “perfect balance.” 

43. Butterflies, Free to Fly: Help Patients 

with Epidermolysis Bullosa Soar 


Nikki Orkoskey, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 



Mary Faith Roell, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 



What exactly is Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)? This 

session focuses on what EB is, its effect on patients 

and families, and the child life role. We will discuss 

assessment, intervention, and psychosocial issues 

surrounding working with these patients and families 

and the multidisciplinary approach utilized to service 

them. 

20 





44. Transforming Healthcare for Children: 

Challenges and Opportunities 

Sponsored by National Association of Children’s 

Hospitals and Related Institutions 


Sue Dull, RN, MSN, MBA, Director, Child Health and 

Financing, NACHRI, Alexandria, VA 

Children’s hospitals have long played a pivotal role in 

the delivery of healthcare for children. As current 

leaders in the transformation of this care, they face a 

number of challenges in the quest for excellence. We’ll 

explore the trends, challenges and opportunities for 

children’s hospitals—and child life specialists—in the 

future. 

45. Happiest Baby on the Block—Comfort 

Techniques for Infants 0-3 Months 

Level: All Levels Limited Space! 

Harvey Karp, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, 

UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 


Chantelle Bennet, CCLS, CTRS, Certified Happiest 

Baby Educator, Child Life Specialist, Florida Children’s 

Hospital, Orlando, FL 

Traci Woods, CCLS, Child Life Clinical Coordinator, 


Infant crying provokes stress, fatigue, depression, even 

child abuse. Dr. Karp discusses the provocative idea 

that babies are not fully ready for the world at birth. 

He advocates thinking of newborns as needing a “4th 

trimester” of carrying and holding. He reveals his 

discovery of the “calming” reflex—a virtual off switch 

to crying—and 5 ways to activate it and quickly soothe 

almost any crying baby’s fussing and add 1-2 hours of 

sleep to a child’s nighttime routine. 


Sunday, May 25, 2008 

7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 

Internship Forum— 

Two-Hour Panel Discussion 

(2 PDHs) 

Internship Forum: Panel Discussion on Important 

Internship Issues 

Anita Pumphrey, MS, CCLS, Instructor, Louisiana Tech 

University, Ruston, LA 

Beth Daniel, CCLS, Child Life Coordinator, Huntsville 

Hospital for Women & Children, Huntsville, AL 

Ellen Hollon, CCLS, Director, Child Life Department, 


It’s time to reevaluate issues in internships such as criteria 

for acceptance to internships, supervisory practices, and 

evaluation processes. This discussion is an invaluable 

opportunity for educators, coordinators, managers, and 

child life specialists at all career stages to network with a 

common goal of better prepared students for the field. 

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. 


Workshops 

(1.5 PDHs) 

46. Child Life Position Available: Tips and Techniques 

for the Student or Interviewing Professional 

Level: Entry 

Arleen Tripp, CCLS, Child Life Specialist/Coordinator, 

Columbus Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 

This session will include information for child life 

students and interviewing professionals in regards to 

locating a child life position, developing a resume and 

portfolio, participating in the interview process, and 

establishing themselves in their areas once they begin a 

job as a child life specialist. 

47. “Can You Hear Me Now?” Reading Cues 

for Successful Infant Care 


Erin Shipp, CCLS, CIMI, CPST, Child Life Specialist, 


Beth Warrick, CCLS, CIMI, CPST, Child Life Specialist, 


This professional developmental session will provide 

detailed teaching on reading and responding to nonverbal 

infant cues related to hunger, engagement, 

stress, and self-regulation. The session will include 

discussion on the language development of term and 

preterm infants and offer creative ideas for educating 

staff and families on infant communication patterns. 



Sunday, May 25, 2008 —continued 

48. How to Make Siblings Feel Like a STAR! 


Sandra Ring, MS, CCLS, National Outreach Director, 

SuperSibs!, Buffalo Grove, IL 

The SuperSibs! Sibling STAR Kit will empower 

pediatric professionals to administer comprehensive 

sibling support programs in their hospitals/organizations. 

