2026 July CL Discover

DISCOVER July 2026

The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department

Child Life and Music Therapy Collaboration Provides Comfort At 15 years old, Omari has spent much of his life navigating frequent hospital admissions. As a globally delayed and nonverbal teen, finding ways to communicate comfort and reduce anxiety can be challenging. Through a close partnership with Omari and his grandmother, Aileen Zhou, his primary Certified Child Life Specialist, took the time to learn what brings him the greatest sense of peace. Together, they discovered that music and Alice in Wonderland stories are more than favorite activities—they are sources of familiarity, joy, and comfort during difficult hospitalizations. Kasey Stokes, music therapy intern, also played an important role, often seen at bedside playing gospel music for Omari and creating moments where his love of singing shines through.

Omari, his Grandmother Yvonne, Child Life Specialist Aileen and Music Therapy Intern Kasey enjoy gospel music at the bedside.

Recognizing the importance of maintaining these sources of comfort even when family or staff cannot be at the bedside, Aileen worked with Omari’s grandmother to create a personalized “Omari’s Go-To Playlist” sheet featuring all of his favorite songs displayed in his room for easy access during treatments and procedures. To further support him during times of separation, Aileen also provided an audiobook player and voice recorder, allowing his grandmother to record herself reading stories so Omari could hear her voice whenever he felt alone. These individualized interventions have helped ensure that, even during difficult moments, Omari remains connected to the people, stories and music that bring him the greatest sense of comfort and security. “Omari and grandmother have been such vibrant additions to our P4S floor. Whether stopping by to say hello or hearing Omari’s voice down the hall, he has brought so much joy to our unit,” Aileen said.

NICU Event Encourages Skin-to-Skin Contact The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) held its first “Kangaroo-A-Thon" in honor of International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day, which is celebrated annually on May 15. This competition encouraged both staff and families to learn about and participate in Kangaroo Care, which is the act of holding a baby upright on a caregiver’s chest, allowing for direct skin-to-skin contact. Why is this technique so important? Research has shown that skin-to-skin contact can help regulate a baby’s heart rate, breathing and body temperature while promoting healthy weight gain and improving sleep. It also strengthens the bond between parents and their babies during what can be an emotionally challenging time. For several days, NICU nurses logged how many minutes of kangaroo care their families completed each day. The total time in the end was tracked at 207 hours of Kangaroo Care. Both nurses and families were celebrated at the end of this week, with a nurse’s name raffled from the submitted tickets for a gift package as well as the top five families being given a kangaroo-themed book and a certificate. But the fun did not stop there. On International Kangaroo-Care Awareness Day, a special guest joined our unit, bringing joy to our staff and families. The NICU’s very own John Smith, OT, walked around the unit in a kangaroo costume; he was able to spread awareness about the significance of skin-to skin, while snapping pictures with families by request. The success of this year’s Kangaroo-A-Thon would not have been possible without the dedication of the NICU nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, rehab specialists, support staff and child life specialists. Most importantly, we are celebrating and honoring the strength of our NICU families. Every minute spent on skin-to-skin contact helps create a nurturing environment where babies can thrive.

Amelia Edwards, Certified Child Life Specialist, and John Smith, OT, celebrate International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day. LB 2019

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The Director’s Desk: Sharing Our Work on a National Stage The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department is proud to recognize the continued professional engagement and leadership of our staff, who are actively contributing to the broader field through conference participation and presentations.

In May, Kaleigh Bieling and Abbey Meeks, Certified Child Life Specialists, attended the Child Life Conference hosted by the Association of Child Life Professionals in Chicago, Illinois. They joined colleagues from across the country to enhance their knowledge and bring back new ideas to support our patients and families.

Looking ahead, Ali Spikestein, Program Manager, will present at the Facility Dog Conference in Aurora, Colorado, in September, sharing her research study, “Impact of Facility Dog and CCLS Dyad on Children’s Pain and Anxiety During Needlestick Procedures.” Facility dog handlers Bethany Pincus and Sophia Gutierrez Osuna will join Ali in highlighting our team’s leadership in animal-assisted interventions with their presentation “Integrating Animal-Assisted Therapy into Creative Arts Therapy: A Case Study”.

In November, Kyla Ohayon, Robin O’Hare, and Sophia Gutierrez Osuna, all creative arts therapists and facility dog handlers, will present at the Virtual Expressive Therapies Summit. Their session, “Facility Dogs and Art Therapy in Medical Settings: Regulation, Relationship, and Resilience,” will offer a two-hour didactic exploration of their innovative interdisciplinary work.

