STANDARD OF CARE STATEMENT
Mitchell’s House provides personalized trauma support to help children and families navigate the challenges and changes initiated by medical diagnoses and treatment. Our therapeutic approach involves an integration of modalities such as play therapy, expressive arts, narrative therapy, DBT, TF-CBT, and EMDR, and requires a setting that harnesses the benefits of privacy and flexibility.
We have created this setting at our clinic, which offers multiple playrooms, activities, and resources for children of all ages and their families. Most of our client work takes places in our clinic, with virtual therapy options available for parents and caregivers. We are also able to conduct therapy sessions in the hospital, allowing us to establish rapport, encourage engagement in the therapeutic process, and provide emotional support as our clients prepare to transition home. This also allows us to maintain support for existing clients who experience rehospitalization.
While we understand and sympathize that transportation may be a barrier to receiving services, our current program model does not include provision, compensation, or incentives to support this need; therefore, we encourage families to utilize their family, faith, and community resources to help with travel to and from our clinic.
Additionally, we recognize that distance may serve as a factor limiting access to services, and we understand the toll that managing schedules and appointments can play, especially in the lives of a family navigating medical complexities. However, it is our hope that the opportunity to receive complementary and highly specialized mental health services will be considered a great value and a priority for the families we serve.
Finally, we recognize that all medical diagnoses, treatments, or procedures have the potential to carry a certain level of trauma and altered lifestyle. At Mitchell’s House, however, our primary focus is to serve families of children with critical or life-threatening diagnoses that require frequent or long-term hospitalization.