Running head: RESOURCE PORTFOLIO 1

Community Resource Portfolio

Katrina Shababb

Caldwell University
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Childhood Cancer

A cancer diagnosis is upsetting at any age, but especially so when the patient

is a child. It's natural to have many questions. Not all questions have answers, but

the information and resources on this page provide a starting point for

understanding the basics of childhood cancer.

Types of Cancer in Children

In the United States in 2017, an estimated 10,270 new cases of cancer will be

diagnosed among children from birth to 14 years, and about 1,190 children are

expected to die from the disease (National Cancer Institute, 2017). 5-year survival

rates for individuals between the ages of 0 and 19 are greater than 79% (Ries et al.,

2007). Although pediatric cancer death rates have declined by nearly 70 percent

over the past four decades, cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease

among children. The most common types of cancer diagnosed in children ages 0 to

14 years are Leukemia’s, brain, and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors, and

lymphomas (National Cancer Institute, 2017).

Treating Childhood Cancer

Children's cancers are not always treated like adult cancers. Pediatric

oncology is a medical specialty focused on the care of children with cancer. It's

important to know that this expertise exists and that there are effective treatments

for many childhood cancers (National Cancer Institute, 2017).

Types of Treatment

There are many types of cancer treatment. The types of treatment that a child with

cancer receives will depend on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. Common
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treatments include: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and

stem cell transplant (NIC, 2017).

Treatment Effects

Children face unique issues during their treatment for cancer, after the

completion of treatment, and as survivors of cancer. For example, they may receive

more intense treatments, cancer and its treatments have different effects on

growing bodies than adult bodies, and they may respond differently to drugs that

control symptoms in adults (NIC, 2017)

Where Children with Cancer Are Treated

Children who have cancer are often treated at a children’s cancer center,

which is a hospital or unit in a hospital that specializes in treating children with

cancer. Most children’s cancer centers treat patients up to age 20 (NIC, 2017). The

doctors and other health professionals at these centers have special training and

expertise to give complete care to children. Specialists at a children’s cancer center

are likely to include primary care physicians, pediatric medical

oncologists/hematologists, pediatric surgical specialists, radiation oncologists,

rehabilitation specialists, pediatric nurse specialists, social workers, and

psychologists (NIC, 2017).

Coping With Cancer

When your child is diagnosed with cancer, they will likely be confused and

scared. You can do a lot to help your child cope with the diagnosis, such as

encouraging them to express their feelings. You should also use age-appropriate

language to prepare them for what lies ahead (Denburg, 2013). Young children
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might benefit from expressing their feelings through forms of play, such as drawing

or puppet shows. Older children might be more willing to talk directly with you or

write in a journal. Regardless of age, always encourage your child to ask questions

and answer them as honestly as you can (Denburg, 2013). As a parent, it is

important to maintain as many family routines and rules as possible after a cancer

diagnosis. This helps create a sense of stability not only for the child with cancer and

but also for their sibling(s) (Denburg. 2013).

Referrals
Group Name: Cancer Support Community
Phone Number: 908-658-5400
Address: 3 Crossroads Dr.
Bedminster, NJ 07921
Insurance/Fee: There is no charge for the programs. “Our programs and services
empower the individual diagnosed with cancer and the caregiver to take an active
role in their journey with, through, and beyond cancer diagnosis.”

Group Name: Children’s Art Therapy Program at Riverview

Phone Number: 732-530-2382
Address: 1 Riverview Plaza
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Insurance/Fee:

Group Name: Cancer Care

Phone Number: 800-813-4673
Address: 141 Dayton Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Insurance/Fees: Free. Offers financial assistance, free wigs, and will help with costs
such as, home care, childcare, pain medication, lymphedema supplies, and
transportation to and from appointments

Helpful Resources:
https://www.acco.org
http://wish.org
https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/guide-for-parents
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References

Brier, M. J., Schwartz, L. A., & Kazak, A. E. (2015). Psychosocial, health-promotion,

and neurocognitive interventions for survivors of childhood cancer: A

systematic review. Health Psychology, 34(2). 130-148.