We are incredibly proud of our team’s dedication to advancing practice, sharing knowledge and elevating the impact of child life, creative arts therapies and animal assisted therapy.

Director, The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department

Community Focus: Cancer Awareness and Support In May, Katherine Parker, art therapist, attended a Community Health Education and Research Centers (CHERC) Community Cancer Awareness Event in the Bronx in collaboration with the adult oncology supportive services team. The goal of this event was for anyone navigating cancer to build community and increase access to information, resources and support services. In Katherine’s role as the Family Care Coordinator, she provided a resource table featuring handouts that help guide family conversations about cancer diagnosis and treatment. Katherine also provided recommendations for developmentally appropriate books to normalize medical terminology and experiences witnessed by children, as well as to encourage open exploration and expression of challenging thoughts and feelings. The event provided a powerful space for health care professionals, survivors, caregivers and family members to interact with one another and exchange stories and information with educational sessions, panel Q&As and intimate chats. Through music, movement and meaningful connection, this event provided an inspiring space for anyone impacted by cancer.

Katherine Parker sits in front of her resource table at the Community Health Education and Research Centers (CHERC) Community Cancer Awareness Event in the Bronx.

KidZone TV: Expanding Connections and Building Community KidZone TV welcomed Prentice and Richard from the Quad Gods, quadriplegic gamers and adaptive gaming advocates, for a memorable special edition of KZTV Live Stream celebrating representation, accessibility, and resilience.

During the interactive broadcast, Prentice and Richard shared their passion for gaming while demonstrating that physical challenges do not have to limit creativity, play, or meaningful connection. Patients and families joined live from their hospital rooms to ask questions, laugh together, and participate in multiplayer games alongside the guests as part of the KZTV community.

KZTV Live Stream is the studio's weekly interactive gaming show, where patients connect remotely from their rooms to play together, build friendships, and share experiences through thoughtfully selected games. While the sessions are designed to be fun, they also create opportunities for reflection and conversation about support systems, coping, teamwork, and staying connected during hospitalization. Special guests like the Quad Gods enrich these experiences by offering authentic role models whose stories inspire patients and families to see possibility, resilience, and belonging reflected in themselves.

Shows like these demonstrate how KidZone TV producers intentionally use interactive media to normalize diverse experiences and strengthen therapeutic engagement across the hospital.

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Program Focuses on Pediatric Transition to Adult Care for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease The pediatric hematology team recently partnered with Candice’s Sickle Cell Fund, Next Step, and Pfizer to host a special event in The Zone for teens and young adults living with sickle cell disease.

The program focused on an important milestone for patients and families: transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare. The event combined education, connection and fun to help participants feel more prepared for this next step in their healthcare journey. A highlight of the event was an interactive team-building game designed to emphasize communication, collaboration, teamwork and community. Through the activity, participants worked together to solve a challenge while building relationships with peers who share similar experiences. The game also reinforced skills that can help young adults become confident in self-advocacy as they take on a greater role in managing their healthcare.

A multidisciplinary group of staff members was present throughout the event, including Kaleigh Bieling, Certified Child Life Specialist, a social worker and pediatric/adult hematology providers.

Their participation created a supportive environment where patients could openly discuss concerns and gain valuable information about navigating the transition process. We are looking forward to partnering more with these organizations in the future.

First Person Perspective: Bethany Pincus

Summer and patient Ronaldo engage in a fun music therapy session.

In my training as a music therapist, I never would have thought that I would work with a facility dog in my practice. However, it is one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in my career. I am primary handler to facility dog, Summer. When possible, I love to incorporate her into music therapy sessions. Summer has been the perfect match as a facility dog, especially because she loves music. Some of the interventions we use during a music therapy session are music relaxation, active music making and Summer’s favorite, songwriting. Interventions like songwriting allow a patient to be creative in a variety of ways. During a songwriting session, I encourage patients to express how they are feeling or write about their favorite topic. In many instances, patients choose to write about their experience with Summer. If a patient is admitted to the hospital for a longer period, I have also connected with the KZTV studio to have patients record their song This allows patients to be able to listen to their song at home and feel like they have a completed project. Overall, it has been such a great experience to be able to weave Summer into my practice. I am given an opportunity to be creative in the ways I can incorporate Summer, which makes each day at work a special one.

