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Virtual Emotional and Social Support

Virtual Emotional and Social Support

With your ParentMD membership, you have access to personalized emotional and social support for the whole family through Hearts Connected, a third-party virtual service connecting you to certified child life specialists. You can choose a virtual visit which is applicable for all ages or phone consultations that are best suited for parents and caregivers. Sessions are customized by an expert team of child life specialists from Hearts Connected to help guide your family through stressful times. Here is a list of some examples of what can be supported:

  • Big transitions (divorce, adoption, separation, new diagnosis, new sibling)
  • School pressure and anxiety
  • Emotional challenges
  • Feelings related to loss or death
  • Difficult behavior
  • Life coaching for teens
  • Emotional preparation for medical procedures or adjusting to a new diagnosis
  • Helping families with tough conversations
See More

Psychosocial

  • Tantrums
  • Feeling bullied
  • Struggles with low self-confidence
  • Supporting an LGBTQ+ child
  • Worries related to world events (war, gun violence, politics)
  • Bedwetting or potty training issues
  • Life coaching support

Grief Support

  • Death of a family member, friend, or pet
  • How to answer questions or talk to your child about death or grief
  • Memory-making therapeutic activities
  • Preparation for an upcoming funeral, memorial service, or a death anniversary
  • Understanding how children process grief at different developmental ages

Big Transitions

  • Divorce/Separation of parents
  • Incarcerations
  • Foster Care/Adoptions
  • Memory Care
  • New Sibling

Medically Related

  • New diagnosis support and education
  • Difficulty understanding a medical condition of an adult
  • Preparation for a new or upcoming procedure (e.g. Surgery, dentist, sedation, sleep study, lab draw, MRI, cast placement)
  • Learning coping strategies to help with anxiety in medical settings
  • Difficulty with pill swallowing
  • Needle Phobia (fear of needles, difficulties with immunizations)
  • Understanding a medical environment of a loved one (ICU, Hospice, Cancer Treatment)
  • Learning coping strategies to help with chronic pain
  • Help with transitioning back to school after hospitalization or a new diagnosis
  • Supporting special needs children and their siblings
  • Supporting children with sensory sensitivities

Not sure if we can help? Book a free consultation and we’ll guide you on the best next steps!

If you feel like your child is experiencing a mental emergency, please seek immediate emergency treatment. Your options might be:
- Call 911
- Call 988 for Suicide concerns
- Take your child to the CLOSEST emergency department

Start here:

20-minute Phone Consultation - Included with ParentMD Membership

As a ParentMD Member, you get access to 20-minute phone consultations as your family needs. This service is for parents and caregivers. Many times Hearts Connected can provide support in this short amount of time or provide guidance for further sessions that may be needed. Book a session to talk to a certified child life specialist with Hearts Connected, a third-party virtual service, to get personalized support specific to the challenges your family faces day-to-day.

As needed, book an additional session:

45-minute Phone Consultation - $55*

Phone consultations offer the caregiver in-depth support with a provider to help problem-solve, build skills, and receive resources for your family on everything from helping your child cope with big worries and anxiety at school to preparing your child for the death of a family member.
*Member discounted rate.

OR

45-minute Video Consultation - $75*

Video sessions are for kids ages 4+ offering one-on-one support for a child/teen. Each session is personalized to be developmentally appropriate, evidence-based, and therapeutically supportive to support the child’s needs and concerns. Caregivers are welcome to join for the duration or at any point in the session.

Q & A

Who provides this mental health support service for ParentMD?

ParentMD has contracted a third-party virtual service, Hearts Connected, LLC, to provide emotional and social support to help kids, teens, and parents with everyday issues. Learn more about Hearts Connected at www.heartsconnected.org.

What is a Child Life Specialist?
Coaching support for your family; providing tools and resources to help you navigate the stress and uncertainty that life can bring in order to promote well-being for the entire family. 

Certified child life specialists (CCLS) are clinically trained in the developmental impact that illness, injury, trauma, and loss can have on a child.

CCLS work with children of all ages, from birth through young adulthood, and collaborate extensively with the child’s family, recognizing that they are the true expert in knowing their child. Child life specialists utilize developmentally and psychologically appropriate tools such as therapeutic play, coping interventions, and supportive resources to provide psychosocial and emotional support.
Why CCLS vs other mental health providers?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “child life interventions facilitate coping and adjustment at times and under circumstances that might otherwise prove overwhelming for the child.” The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes the value of the child life profession and the support that certified child life specialists can provide to children and adolescents.

Families with children facing a difficult time such as overwhelming grief and/or loss, coping with a significant transition, or a new medical diagnosis in the family will benefit from the support.

The team of CCLS at Hearts Connected offers you the ability to make an appointment without any waitlists and from the comfort of your home, giving you immediate individualized recommendations and resources based on your family's specific needs from the very first visit.
Who needs a Child Life Specialist?
We understand that finding the right resources and strategies to help your family is not easy. If you have noticed concerning changes in your child’s behavior, Hearts Connected, a third-party virtual service, is here to help you figure out the best next steps to helping your child. CCLS utilize an education background in child development and family systems to provide guidance specific to your family's life circumstances and walk alongside you to help you through it.
What ages does Hearts Connected work with?
Hearts Connected provides services for all ages. Direct services to children for a virtual session typically begin at the age of 4 years. Services are tailored to specific topics relevant to the age of your child: so, for children under 4 years old, the certified child life specialists at Hearts Connected work with parents and caregivers to meet the needs of the littlest ones as well. For topics relevant to older children and teens, the Hearts Connected team works directly with them through our video sessions.
What needs to be done prior to connecting for a consultation with Hearts Connected?
For a phone consult - Nothing! We're here to learn about your family’s needs during the consultation and provide support.

For a session with a child - We ask an adult to give consent and complete a brief questionnaire about the child before the appointment time. This questionnaire is reviewed by the provider to determine session goals and plans.
What can I expect during a session?
A phone consultation is typically the best starting point. This is where you discuss questions and concerns about the current situation. A certified child life specialist from Hearts Connected, a third-party virtual service, will offer suggestions and guidance on the best next steps. 

Each video session with a child and family is tailored for the specific needs identified during the initial consult or the intake process.

Some common components of a session include: discussion with family and child on a plan, a therapeutic activity with a child life specialist and child-focused on coping, purposeful discussion to help the child understand and progress through feelings, parent education and coaching, and a wrap-up session with parent or caregiver at the conclusion of the session to review the session if they were not present and discuss additional resources and recommendations.
What is the cost?
The cost of services is based on the session type and plan of care. Typically, families book 1-3 sessions.

Hearts Connected has priced the third-party services to be affordable for out-of-pocket expenses. With a ParentMD membership, you receive an additional discount on this service (discounted price listed above). Hearts Connected does not accept insurance, however, fees are less than the typical therapist fees and offer guidance and solutions in your first session.
What are some things Hearts Connected cannot help support?
Hearts Connected, a third-party service, does not offer medical advice and cannot prescribe medications for treatments. They do not perform diagnostic evaluations or specialize in ABA Therapy. All of the services are currently virtual-only and cannot be offered in-person.
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