Sessions
Medical Overview of Adult Cancer
8:45 – 9:35 am
Speaker: Lidia Schapira
People often have preconceived notions about cancer and its treatment. This session will present the most current information on the variety of cancer treatments as well as their side effects. This information will help school personnel gain a greater understanding of the parent's cancer experience.
Lidia Schapira, M.D. is a Staff Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Specializing in Oncology and Hematology, Dr. Schapira has taught at Harvard Medical School and has a special interest in the humanistic aspects of medicine.
The Child and the Family: The Developmental Impact of Cancer
9:35 - 10:25 am
Stanley J. Berman, Ph.D.
The diagnosis of cancer in a parent has a profound effect on the family. Changing roles and routines, along with anxiety about the future upset the established norms and create stress. This session will focus on the ways in which cancer and cancer treatment alter family processes, as well as different responses that can be expected at varying developmental stages of both the child and the family.
Stanley J. Berman, Ph.D., is Dean, Programs of Advanced Graduate Study at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and is a Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Wellesley College.
The Real World: A Panel of Students and Parents
10:40 - 11:40 am
Facilitator: Karen Fasciano, Psy.D.
This candid and revealing session will invite participants into the worlds of both parents coping with cancer and their school-aged children. Attendees will learn from "real-life" discussions about the school's reaction to families living with cancer. Discover what types of support have worked for them and what they still find to be missing.
Talking to Children About Cancer: Finding the Words
11:40 am – 12:40 pm
Susan Swick, M.D.
Finding the right time, space and language to speak about cancer with children is a challenge that parents and school personnel face. This session will focus on communication strategies; age, family style, needs of children, and appropriate settings will be discussed. The nuances of language in our culture and what words are helpful for children to hear and incorporate into their own vocabulary will be addressed.
Susan Swick, M.D. is Attending Psychiatrist of the PACT (Parenting At Challenging Times) Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Swick has also taught at Harvard Medical School and Newton Wellesley Hospital in Newton, MA.
Break-Out Sessions:
Managing Our Own Responses
1:30 – 2:20 pm
Facilitator: Harriet Berman, Ph.D., Program Director, The Wellness Community - Greater Boston
Working with families in which there is a serious illness can present personal challenges to all of us. We bring to this work our own experiences with illness in ourselves or our loved ones, as well as our fear and anxiety and cultural biases related to illness. During this interactive session, we will explore the various effects of this work on professionals and discuss management strategies for coping.
When a Parent Dies
1:30 – 2:20 pm
Facilitator: Leah Sherman, LICSW, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Schools face a particular challenge when a parent dies from cancer. The impact of such an event can be far-reaching throughout the school community. In this breakout, the impact of a parent’s death will be discussed. We will discuss how to reach out to the family, the child who returns to school after a parent’s death, classmates, and staff.
The Role of the School Community
1:30 – 2:20 pm
Facilitator: Susan Englander, LICSW, The Wellness Community - Greater Boston
Given the amount of time children spend in school, there is little doubt that schools play a role in how a family copes with a cancer diagnosis. This breakout will focus on how schools can think address questions such as: Which staff members should be interacting with the child around their parent’s illness, and how? How can the school support the family? Are there community–wide interventions that the school can participate in to support the family?
Speak Their Language: Utilizing Children’s Literature in the Classroom
2:35 – 3:25 pm
Karen Fasciano, PsyD and Joan Egasti Platt, MLS
Educators are faced with many issues when communicating with families coping with a parent’s cancer. Adding to the challenge is children's varied understanding of illness and disease in every stage of development. This session will explore ways that children’s literature can be utilized to aid in communication with children and families about cancer.
Karen Fasciano, Psy. D is a clinical psychologist specializing in the emotional impact of physical illness. As part of Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dr. Fasciano provides clinical services to patients facing chronic and life-threatening illness with a specialty in consultations to families with children when a parent is ill. Dr. Fasciano also works at The Wellness Community and at Boston IVF. Dr. Fasciano is an instructor in Psychiatry and Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Joan Egasti Platt, MLS has developed and implemented programming for children from infancy through age 12, and managed the children's book collection at Gale Free Library, in Holden, MA. Prior to receiving her MLS degree she taught science at the high school level. Ms. Platt is also the author of the Family Reading Listsm, Hurricane Voices' annotated bibliography for families coping with cancer.
|