Animation Brings Patient Art to Life – An Arts in Medicine Update In April, Sahara Sheikh, an experienced animation teacher, came to the Arts in Medicine program to host one-on-one animation workshops with patients in the pediatric hematology/oncology clinic and to host a program on KidZone TV, our inhouse TV studio. Patients and staff members from around the hospital submitted their own superhero designs to be featured on the KidZone TV show, and several patients worked with Sahara to have their drawings come to life. The superhero designs were compiled into a special digital “mural,” and the two finished animations were shown live on KidZone TV at the end of Sahara’s visit.

The Arts in Medicine Program is an initiative housed within the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department at Mount Sinai, and it aims to bring artists, musicians and other institutions to Kravis Children’s Hospital to connect patients and families to the community at large while receiving medical care at Mount Sinai. Through this program, patients and caregivers can engage creatively through connections with visiting artists and musicians. Through this program, patients and caregivers can engage creatively through connections with visiting artists and musicians. If you have any referrals for interested artists or community partners, please email Arts in Medicine coordinator and music therapist, Joseph Cooper, at joseph.cooper@mountsinai.org.

To view animations and drawings, click on these links: Link1 , Link 2

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A digital mural illustrates the creative work of pediatric patients.

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The Comfort of Muffin: Enhancing Staff Well-Being Through Art Therapy Staff members are finding meaningful opportunities for self-care at the Dubin Breast Center treatment facility through a unique collaboration between Robin O’Hare, art therapist, and facility service dog, Muffin. Together, they facilitate staff art therapy groups designed to provide emotional support, stress relief and moments of connection during the workday. Healthcare professionals working in oncology settings regularly care for patients facing complex medical and emotional challenges. While rewarding, this work can also be emotionally demanding. The staff art therapy groups offer a dedicated space where employees can step away from their daily responsibilities, engage in creative expression and focus on their own well-being.

Muffin is pictured overseeing a staff art therapy session at Dubin Breast Center.

During this collage-making session, participants used images, colors and words to create personal artwork that reflects their experiences, emotions, goals and/or sources of strength. The creative process encourages reflection, reduces stress and promotes mindfulness, while group discussion fosters connection and peer support. The presence of Muffin adds another layer of comfort and therapeutic benefit. Interacting with her through petting, playing or simply sharing space can help reduce anxiety, lower stress levels and provide a sense of calm. Muffin’s friendly and nonjudgmental presence often encourages positive social interaction and offers moments of joy during busy workdays.

Art therapy itself has long been recognized as an effective tool for supporting emotional wellness. By engaging in creative activities, participants can process feelings, improve coping skills, enhance self-awareness and experience a restorative break from workplace pressures. Combined with the comforting presence of a service dog, these staff groups create a supportive environment that nurtures resilience, compassion and overall well-being.

As healthcare organizations continue to prioritize employee wellness, programs that integrate art therapy and animal-assisted support offer valuable opportunities for staff to recharge, connect and sustain the emotional energy needed to provide exceptional patient care.

Making Headlines: Facility Dog Program Featured by News Outlets In May, the Paws & Play facility dog program received some exciting media attention, with two major outlets featuring the work the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department facility dog teams are doing at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. ABC7 New York invited Ali Spikestein, Program Manager, and facility dog, Summer for a live segment where Ali was able to share insight into the Animal Assisted Therapy work that the facility dog dyads are doing every day. Ali spoke about how the dogs are integrated into care plans and how they support pediatric patients through procedures, long term treatment and tough moments during hospitalization. The segment captured the calm, grounding presence our dogs bring to the hospital and how intentional the work is.

Additionally, AP News published a national story about the growing use of full time facility dogs in children’s hospitals. The article featured a video highlighting Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital as one of the programs leading this work and emphasized how our facility dog dyads, made up of a facility dog and a Certified Child Life Specialist or Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, support patients who are here for extended stays and painful procedures.

Having both features published in the same week was a meaningful moment for the team and a great reflection of the work that the facility dog dyads do every day.

Staff Accomplishments Diane Rode led a four-session spring series on reflective practice with child life and creative arts therapy staff from children’s hospitals across the nation.

Icee, one of our wonderful facility dogs, celebrated his one year "gotcha day" on June 16, 2026. That’s a whole year of helping patients and families adust to hospital life and feel empowered and comforted during difficult times.

Facility dogs Summer, Icee and Muffin, dressed up to cheer on the New York Knicks in the NBA finals! They lead the way with team spirit and help many patients and families join in the fun!

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