Creating a Caring School Environment
8:45 - 9:45 am
Presenter: Harriet Berman, Ph.D.
As institutions of learning, schools help us learn about
life, including how to cope with unexpected events, illness and grief. Based
on her personal experience and that of many families with whom she has worked,
Dr. Berman will share her thoughts on the importance of the school’s
response and suggest ways to support children and families coping with parental
cancer. Emphasis will be on the fit between the needs of the child and the
desire of the school to help.
Harriet Berman, Ph.D. is the Program Director of
The Wellness Community - Greater Boston. A clinical psychologist practicing
in the greater Boston area for 25 years, she has focused her work in life
cycle issues, including illness and health. Harriet's own diagnosis of
breast cancer, and the experience of her school-age children have been
important influences in her work.
Cancer Happens to the Whole Family
9:45 - 10:45 am
Speaker: Paula Rauch, M.D. It is helpful
to leverage the experiences of others as we examine how cancer affects
the family. Dr. Rauch will discuss a number of guiding principles that
have emerged in her work with children and families coping with a parent’s
serious illness. Supporting the child’s routine, protecting family
time, and facilitating communication about the illness are some of
the methods for helping children that Dr. Rauch will highlight in this
session.
Paula K. Rauch, M.D. is a consultation child psychiatrist
at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is the chief of the Child Psychiatry
Consultation Service to inpatient pediatrics and the founder of the MGH
Cancer Center Parenting Program: Parenting At a Challenging Time (PACT).
Real Life Experiences: Panel of Parents and Students
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Facilitator: Karen Fasciano, Psy.D.
There is no more powerful way to gain a sense of families’ experiences
than to hear it in their voices. In this compelling session, participants
will hear from both parents coping with cancer and their school-age children
about experiences with schools. Learn about the type of support that
is successful and areas in which schools can improve.
Karen Fasciano, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist
and the Associate Program Director of the Wellness Community of Greater Boston.
Dr. Fasciano has worked in psycho-oncology for over eight years with children,
adults and families. She has a special interest in school consultation in
the context of a cancer diagnosis within the school community.
Medical Overview of Adult Cancer
12:45 pm - 1:30 pm
Speaker: Dr. Richard Penson
Cancer isn't on the curriculum for a degree in education. But, this session
will provide you with a basic biological understanding of the disease.
It will cover the various types of cancer, current treatments for the
disease,
and
demographics. This primer will help you understand and discuss the cancer
diagnosis of a parent.
Dr. Richard Penson is the Clinical Director of Medical
Gynecology Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Penson's interests
focus on the psychological issues related to Gynecologic cancer care
and general oncology. Dr. Penson also teaches Harvard Medical Students
in clinical rounds and medical school, explores and researches treatment
strategies, and develops, as well as analyzes, numerous clinical trials.
Attendees have the opportunity to
participate in any two compelling sessions listed below during the afternoon. Breakout Session: When
a Parent Has Been Ill for a Long Time
1:35 - 2:25 pm
2:40 - 3:30 pm
Speaker: Sharon Bober, Ph.D.
With crisis teams in place, schools have become more capable
of coping with a parent’s initial cancer diagnosis. Today, however,
cancer can be a chronic illness. Supporting a child through the long-term
illness of a parent presents a different set of implications for the
school community. Dr. Bober will discuss these challenges and propose
techniques to modify existing support services to meet the demands of
chronic illness.
Sharon Bober, Ph.D. earned her doctorate in clinical psychology
from Clark University. Following an internship and fellowship at Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard Medical School, she joined the psychiatry
department at BIDMC where she developed a clinical consultation service for
parents with cancer and began research on the psychological impact of parental
cancer on children, as well as cancer risk. In 2002, Dr. Bober became a member
of the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic at Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute.
Breakout Session: Helping Children Grieve
1:35 - 2:25 pm
2:40 - 3:30 pm
Speaker: Laura Basili, Ph.D. and Nancy Frumer-Styron, Psy.D.
Many parents who are successfully treated for cancer go
on to live long lives. But what can teachers and administrators do for the
child whose parent’s cancer is fatal? This session addresses the response
of the school to a parent’s death, as well as offers examples of how
to support a child through the process of grief.
Laura Basili, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist.
For the past 10 years, Dr. Basili has worked as a clinical psychologist
at Boston Children's Hospital. Her clinical work focuses on children,
adolescents, and families experiencing a range of acute, chronic and life-threatening
illnesses, on individual and family bereavement support, and on support
interventions
for staff working with children and their families.
Nancy Frumer-Styron, Psy.D. is the Director of the Pediatric
Psycho-social Unit at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She has worked in the
area of Pediatric Oncology for over 15 years. She also specializes in the
area of child abuse and neglect.
Breakout Session:
Answering Difficult Questions: How Children "Talk" About
Cancer
1:35 - 2:25 pm
2:40 - 3:30 pm
Speaker: Anna Muriel, M.D.
In times of crisis children look to teachers. Their search
for answers often comes in the form of direct questions, but children’s
behavior also indicates their need to understand the implications of their
parent’s illness. Learn how to field children’s questions, such
as: Why did my mother get sick? What about my homework? Will my parent die?
Who will take care of me when my father is in the hospital? Dr. Muriel will
address communicating with children at varying levels and a wide range of
supportive responses to children ’s fears and concerns.
Anna C. Muriel, M.D., M.P.H. is a Clinical Assistant in
Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is on the staff of the
Child Psychiatry Consultation Service and the MGH Cancer Center Parenting
Program. Dr. Muriel is an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
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