Mental Health Services for Childhood Cancer Families

Chandler-based Children’s Cancer Network recently presented a check for $103,000 to Phoenix Children’s Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Phoenix Children’s, as the two Valley nonprofits collaborate to help families cope with the unimaginable diagnosis of childhood cancer. The funds will pay the salaries of two part-time mental health clinicians at Phoenix Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders for a year. Because the positions are philanthropically funded by CCN, there is no co-pay for the families, thereby eliminating a significant barrier that has derailed access to counseling for many.

This continues a vital collaboration that began seven years ago.

“In late 2015, Children’s Cancer Network was hearing from childhood cancer families that mental health resources for childhood cancer families were difficult to come by,” relates Patti Luttrell, co-founder and executive director of CCN, noting it was a national issue where counseling took almost three months to get an initial appointment for counseling for childhood cancer patients regardless of where in the country they were located.

“As we researched the issue, CCN wanted to be part of the solution,” she says. So CCN sat down at the table at Phoenix Children’s, where 75% of Arizona’s childhood cancer patients are treated. At the time, she notes, there were no childhood cancer mental health specialists at Phoenix Children’s dedicated to the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

The meeting resulted, in early 2016, in an agreement between the two organizations whereby CCN would fund the first part-time family mental health position for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the hospital. In addition to reducing many barriers to care — since there was no co-pay or bill for mental health services for not only the child diagnosed with cancer but also for immediate family members — it also created easy access to care, since families could visit their therapist at no cost during the same visit to the clinic at which they had their oncology doctor’s visit.

According to Luttrell, a growing need was quickly noted and, within the next two years, the second part-time mental health clinician was hired and paid for by CCN. “Children’s Cancer Network continues to pay for these two part-time CCBD family mental health clinicians, and for the last several years, we have provided for their salary, benefits and their continuing education opportunities annually,” she says.

In addition, Phoenix Children’s provides for several mental health therapists embedded in various clinics based on the model in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

Did You Know: Childhood cancer is not one disease — there are more than 12 major types of pediatric cancers and more than 100 subtypes. In 2022, 385 children were diagnosed with cancer at Phoenix Children’s (a hospital that has been named one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals every year since 2011).