Contact: Jenny Stickley jenny@hatcherfoundation.org
Hatch’s house of hope Staff to Receives PSST Training; Only 4th Program in US to Complete Training
February 17, 2010: Leadership from two nationally recognized pediatric oncology programs visited the Austin Hatcher Foundation and Hatch’s House of Hope and introduced their staff to Problem-Solving Skills Training (PSST). Only the fourth facility in the country to receive such training, Hatch’s hopes to make a significant difference in the emotional health of parents of children diagnosed with pediatric cancer.
Leading the training were Olle Jane Z. Sahler, M.D. and Robert B. Noll, Ph.D. Dr. Sahler is Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Medical Humanities, and Oncology at the Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Sahler was the Principal Investigator on National Institutes of Health-funded research that developed Bright IDEAS, a special application of PSST and demonstrated its effectiveness for mothers of children recently diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Noll, who is Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Psychology and Medical Director for Behavioral Health at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC co-led the training. Dr. No ll is also the Chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Dr. Noll worked with Dr. Sahler on the initial grants developing and implementing Bright IDEAS. He is also the Chair of the Behavioral Sciences Committee of the Children’s Oncology Group, the largest consortium of children’s oncology centers in the US.
Parents of pediatric cancer patients, in particular mothers, can significantly reduce the emotional toll caused by diagnosis and treatment when they receive PSST shortly after their child’s diagnosis. This training, that applies cognitive-behavioral based problem-solving principles, can produce significant reductions in anxiety and depression, two symptoms often present in these parents who are under tremendous emotional distress. After 15 years of funded work developing PSST, Drs. Sahler and Noll are optimistic that mothers who receive this training within 4 to12 weeks of their child’s cancer diagnosis will benefit significantly.
“We are excited to receive the PSST Training under the direction of these two senior investigators, becoming only the fourth facility in the country to do so. The skills our staff will learn are going to make a significant difference in reducing the stress and anxiety experienced by mothers of pediatric cancer patients and help the entire family cope, said Dr. Jim Osborn, Co-Founder of the Austin Hatcher Foundation. “Our mission is to make these families lives easier, and these skills that we will be able to teach the parents will go a long way in making a difference in their lives.”
The Austin Hatcher Foundation for a carefree childhood was formed in 2006 after Amy Jo and Jim Osborn lost their infant son Hatch to a rare form of pediatric cancer. The foundation’s mission is to support research towards the diagnosis, treatment and development of a cure for pediatric cancer, and to provide support and hope to children and families undergoing treatment as well as those who have lost children due to cancer. The foundation has developed a landmark group of programs and services essential to help cancer stricken children and their families function within their community. All services provided by the Foundation are free of charge, funded solely by the generous donations of its supporters.
Hatch’s house of hope is a unique concept designed to keep the family unit whole when dealing with pediatric cancer. Specifically, these services include IIP neurocognitive testing, educational programming to help effected children overcome their cognitive and learning deficits, emotional counseling for the cancer affected child, their siblings and parents, and marital and financial counseling to ensure a safe environment to maximize the family growth as a whole. All services at Hatch’s are free to its guests, funded entirely by donations. Erlanger Medical Mall in Chattanooga, TN is the site of the first Hatch’s house of hope, which opened September 18, 2009. For more information, visit www.hatcherfoundation.org.