Katie is a child life specialist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital where she has worked with adolescents in acute care, the mental health population as well as chronic pain rehabilitation for over six years. She has been a certified child life specialist since 2011, and received her Masters in Child Development and Family Relations in 2010.  

Lisa Wolff has been a child life specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital for five years. She received her master's degree in Child Life and Family-Centered Care from Wheelock College in Boston, MA. Lisa partnered with Amy Carter and Chris Mattson in 2019 to create a child life-focused elective for medical students and recently collaborated on a community engagement elective for residents. Lisa's primary clinical focus is the support of hematology and oncology patients and their families. She also has a passion for educating healthcare team members on the role of child life to increase interdisciplinary collaboration and improve the care of patients and families.

Amy Carter is a lead child life specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital.  She joined the team 24 years ago after receiving her master’s degree in Child life and Family Centered Care from Wheelock College in Boston MA.  Over the course of her career, Amy has worked as a child life specialist providing psychosocial support to enhance patient and family coping in both inpatient and outpatient settings.  She currently holds a lead position where, in addition to supporting clinical needs on the team, she coordinates student programming, assistants, and donations.

Christopher Mattson is a second-year fellow in the pediatric critical care medicine fellowship program at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. He received his MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and completed his residency training in pediatrics at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital. He is also a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago Master in Health Professions Education program. His research interests include learner assessment, interprofessional education and collaboration and training systems. 

Jackie Newman, MS, CCLS currently serves as Child Life Specialist I at Kennedy Krieger’s inpatient rehab unit, where she has worked for two years. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Human Development and a Master’s Degree in Child Life both from Wheelock College at Boston University.  Jackie has a professional interest in promoting self-advocacy and independence for children and adolescents with spinal cord injuries.

Emily Montag currently works as a Certified Child Life Specialist at Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit in Baltimore, Maryland. Emily received her Master’s Degree at Towson University in Child Life, Administration, and Family Collaboration. Emily enjoys working at Kennedy Krieger Institute particularly because of the psychosocial collaborative approach within the multidisciplinary team. Emily previously presented at last year’s Rehabilitation Psychology Conference on “Psychosocial Support for Children and Families Affected by Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) in a Pediatric Rehabilitation Setting.” Emily’s special interests include providing support for children with spinal cord injuries who are weaning off ventilation support, promoting independence with self-catheterization, and educating siblings of children who have sustained traumatic brain injuries.

Katie Cooper is an occupational therapist at Kennedy Krieger’s International Center for Spinal Cord Injury. I received my master’s at Towson University in 2021. I help children with traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCI) in our inpatient hospital improve independence with daily activities by incorporating concepts of activity based restorative therapy. Independence with bowel and bladder function directly impacts performance in school, play, and the quality of life for our patient’s. It is a great interest of mine to optimize children with SCI’s independence with self-catheterization so they can return to school and engage in desired activities. During my career, I have developed lectures on neurogenic bowel and bladders for the occupational therapy department and fabricated novel orthoses to assist with improving independence with toileting.

Erin Dignan is a Clinical Registered Nurse II at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Erin received her Bachelor’s School of Nursing from York College in Pennsylvania. Erin’s special interests include working with neonates, children who have sustained traumatic brain injuries, and complex pediatric patients. In September 2022, Erin received the Daisey Award in for her outstanding work with a long-term patient and their family.

Leslie Daniels, CCLS, is a Child Life Manager at Children’s Mercy Hospital (CMH) in Kansas City, Missouri. Leslie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia. For over twenty years, Leslie has worked in direct patient care, primarily serving in critical care areas and the emergency department, and she served as child life internship coordinator. Leslie has played an active role on the CMH Aftercare Committee, providing support to children and adolescents who have experienced the death of a sibling. Leslie holds a certificate in Pediatric Bioethics. Leslie has been active with ACLP, specifically the CLCC, most recently serving as Chair of the Certification Commission. Away from the hospital, Leslie enjoys spending time with her husband, Billy, and her children, Alex, Cheyanne, and John. She also enjoys visiting with family and friends and traveling.