This kit provides many flexible options that can 

be implemented, as appropriate, on a one-time or 

ongoing basis—for an individual child, a group of 

children, or within a family. 

49. Do Hospitalized Children Really Want Their Art 

to be “Beautiful”?: How to Facilitate Creative 

Expression through Art 

Level: Entry 

Anne Claire Hickman, CCLS, CPST, Child Life 

Specialist, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central 

Texas, Austin, TX 

Ann Grassfield, MA, NCC, LPC, RPT, Child Life 

Assistant, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central 

Texas, Austin, TX 

Art is often used as an intervention when working 

with hospitalized children in both inpatient and 

outpatient settings. By utilizing appropriate and 

therapeutic responses as opposed to traditional 

responses of valuing or judging the art product, child 

life staff can add a more effective strategy in helping 

children express themselves. 

50. “Cool! Sweet! Awesome!” Engaging Adolescents 

into the Child Life Groove 


Michele Tache, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 


Manon Rollin, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 


Lisa Dorcas, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 


This session will demonstrate how adolescent participation 

in well-designed youth oriented child life 

activities not only captures their attention in a fun and 

engaging milieu, but also provides strong stimulation 

and support to their developmental needs. Let’s share 

together special expertise for the delivery of comprehensive 

services to adolescents. 

51. All in the Family: The New Face of HIV 

Family-Centered Care 

Level: Entry 

Janine Zabriskie, MEd, Child Life Specialist, Columbus 

Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 

Julie Snider, CCLS, Family & Volunteer Service 

Coordinator, Columbus Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 

As treatments for HIV and AIDS evolve, family dynamics 

are shifting, and child life specialists must be able to 

respond to varied and highly individualized situations. 

Different case scenarios, as well as the medical and 

demographic uniqueness of today’s HIV-affected 

families, will be discussed and explored. 

52. Tell Me Why? Medical Preparation through 

the Ages and Stages 

Level: Entry 

Deanna Warren, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s 


Jill Bringhurst, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, 


Participants will focus on the power of medical 

preparation through a child development lens. They 

will learn to apply preparation skills in any healthcare 

setting through collaboration with the interdisciplinary 

team. Using a developmental framework, participants 

will be given innovative tools and techniques that 

promote optimal psychosocial outcomes. 

53. Supporting Patients with Autism and Other 

Developmental Disabilities 


Gail Klayman, MEd, Child Life Specialist III, 



Participants will learn about specific challenges of 

patients with autism and other developmental disabilities. 

Various strategies of visual supports and specialized 

materials will be presented. A sample inservice 

will be shared which suggests establishing a specialized 

multidisciplinary team and a specific plan of care for 

patients with special needs. 

54. Mission POSSIBLE! Practicing Family-Centered 

Care in Challenging Situations 

Level: Entry 

Heather Denton, Child Life Specialist, British Columbia 

Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC 

Tracy Denhoed, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, British 


Child life practice focuses on helping children, youth, 

and families cope with the stresses of illness and/or 

hospitalization. But, for many reasons, actively 

collaborating and delivering family-centered care can 

be challenging. This session will encourage participants 

to explore these various challenges and share 

their ideas on how to overcome them. 

22 





8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

Full-Day Clinical Supervision 

Intensive—Includes Lunch 

(6 PDHs) 


Please note, Intensive will break from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

for Closing General Session. 

A Live Clinical Supervision Group 

for Child Life Professionals 


Gloria Mattera, MEd, CCLS, Director, Department of 

Child Life & Development Services, Bellevue Hospital Center, New 

York, NY 

Diane Rode, MPS, ATR, CCLS, Director, Child Life & Creative 

Arts Therapy Department, Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount 

Sinai, New York, NY 

This unique, live-supervision opportunity will provide an indepth 

exploration of the importance and value of clinical 

supervision in child life practice. Participants will gain skills to 

begin developing their own supervision groups through the 

information and experience gathered from this course. Case 

material from participants will be used in the groups. 

