Hand to Hold, a national nonprofit providing early intervention mental health support to parents who have lost a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), will provide in-person support to parents at Texas Children’s Hospital and pilot a new virtual support model at Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands. The collaboration will provide mental and emotional health resources to families trying to navigate the NICU experience and the difficulties of losing a baby.
“A traumatic birth and NICU stay can disrupt the parent-child bond and increase the risk of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. It can also impair parent-child interaction, which can have devastating effects on a child’s cognitive, social, emotional and self-regulatory abilities,” said Kelly Kelly, founder and CEO of Hand to Hold. “The proven benefits of peer support include improved parental mental health, improved problem-solving skills, increased parental engagement in their child’s care and improved preparedness to care for their baby at home,” added Kelly.
Hand to Hold’s programs are based on the peer support model currently recommended by the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Hand to Hold’s Family Support Specialists are NICU patients and bereaved parents who have undergone extensive training to become certified as mental health peer specialists. They provide in-person and virtual support at the baby’s bedside, lead in-person and virtual support groups, provide educational materials, and help parents celebrate milestones through Hand to Hold’s Milestone Bead program. NICU parents have 24/7 access to Hand to Hold’s flagship app and can find community, inspiration, and education through Hand to Hold’s extensive educational resources and podcasts, all at no cost to parents.
advertisement
“We are pleased to partner with Hand to Hold to provide this meaningful service to help families navigate life in the NICU and beyond,” said Dr. Christina Lever, chief of neonatology at Texas Children’s Hospital. “We have the best doctors and nurses in the nation caring for our smallest and most vulnerable patients, but it’s also important to provide parents and families with resources to support their mental and emotional health. No one can share guidance and compassion like someone who personally knows what a family is going through. Peer-to-peer support from Hand to Hold’s certified specialists offers families a more intimate level of mental health support to help them feel comfortable throughout their NICU journey.”
Funding for the partnership is provided through the generosity of Bad Pants Open, which has raised more than $7 million since 1998 to advance innovation and excellence in infant research, treatment and care at Texas Children’s Newborn Center®.
“The Bad Pants Open Committee is pleased to provide such a meaningful peer-to-peer support service to NICU families at Texas Children’s Hospital,” said Adam Law, chair of the Bad Pants Open Committee at Texas Children’s Hospital. “As a NICU father myself, the benefits of gaining empathy and understanding from someone who has been through the same experience are immeasurable. Providing families with this unique mental health support system was an important goal for us. Each year, Bad Pants Open raises funds for tools and services beyond the specialized medical care provided at Texas Children’s Hospital. This partnership with Hands to Hold will provide invaluable emotional support, guidance and encouragement to our patients’ families during a very stressful and overwhelming time.”
advertisement
Hold My Hand® Hand to Hold is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing individualized emotional support, education and community to parents who have had their child admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or have lost a baby. To fulfill its mission, Hand to Hold is removing barriers to support by expanding its hybrid in-person and virtual support model. Support is provided to parents in English or Spanish, is free to families, and all support is designed to meet the emotional, physical and social needs of NICU parents. To learn more, visit Hand to Hold.org.
Texas Pediatricsis a nonprofit health care organization committed to creating healthier futures for children and women worldwide through leadership in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas and one of the top in the nation, Texas Children’s Hospital has earned widespread recognition for its expertise and groundbreaking advancements in children’s and women’s health. The system includes Texas Children’s Hospital Duncan NRI, Feigin Tower for pediatric research, Texas Children’s Hospital Women’s Pavilion, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focused on high-risk births, Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a regional hospital in the west Houston suburbs, Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital dedicated solely to pediatric care for the north Houston community, and Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin, a new state-of-the-art facility providing world-class pediatric and maternal care to Austin families. Texas Children’s is the largest pediatric primary care network in the nation. It also has Texas Children’s Urgent Care Clinics, which specialize in after-hours care specifically for children, and a Global Health Program that provides care to children and women around the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.
Source: Hand to Hold
advertisement