Doi:10.1037/hea0000119

Denburg, A. (2013, August 30). Coping with childhood cancer: Dealing with

diagnosis, treatment and emotions. Retrieved from

http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/En/News/NewsAndFeatures/Pages/coping

-with-cancer.aspx

National Cancer Institute. (2017, August 30). Childhood cancers. Retrieved from

https://www.cancer.gov/types/childhood-cancers#treatment

Ries, L., Melbert, D., Krapcho, M., Mariotto, A., Miller, B. A., Feuer, E. J., & Edwards, B.

K. (Eds.). (2007). SEER Cancerstatistics review, 1975–2004. Bethesda, MD:

National Cancer Institute. Retrieved

from http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2004/results_merged/sect_28_childh

ood_cancer.pdf
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Parental Suicide

In the United States, each year, between 7,000 and 12,000 children lose a

parent to suicide (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2010). When a parent dies, it’s always

painful for a child. And a parent’s death by suicide, especially a mother’s suicide, has

an even more painful and potentially disturbing effect (Koplewicz, 2017).

Coping with a parent’s Suicide

As with all traumatic events, the way in which kids are supported in

processing their feelings about the loss affects how successfully they will recover.

Children are very resilient, and while a parent’s suicide will never stop being an

important event in their lives, with help they can recover their emotional health and

vitality (Brown, 2007). When children experience the sudden death of a parent, they

go through what we call traumatic grieving. This kind of death is not just a painful

thing to assimilate; it triggers an emotionally complicated or conflicted process

(Koplewicz, 2017).

Healthy Grieving

When a death is shocking and disturbing it generates frightening thoughts,

images, and feelings a child may want desperately to avoid. In the case of a suicide,

children may have feelings toward or about their parent that they feel are

unacceptable, that they want to deny. They try to block them out, by not talking or

thinking about the person they’ve lost, who they may feel has betrayed them, or

rejected them (Koplewicz, 2017). To grieve in a healthy way, it’s necessary to think

about the person you’ve lost, and allow yourself to feel sadness and pain. Kids need

to be able to remember the parent they’ve lost as a loving person despite his or her
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flaws (Koplewicz, 2017). Researchers at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center found that

children who are under 18 when their parents commit suicide are three times as

likely as children with living parents to later commit suicide themselves. This

highlights the vital importance of providing support to children who are grieving.

Not only are we treating the trauma of sudden parental loss, we are also trying to

break the suicide cycle in families.

Supporting Children

Children require simple and honest answers to their questions. They need to

know that their feelings are acceptable: anger at a mother or a father who

committed suicide is normal, and it doesn’t mean a betrayal of the love you have, or

the terrible loss you may be feeling (Koplewicz, 2017). If the person who died has

been mentally ill for a long time, a child might actually feel relieved at the death, and

that, too, he or she needs to be allowed to feel. After a suicide, children need to know

that they’re not to blame (Koplewicz, 2017). Being natural narcissists, kids tend to

put themselves at the center of the narrative: If I had behaved better, if I had come

home right after school, if I had tried harder to cheer Mom or Dad up, etc., this

wouldn’t have happened. What we want them to understand is that the parent was

ill. We did our best to help, but it didn’t succeed. This isn’t an understanding that’s

achieved in one conversation; it’s something that has to be worked on over time

(Koplewicz, 2017).

Signs of Trauma

With a “regular” traumatic experience, like being close to an accident, an

attack, a disaster, we expect signs of recovery in about a month. But the timetable
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for grieving is less clear, so the recovery process can take longer (Koplewicz, 2017).

If a child’s sadness and withdrawal from normal activities don’t dissipate over time,

and they begin to cause impairment- refusal to go to school, changes in sleep habits,

a decrease in appetite, irritability, they can be cause for concern (Koplewicz, 2017).

The biggest sign that someone is not grieving in a natural way is a disturbed

relation to the memory of the loved one (Koplewicz, 2017). This can include

avoiding places or situations that might remind a child of the parent who died,

emotional numbing, or selective amnesia about the traumatic loss. On the other

hand, it can manifest as intrusive thoughts about the event. These all get in the way

of the process of forming memories of a parent that’s part of the healthy grieving

process (Koplewicz, 2017).