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

Child Life Distinguished Service Award 

Presentation 

The Child Life Council Distinguished Service Award is presented 

to an individual in the field of child life who has significantly 

contributed to the development of the profession in a 

way that has long-lasting impact on the profession and/or the 

Child Life Council. The 2008 Distinguished Award will be 

presented at the Closing General Session on Sunday, May 25. 

This year’s recipient is LeeAnn Derbyshire Fenn, M. Sc., CCLS, 

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, 

McMaster University. LeeAnn has been involved in child life for 

over 30 years. She has played a key role within Child Life 

Council and the Canadian Association of Child Life Leaders 

and has made significant contributions as a clinician, an 

educator, and a mentor to child life specialists and professionals 

around the world. 

A full feature article detailing LeeAnn’s inspiring career will 

appear in the Spring 2008 edition of the Bulletin. 

Closing General Session 

The Happiest Toddler—An Innovative Way to Reduce Struggles 

and Raise More Patient Toddlers 

Harvey Karp, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, UCLA, Los 

Angeles, CA 

Dr. Harvey Karp offers a highly novel approach to toddler 

communication, attuned to their unique behavioral, language 

and reasoning abilities. In this closing session, 

Dr. Karp will share his techniques which have helped both 

parents and professionals quickly bring about dramatidecreases 

in tantrums and increases in cooperative behavior. 

2009 Call for Papers 


27th Annual 

Conference on 

Professional Issues 

May 21-24, 2009 

The Westin Boston Waterfront 

Boston, Massachusetts 

Abstract submissions for the CLC 

2009 Conference will be accepted 

through the CLC Web site: 

www.childlife.org beginning 

June 1, through July 31, 2008. 



The Child Life Council, Inc. 

CLC Executive Board, Committee Chairs, and Staff 

2007-2008 Executive Board 

Barbara L. Gursky, MA, CCLS 

President 

Director, Child Life Program 

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s 

Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson 

University Hospital 

New Brunswick, NJ 

Janet Cross, M Ed, CCLS 

President-Elect 

Director, Child Life Services/ 

Family Resources 

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s 

Hospital at Vanderbilt 

Nashville, TN 

Erin K. Munn, MS, CCLS 

Immediate Past-President 

Child Life Clinical Specialist 

Johns Hopkins Children’s Center 

Baltimore, MD 

Kathryn “Kat” Davitt, CCLS, 

MOT, OTR 

Secretary 

Community Program Manager 

Cook Children’s Medical Center 

Fort Worth, TX 

Sheri Mosely, MS,CCLS 

Treasurer 

Child Life Manager 

Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children 

Orlando, FL 

Stephanie Hopkinson, MA, CCLS 

Member-at-Large 


Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles 


Andrea “Andy” Mangione 

Standish, CCLS 



Austin, TX 

Barbara Blair, CCLS 



Providence St. Vincent Medical Center 

The Gerry Frank Center for 

Children’s Care 

Portland, OR 

Ellen Hollon, CCLS 


Director, Child Life Department 

Children’s Medical Center Dallas 

Dallas, TX 

Cathy Humphreys, BASc, CLSt, CCLS 

CACLL Liaison 

Co-Director Child Life Studies Program 

McMaster University 

Hamilton, ON 

Canada 

Sharon McLeod, MS, CCLS, CTRS 

CLCC Senior Chair 

Senior Clinical Director 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 



Susan Krug, CMP, CAE 

Executive Director 

Child Life Council, Inc. 

