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"The social issues, like having money for heat, have a big impact on children's health. But, physicians can only do so much. My nurses can't do it all. The social worker we have on this floor can't do it all. We all feel like sometimes we're running on a treadmill and just barely staying above water. As part of the team, the Family Help Desk makes a difference. It's a powerful thing."
- Dr. Bobbi Philipp, Mentor, Boston Medical Center |
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STRIVE
One in every 12 African Americans carries the sickle-cell trait, and over 70,000 people nationwide have sickle-cell disease. Adolescence can be a particularly difficult period for sickle-cell youth: the condition can cause up to a two-year lag in physical growth and development, and sickle-cell-related illness can mean unpredictable and often prolonged hospitalizations, disrupting teens’ social networks and causing them to fall behind in school.
The STRIVE program provides a supportive social and educational network for adolescents with sickle-cell disease, through a combination of health education, peer group activities, and individual mentoring and academic support. During weekly program sessions, field trips, and one-on-one meetings, volunteers help participants navigate adolescence with this painful and little understood disease, fostering camaraderie and providing encouragement to participants as they prepare to transition into adult care and independent living.
Weekly program sessions incorporate the following components:
- Group sessions offer participants a supportive environment in which they engage in enrichment programming with other sickle-cell teens. Past activities have included art projects, discussions of current events, workshops on resume writing and job searching, and the creation of a sickle-cell teen newsletter.
Academic Support - Recognizing that frequent hospitalization can severely limit confidence and achievement in school, volunteers work individually with participants in priority academic areas.
One-on-One Mentoring - Volunteers’ individual relationships with participants are the linchpin of the program, laying the groundwork for effective social and education intervention. Volunteers communicate with their mentees throughout the week and often visit them if they are hospitalized.
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