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Referrals

Group Name: Hearts and Crafts Grief Counseling

Phone Number: 201-818-9399
Address: 60 East Main Street
Ramsey, NJ 07446
Insurance/fees: Non-profit organization

Counselor: Diana Allen, MA, LPC, LCADC

Phone Number: 973-685-6961
Address: Wayne, NJ 07470
Insurance/fees: Avg Cost (per session): $90 - $150
Sliding Scale: Yes
Accepts Insurance: Yes
Accepted Payment Methods: Cash, Check, Mastercard, Visa
Accepted Insurance Plans: Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Out of Network

Counselor: Laura M Neuscheler, MA, LPC, SPS

Phone number: 201-285-5905
Address: Wayne, Nj 07470
Insurance/fees: Avg Cost (per session): $120 - $160
Sliding Scale: Yes
Accepts Insurance: Yes
Accepted Payment Methods: Cash, Check, Paypal
Accepted Insurance Plans: BlueCross and BlueShield, Cigna, Magellan Behavioral
Health, ValueOptions, Out of Network *Please note I do not accept Medicare or
Medicaid.*

Helpful Resources:
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
https://www.opentohope.com/?gclid=CNnb4onUnrwCFcdQOgodH1EAoA
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References

Brown, A. C., Sandler, I.N., Tein, J., Liu, X., & Haine, R. A. (2007). Implications of

Parental Suicide and Violent Death for Promotion of Resilience of Parentally-

Bereaved Children. Death Studies, 31(4), 301-335.

Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2010, April 21). Children who lose a parent to suicide

more likely to die the same way. Retrieved from

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/children_who_los

e_a_parent_to_suicide_more_likely_to_die_the_same_way

Koplewicz, H. S. (2018). Coping with a parent's suicide. Retrieved from

https://childmind.org/article/coping-with-a-parents-suicide/
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Gender Identity

Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of being male, female or

something else; gender expression refers to the way a person communicates gender

identity to others through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, voice or body

characteristics (American Psychological Association, 2018).

Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation is about who you’re attracted to and who you feel drawn

to romantically, emotionally, and sexually. It’s different than gender identity. Gender

identity isn’t about who you’re attracted to, but about who you ARE , male, female,

transgender, etc (Planned parenthood, 2018). This means that being transgender

(feeling like your assigned sex is very different from the gender you identify with)

isn’t the same thing as being gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Sexual orientation is about

who you want to be with. Gender identity is about who you are (Planned

parenthood, 2018).

Gender and Sex

Below are definitions of the most used terms when describing gender.

Sex- Your assigned gender at birth and/or the gender of your reproductive

organs

Gender- Where you feel that you personally fall on the spectrum between male

and female. Commonly people identify as male or female, but some fall in the

middle or move throughout the spectrum.

Cisgender- When you identify with the gender you were assigned at birth

Transgender- When you identify with a gender different than that you were
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assigned at birth

Transsexual- When you have had Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS) to

change the sexual organs you were born with to that of a different gender.

Male to Female (MtF)- When somebody that is assigned as a male at birth

identifies as a female

Female to Male (FtM)- When somebody that is assigned as a female at birth

identifies as a male

Binary- The genders at each end of the gender spectrum (male and female)

Non-Binary- An umbrella term for genders that fall somewhere in the middle

of the gender spectrum and are neither strictly male or female. This can be

used as a gender identification without further explanation. Sometimes the

term, genderqueer, is used.

Genderfluid- Moving between genders or having a fluctuating gender identity

Agender- Not identifying with any gender. Sometimes referred to as

being genderless or gendervoid

Bigender- Identifying as two genders, commonly (but not exclusively) male

and female. Sometimes you feel like both genders at the same time and

sometimes you fluctuate.