Rockville, MD 

2007-2008 Committee & Taskforce Chairs 

Archives Management Group 

Civita Brown, MS, CCLS 

Lois Pearson, M. Ed., CCLS 

Bulletin Editorial Panel and Focus 

Review Board 

Kathleen Murphey, MS, CCLS 

Joan Turner, PhD, CCLS 

Child Life Certifying Committee 

Sharon McLeod, MS, CTRS, CCLS 

Jill Koss, MS, CCLS 

Stacey Koenig, MSM, CCLS 

Child Life Education and Training 

Committee 

Anita Pumphrey, MS, CCLS 

Beth Daniel, M Ed, CCLS 

Clinical Supervision Taskforce 

Gloria Mattera, M. Ed, CCLS 

Conference Host Committee 

Amy Bullock, MS. Ed, CCLS 

Evelyn Kensel, MS, CCLS 

Conference Program Committee 

Kristie Opiola, MS, CCLS 

Toni Millar, MS, CCLS 

Evidence-Based Practice Committee 

Toni Crowell, MS, CCLS 

Rose Resler, MA, CCLS 

Nominating Committee 

Erin Munn, MS, CCLS 

Professional Resources Committee 

Belinda “Bindy” Sweet, CCLS 

Nicole Graham, MS, CCLS 


Professional Staff 

Susan Krug, CMP, CAE 

Executive Director 

Shari Rager 

Assistant Director 

Danea Williamson 

Manager, Conference 

& Professional Development 

Genevieve Thomas 

Manager, Communications 

Ame Enright 

Certification Coordinator 

Melissa Boyd, MS, CCLS 

Resource Development 

Coordinator 

24 


CLC Would Like to Thank 

Our 2008 Conference Sponsors 




(as of December 2007) 

platinum Level 

gold Level ($10, 000 US) 

Silver Level ($7,500 - $5,000 US) 

Supporter Level ($2,500 US) 

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson 

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center 

Institute for Family-Centered Care 

Kaiser Permanente, San Diego 

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford 

National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions 

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children 

Utica College 


Thank you for striving every day 

to improve the lives of children 

Our Child Life specialists are essential 

to maintaining the highest quality of care 

to our young patients. 

Celebrating 

our new 

state-of-the-art 

medical center 

in Austin, Texas 

and a bright 

future for child 

life and family 

centered care! 

UCSF Children’s Hospital 

welcomes the Child Life 

Council to California and 

we salute our child life 

specialists who strive every 

day to improve the lives of 

our young patients and 

their families. 

Dell Children’s Child Life Department 

For more information visit www.dellchildrens.net

CLC ad 2007 11/30/07 10:18 AM Page 1 

Congratulations 

Texas Children’s Hospital ® congratulates the 

Child Life Council on 26 wonderful years of 

helping children and families. And best wishes 

for many more years to come! 

c 

2007 Texas Children’s Hospital. All rights reserved. 

Children’s Hospital Boston 

congratulates the Child Life 

Council and salutes our Child 

Life Specialists for their 

extraordinary contributions 

to patient care. 

www.childrenshospital.org

Notes 

28 


D 

isney is dedicated 

to brightening 

the lives of children 

during their hospital stay. 

Whether it’s a visit 

from Disney characters, 

a party hosted by 

Disney VoluntEARS, 

a Disney care package 

filled with blankets, 

beanies, Disney movies 

and more or a 

significant cash donation, 

Disney supports 

millions of children 

in hospitals and 

pediatric wards each year. 

We salute 

child life specialists 

for their commitment 

and dedication 

to the needs 

of the children 

in their care.

The CLC Executive Board and both the 

host and conference program planning 

committees are pleased to invite you to 

Child Life Council 26th Annual Conference 

on Professional Issues. The meeting will 

provide registrants with opportunities to 

participate in networking, professional 

development, organizational activities and 

special events. 

The Child Life Council, Inc. is the leading 

membership association serving child life 

professionals as they empower children and 

families to master challenging life events. 

CLC has more than 3,700 members. 





11820 Parklawn Drive, Suite 240 

Rockville, Maryland 20852-2529 

www.childlife.org 

Return Service Requested

Connection Commitment Collaboration - Child Life Council

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