strive health mentoring sickle cell teens raising awareness, initiating change, voicing opinions and...
TRANSCRIPT
STRIVE HEALTH MENTORING
Sickle cell Teens Raising awareness, Initiating change, Voicing opinions and Empowering
themselves!
Volunteer Recruitment Information SessionsApril 17, 2012April 18, 2012
STRIVE: WHO ARE WE?
Undergraduate CSRSO
Group of 10 enthusiastic, caring, dedicated, and committed mentors
2 Program Coordinators
We are all leaders and team players
Premeds and non-premeds!
STRIVE: WHAT DO WE DO?
Provide support through mentoring one-on-one and in a group setting at La Rabida Children’s Hospital
Educate teens with SCD on how to take care of themselves
Help transition into healthy adults who can manage SCD
Teach mentees to become self-advocates
Help teens take charge of their health and lives with SCD
WHAT IS SICKLE CELL DISEASE?
Genetic disease where red blood cells form a crescent “sickle” shape
Caused by an abnormal form of hemoglobin, hemoglobin S
Persons with the disease have Hb SS, inherited from both parents.
The sickled cells deliver less oxygen to the body and can clog small blood vessels.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A PAIN CRISIS?
Pain episodes (crises) occur when sickle cells cluster in vessels and block blood and oxygen flow to tissues.
Pain can last from a few hours to a few days.
Hydroxyurea and Folic Acid are used to reduce the number of crises.
Blood transfusions can also be necessary to treat a crises or prevent stroke.
WHAT ARE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE? The variant severity of the illness can cause
confusion in medical facilities.
Racial and socio-economic stigmas have lead many to incorrectly assume immunity.
It can manifest as a chronic illness requiring lifelong health care and medication.
WHY IS STRIVE NECESSARY? Adolescents with sickle cell disease
experience obstacles to normal peer relationships:Chronic, disabling, and recurrent painLack of understanding, disbeliefFrequent school absencesInability to participate in many
extracurricular activities
WHERE DO WE COME IN?Support for adolescent
sickle cell patients to discuss issues unique to their disease:
-Frequent medical visits/hospitalizations
-Missed interactions with peers/school absences
-Perceptions as a “sick(ly)” classmate
-Fears about progression of disease with age
-Concerns about responsibilities of chronic disease
COMPONENTS OF STRIVE
Peer Support: Patients establish a rapport
with empathic and successful students of higher learning Closer in age to peer
group Non-healthcare encounter Voluntary FUN activities!
Mentorship: Inspires goals/aspirations
Allows for patterning of behavior after a realistic role model
Assists with healthier coping responses to chronic disease
A TYPICAL SESSION Arrival and Snack –
catch up and chat over some delicious food prepared by one of our fantastic mentors!
Highs and Lows – our little way of talking about the good and bad parts of the last week
Tutoring and One-on-One Time
Weekly Lesson Plan – discussing topics like Bio, psychosocial issues, self-advocacy
Shout-Outs –we say goodbye with a weekly ritual
SOME STRIVE LESSONS Transition from
childhood to adulthood in sickle cell disease Changes in hospital
and clinic care Established health
care providers discharge from pediatric care
More responsibility needed on the part of the teen patient
Discovery of bias that exists towards adults with chronic pain on significant narcotics, etc.
MENTOR RESPONSIBILITIES Components for success
Comfortable and fun settingNonjudgmental, empathic guidanceFocus on activity and not disability
Weekly commitments2 hour session + transportation timeWeekly phone call to menteeWeekly 1 hour mentor meeting
Year-long commitmentQuarterly field tripsAdvocacy project!
THANK YOU FOR COMING! WE LOOK FORWARD TO READING YOUR APPLICATION!
Feel free to email us if you have any questions: [email protected]
Also, you can visit our website: strivementors.wordpress.com