Back to News Releases
Date: March 19, 2009
Contact: Michele Fisher
Media Relations Specialist
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Phone:732-235-9872
Email: fisherm2@umdnj.edu
Successful Program Aimed at Helping Children of Cancer Patients Expanded to Include Pre-Teens - The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Social Work Department Gears up for Third Series of CLIMB Program
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ– A valuable outlet for children whose parents are diagnosed with cancer will soon be expanded, as part of a special program offered at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ). CLIMB (Children’s Lives Include Moments in Bravery), which begins its third series in May, encourages youngsters to use art in order to help identify and communicate difficult feelings. And this time around, facilitators are pleased to be able to extend the activities to include pre-teens. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Two years ago, CINJ joined a national movement led by The Children’s Treehouse Foundation, to focus on the emotional needs of children going through the cancer journey with their families. As a result, CINJ has been able to offer the CLIMB program, which enables children aged five to 11 to express themselves through arts and crafts projects. A concurrent group is held for parents, to help them discuss their diagnoses with their children. For this year, the CINJ Social Work Department is expanding the CLIMB sessions to include children aged 12 to 14. These older participants will engage in art projects, journaling and more expressive forms of communication.
Linda Mathew, MSW, LSW, OSW-C, a social worker at CINJ who received special training to facilitate the CLIMB sessions, notes expanding the program was a natural next step in keeping with the multi-disciplinary approach to patient care at CINJ. “There are many challenges for children of all ages when their parents are battling cancer,” Mathew says, “but those in the pre-teen and early teen years also face their own challenges of puberty and peer pressure at the same time, so we wanted to be able to offer those children an appropriate outlet as well.”
Craft supplies and snacks for the program once again will be funded in part thanks to a donation from the Beth Joy Rappaport Memorial Fund. Mrs. Rappaport was treated at CINJ and lost her battle with breast cancer in 2007. The Warren Township-based entity gives gifts to institutions, which honor Mrs. Rappaport’s “spirit of love, kindness and commitment to making the world a better place.”
The next session of CLIMB, which is offered at no cost to participants, will run for a six-week period starting in May in the CINJ Learning Resource Room at the facility’s 195 Little Albany Street location in New Brunswick. Those interested in learning more or registering can call Ms. Mathew at 732-235-8799.
Additional information on the various programs offered through the CINJ Social Work Department can be found at www.cinj.org.
About The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and is dedicated to improving the prevention, detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer. CINJ’s physician-scientists engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a center of excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. To support CINJ, please call the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Foundation at 1-888-333-CINJ.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides a mechanism to rapidly disseminate important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Hospital, Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Affiliate Hospitals: Bayshore Community Hospital, CentraState Healthcare System, Cooper University Hospital*, JFK Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton (CINJ at Hamilton), Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Somerset Medical Center, Southern Ocean County Hospital, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center at Princeton. *Academic Affiliate