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Referrals

Counselor: Jonathan P Stepansky, LPC, ACS, NCC

Phone number: 973-510-2485
Address: 209 Cooper Ave
Suite 2. Montclair, NJ 07043
Insurance/fees: Sliding Scale: Yes
Accepts Insurance: Yes
Accepted Payment Methods: American Express, Cash, Check, Discover,
Mastercard, Visa
Accepted Insurance Plans: Aetna, Anthem, Beacon, BlueCross and BlueShield,
Cigna, Empire BlueCross, Horizon Healthcare, Humana, MagnaCare, QualCare,
TRICARE, ValueOptions, Out of Network

Counselor: Lewis C Pagano, MA, LPC

Phone Number: 973-310-2273
Address: 5 Roosevelt Pl
Suite B-1. Montclair, NJ 07042
Insurance/ fees: Avg Cost (per session): $120 - $280
Sliding Scale: Yes
Accepts Insurance: Yes
Accepted Payment Methods: Cash, Check, Mastercard, Paypal, Visa
Accepted Insurance Plans: Out of Network

Counselor: Elizabeth Ellen Groisser, Psychologist, JD, PsyD

Group Name: Coming Out Group
Phone Number: 201-614-4297
Address: 50 Upper Montclair Plaza
Suite 202. Upper Montclair, NJ 07043
Insurance/fees: $40-$60/session

Helpful Resources
https://www.glsen.org
http://gids.nhs.uk
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References

American Psychological Association. (2018). Transgender people, gender identity

and gender expression. Retrieved from

http://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/transgender.aspx

Planned Parenthood. (2018). Sexual orientation and gender. Retrieved from

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/sexual-orientation-

gender/sexual-orientation
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Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation occurs when an individual fails to get enough sleep. The

amount of sleep that a person needs varies from one person to another, but on

average most adults need about seven to eight hours of sleep each night to feel alert

and well rested. Teens need an average of about nine hours of sleep per night, and

children need nine hours of nightly sleep or more, depending on their age (AASM,

2008). It is estimated that 50 to 70 million Americans chronically suffer from a

disorder of sleep and wakefulness, hindering daily functioning and adversely

affecting health and longevity (NHLBI, 2003).

Effects

The primary effect of sleep deprivation is excessive daytime sleepiness. A sleep-

deprived person is likely to fall asleep when forced to sit still in a quiet or

monotonous situation, such as during a meeting or class. This degree of severe

sleepiness can be a safety hazard, causing drowsy driving and workplace injuries

(AASM, 2008). Other effects of sleep deprivation include accidents from lack of

attention, moodiness, hunger, and other health dangers (ASA, 2018). Some more

dangerous effects of sleep deprivation include diabetes, the brain, growth, working

memory, depression, and weight gain or loss (ASA, 2018).

Common Causes

Voluntary behavior- People who engage in voluntary, but unintentional, chronic

sleep deprivation are classified as having a sleep disorder called behaviorally

induced insufficient sleep syndrome. This is a type of hypersomnia. It involves a

pattern of restricted sleep that is present almost daily for at least three months.
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Personal obligations- Sleep deprivation can occur when personal obligations

restrict sleep time. For example, a person may lose sleep while providing home care

for a relative with a chronic illness.

Work Hours- The work hours required by some occupations can produce sleep

deprivation.

Medical problems- Sleep deprivation may be a symptom of an ongoing sleep

disorder or other medical condition that disturbs sleep.

Sleep disorders -reduce sleep time like insomnia, sleep apnea, RLS, and others like

Sleep disorders that interfere with the brain’s ability to stay awake, including

narcolepsy and primary hypersomnia.

Inadequate sleep hygiene- Sleep disorder primarily caused by bad sleeping

habits.
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Referrals

Counselor: Kathy Morelli, MS, LPC, LMT

Phone Number: 973-425-5279
Address: 1581 Rt 23 N
Suite 1. Wayne, NJ 07470
Insurance/fees: Avg Cost (per session): $120 - $160
Sliding Scale: Yes
Accepts Insurance: Yes
Accepted Payment Methods: Cash, Check
Accepted Insurance Plan:, Cigna

Counselor: Leslie Karen Lobell, MA, LPC

Phone Number: 908-290-0658
Address: 913 Rt 23
Suite 6. Pomptom Plains, NJ 07444
Insurance/fees: Sliding Scale: Yes
Accepts Insurance: Yes
Accepted Payment Methods: Cash, Check

Group Name: Meditation Skills for Anxiety & Worry.

