Partial Hospital Program
Artwork created by Hasbro Children's
Hospital Program Patients. |
What We Do
Medical assessment and care
Each child is in this program because he or she has serious medical
issues. For that reason, the Hasbro Children's Partial Hospital
Program (HCPHP) day begins with a medical
evaluation of each child by an experienced pediatric nurse,
who is alert for any changes in the child's physical condition.
Should any new symptoms arise, or a change in treatment be indicated,
a pediatrician is always nearby. The nursing staff is present
throughout the day to observe the children and make appropriate
medical interventions as needed. More about our pediatric
staff and nurses.
Nutrition
During each child's stay, he or she will eat breakfast, lunch
and two healthy snacks with his peer group every day. For many
of our children, like those with eating disorders or diabetes,
choosing to eat healthy foods has been a problem. The HCPHP team
will help the children make good choices during the day. As a
part of the program, nutritionists will meet with parents and
children to provide help in developing healthy eating habits at
home and as a way of life. More
about our nutritionists.
Milieu Therapy
The milieu is the supportive environment that surrounds the child
throughout his entire day here. The milieu therapists are trained
professionals who spend the day with the group, promoting positive
peer communications; sensing if a child is withdrawing from the
group and gently bringing that child back into connection; seeing
that the youngsters are involved, having a good time and making
good choices. Milieu therapy will maintain coherence in the child's
day, and ensure that events flow smoothly and comfortably from
one into another. More
about our milieu therapists.
Family Meetings
In addition to informal meetings at check-in and check-out time,
twice a week the child's primary clinician will meet with the
parents and your child to talk about how he or she is doing, including
what treatment is recommended and what progress is being made.
Naturally, all families want to do everything they can to return
their child to health. Everyone at the HCPHP knows that the family
is essential in achieveing that healthy status. One of the primary
purposes of the family meetings is to identify strategies to help
the family work together to reach that goal. More
about family involvement.
Individual Therapy
Most days, an expert clinician—either a child psychiatrist,
a child pyschologist, a licensed clinical social worker or a psychiatric
nurse—will meet privately with your child. These one-on-one
meetings are held to encourage the child to discuss his or her
feelings away from the group. This is a good time to talk about
problems, wishes and fears and to set goals for getting better.
More about our clinical staff.
Peer Support Therapy
One of the greatest assets of the program is peer support therapy,
held four times a week. Children, who can be expected to automatically
reject advice and counsel from adults, many times will listen
to their peers. Often, children who have difficulty facing their
own problems may offer clear-headed evaluations and solutions
to others. In doing so, they may gain insight into their own issues.
The meetings are facilitated by the clinical staff, who have a
further opportunity to appreciate the children’s strengths
and challenges in a group setting.
Multi-Family
Group Therapy
Once each week, families are invited to get together to share
their experiences with each other. “Families” include
the children in the program, their parents, siblings and any other
close family members who would like to attend. This is an opportunity
for families to compare strategies that worked and ones that didn’t.
Parents are strong supports for one another, as they exchange
thoughts on coping with children with chronic illnesses.
Community Meeting
The community meeting is held right after breakfast each day.
The schedule for the day is reviewed. This is also the time to
discuss any ongoing community issues. At the community meeting,
each child will set two goals: one for the day, and one for the
evening at home. The goals are attainable, but depending on the
child’s condition, not necessarily easy. For instance, a
child with asthma might set the goal of taking his inhaled medication
without being reminded. A child who doesn’t like school might
set himself the task of finishing a single assignment.
Point Store
A popular station at the HCPHP is the Point Store, stocked with
trinkets and treasures like books, puzzles and a variety of toys.
Cash has no value at the Point Store, but points are like gold.
Each morning, your child will be given a point sheet, and during
the day, the staff will award points as treatment goals are achieved.
At day’s end, the points earned are traded for prizes. At
checkout, a new point sheet will be passed along to the patient.
He or she, in turn, will continue to provide feedback, awarding
points for any goal attained, until the next morning when the
accumulated points may once again be traded for prizes.
Going to School
Each child attends school, with his peers, from 10:30 a.m. until
noon, every day, Monday through Friday, on a year-round schedule.
A state-certified teacher staffs each of the age groups in a special
classroom area. The child’s teacher in the HCPHP is in communication
with your child’s school, guidance counselor or home-based
teacher, and will know what assignments must be covered to maintain
academic progress. More about our
teachers.
Back
| More about the Partial Hospital Program
|
