SIBSPLACE is a free prevention and support program of South Nassau Communities Hospital. The program serves the well siblings, ages 4-17, of children with cancer or another serious or devastating illness. SIBSPLACE provides support and attention to the unique experience and needs of the well siblings as they face the issues and conflicts related to the illness of their brother or sister. Resiliency is fostered through peer support and multi-modal activities that encourage expression, self-awareness and the development of coping skills.
SIBSPlace© is an offsite department of South Nassau Communities Hospital that provides services to children who have brothers and sisters with cancer or another devastating disease. We are a donor-funded program, and serve a population that has been historically underserved, at no cost to the families. The families that we serve are in transition. Family patterns and traditions lose their structure. It is necessary for much attention to be focused on the needs of the ill child. However, the well child is struggling to grow up through a family trauma and also has needs. As a result of this family crisis, they are coping with feelings of:
FEAR
children are not supposed to be in this life-threatening situation. They recognize their own vulnerability…they can get cancer… too. They see things that are often too difficult for adults to see and cope with.
SADNESS
around the possibility of loss of a sibling, and loss of family stability.
ISOLATION AND ABANDONMENT
as they are separated from their parents who are often in the hospital with the ill child.
JEALOUSY
everyone is paying attention to the ill child’s needs.
GUILT
for the thoughts and feelings they have towards their sibling whose illness has disrupted their lives.
LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL
over events that affect their lives and the ability to make everything go back to normal…the way it used to be before their sibling was diagnosed.
Often, parents who have a child with a devastating illness are too distracted to focus on the needs of the well children. It is a difficult reality for all of the family members. At SIBSPlace we provide a supportive and nurturing environment where children can come together and through play, art and music therapies learn coping skills that will help them lead more effective lives today, and in their future.
During programming, using the SIBSPlace model we address the children’s needs through:
· Preventative therapeutic support to the well siblings via psycho-education
· A consistent, safe environment within which children are able to express and explore their feelings with both staff and peers
· Facilitating relationships between children to enable peer support
· Professional Staff utilizing creative arts activilties to enhance self awareness, self-expression, emotional vocabulary and to validate feelings/behaviors
· Creating support for children from “everyday” activities, e.g., sharing a meal (dinner is provided each program evening), playing a game, help with homework, (most of our volunteers are retired teachers) etc.
SIBSPlace can make a remarkable difference in the outcomes of the lives of its participants. Awareness of our program and the positive impact it can have on the lives of the youngsters who attend SIBSPlace, is highly valuable. Unfortunately, so many communities include families that are affected by the traumatic illness of a child. We hope that no one ever needs our services, however, if they do, than it is a gift to provide the resource of information about our program.
If you are interested in learning more about SIBSPlace, please contact
Suzanne Kornblatt, LMSW, at 516-374-3000.
“SIBSPlace…A Place Where A Child Matters Most!”