Group details: Issues: Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD), Sleep or Insomnia
Treatment Orientation: Mindfulness-based (MBCT)
Phone Number: 973-970-3906
Address: 171 East Ridgewood Ave
Suite 203. Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Insurance/fees: $50-$70/session

Helpful Resources

https://aasm.org
https://sleepfoundation.org
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References

American Academy of Sleep Medicine. (2018). Sleep deprivation factsheet. Retrieved

from https://aasm.org/resources/factsheets/sleepdeprivation.pdf

American Sleep Association. (2018). Sleep deprivation. Retrieved from

https://www.sleepassociation.org/sleep-disorders-n/sleep-deprivation/

NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). National Sleep Disorders

Research Plan, 2003. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; 2003.

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Victims of Cyber Crime

Today’s world is more interconnected than ever before. Yet, for all its

advantages, increased connectivity brings increased risk of theft, fraud, and abuse.

As Americans become more reliant on modern technology, we also become more

vulnerable to cyber attacks such as security breaches, spear phishing, social media

fraud, and cyber bullying (Homeland Security, 2017). Cybercrime is a term for any

illegal activity that uses a computer system, the Internet, or computer technology as

its primary means of commission (Victims of Crime Resource Center, 2018).

Risks of Social Media

Social media offers children a great way to stay in touch with their friends

and engage with the world. However, it also provides a platform to share an

abundance of private information for everyone to see. It might seem innocent at the

time, but children can easily reveal their age, birthdate, middle name, address or

even family details such as their mother’s maiden name – all things that could be

used for security questions or passwords, not just for the child’s accounts, but their

parents too (Hardstaff, 2017).

Protecting your child online

Being online obviously has its benefits, but it has its risks too and protecting

children can seem like a daunting task for parents. But by taking a cautious,

approach parents can help their children protect themselves (Hardstaff, 2017).

The main rules to tell your children

 Always use privacy settings.

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• When creating your password reset questions and answers, keep in mind

how easy it might be to guess the answer. Is the information readily available or

easy to research via your social media accounts? If so, it may be safer to choose a

more difficult question.

• Use different passwords for each account.

• Avoid keeping your passwords written down and never store them on your

web browser.

• Never share a password and PINs with anyone – not even your best friend.

• Never give your information to someone you don’t know in the real world.

• And parents don’t forget to download and install anti-virus and online

security software which helps protect your computer from outside attacks, such

as malware and viruses that could try to steal information off your computer
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Referrals

Group Name: Comprehensive Counseling Service

Phone number: 201-949-7674
Address: Montclair, NJ 07042
Insurance/fees: Avg Cost (per session): $70 - $140
Accepts Insurance: Yes
Accepted Payment Methods: ACH Bank transfer, American Express, Cash, Check,
Discover, Mastercard, Paypal, Visa
Accepted Insurance Plans: Aetna, Beacon, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Horizon
Healthcare, Out of Network

Group Name: Better Days Therapy

Phone Number: 862-772-8855
Address: 301 South Livingston Ave
2nd Floor, Suite 205
Livingston, NJ 07039
Insurance/fees: Avg Cost (per session): $120 - $150
Sliding Scale: Yes
Accepts Insurance: Yes
Accepted Payment Methods: Cash, Check
Accepted Insurance Plans, Beacon, EmblemHealth, Empire BlueCross, Horizon
BCBS Commercial Managed, Horizon BCBS Commercial Traditional, Horizon BCBS
Medicare Advantage, Horizon Healthcare, MVP Commercial Non HMO Network-IPA,
New York State Empire Plan, ValueOptions Commercial non HMO, Out of Network

Counselor: Amy Dimun

Phone Number: 973-821-7588
Address: 697 Valley Street
Maplewood, NJ 07040
Insurance/fees: Initial consultation is free

Helpful Resources

https://staysafeonline.org/resource/what-to-do-if-you-are-a-victim-of-cybercrime/

https://www.dhs.gov/topic/cybersecurity
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References

Hardstaff, L. (2017). Helping your child stay safe from cybercrime. Retrieved from

http://parentinfo.org/article/helping-your-child-stay-safe-from-cybercrime

Homeland Security. (2017, June 20). Combating cyber crime. Retrieved from

https://www.dhs.gov/topic/combating-cyber-crime

Victims of Crime Resource. (2018). Cyberbullying. Retrieved from

http://1800victims.org/crime-type/cyber-bullying/