Lucy is the Assistant Director of the Child Life Department at Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas City. Lucy has served on the ACLP Board of Directors as the Child Life Certifying Commission Chair and has been chair of the Ethics Committee for ACLP. Lucy has been a certified child life specialist at CM for 25 years, working clinically with a variety of patient populations and diagnoses. She is focused on facilitating psychosocial interventions that build and fortify resilience in patients and families facing healthcare challenges. Lucy is committed to prioritizing the coping, developmental, and emotional safety needs of patients and their families. 

CIndy has 23 years experience working with children and families in a therapeutic role to assist with coping, growth and development, and supporting mental well-being.  Cindy is a Certified Child Life Specialist and a Registered Nurse.  Cindy holds a Master's of Science in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care from McMaster University and is currently working towards a Doctorate degree from University of Toronto in Child Study and Education.  Cindy is a Public Health Nurse at Toronto Public Health within the child health and development division.  Cindy also has a private practice acting as a consultant and parenting educator. And above all of this, Cindy is the mother to three wonderful and perfectly, imperfect children who inspire her on a daily basis to be the best person she can be.

Maria Sohail is a Certified Child Life Specialist working at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, within the technology programming and inpatient support role. Maria holds a masters degree in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care and Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Behaviour and Autism Behavioural Sciences. As a visible person of colour, Maria is passionate about advocating for and ensuring that patients and families from marginalized and vulnerable populations receive the individualized care they need to feel and be successful

Sherry Cheng is a Certified Child Life Specialist currently working at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Ontario within the Virtual Reality Program and float support role. Sherry completed her MSc in Child Life & Pediatric Psychosocial Care through McMaster University, where she gained valuable knowledge and experience that aligned with her interests in the therapeutic value of play, child development, and the process of developing resiliency. As an immigrant and person of colour herself, Sherry’s philosophy is to forever remain a learner, where she invites her patients and families to share with her unique knowledge about themselves. Sherry recognizes the different interactions and impacts that one’s culture can have on one’s identity and how that affects the care they wish to receive. Her goal is to seek out and include these pieces of information in her practice each and every time she creates an individualized care plan for her patients.

Courtney Dill, MS, CCLS, LMT is a child life specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She is currently working the capacity of training coordinator, where she guides practicum, intern and cooperative students in the Department of Child Life, Education and Creative Arts. Courtney's interest include promoting well being and alternative healthcare.

Elizabeth Olsen has been a Certified Child Life Specialist for over fifteen years. Her previous experiences in healthcare include working in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of NY Presbyterian and Good Shepherd Hospice in Long Island. She has been working at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for the past five years and began her career there in the Special Delivery Unit. Elizabeth has been working with SSD Dilly, CHOP’s first Facility Dog, hospital wide for the past two and a half years. Elizabeth and Dilly help to support patient’s during procedures, co-treat sessions with various therapies, and with the Hospital School Program. Elizabeth has focused much of her career to supporting grieving children and families. She helped to develop the curriculum for the Hospice and Palliative Care of New York State Interdisciplinary Pediatric Palliative Care. In her new role, Elizabeth is currently working on a certification in Service and Therapy Dog Training Professional. She has presented at several national and local conferences on grief and loss, Animal Assisted Therapy interventions, and Perinatal Hospice.

Katherine Parker holds a Masters of Art degree in Art Therapy and Counseling. Katherine is a licensed Creative Arts Therapist at Mount Sinai Health Care System. Katherine has ten years of experience in trauma-informed care in both community and healthcare settings. Katherine utilizes art therapy to support wellness interventions for children and teens of adult patients in the hospital. These interventions also extend to staff in the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Jaclyn Craig is a Licensed and Board Certified art therapist and has been a full time clinician at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital for over seven years. During this time Jaclyn has provided equitable art therapy services and full time facility dog interventions throughout the hospital system. Jaclyn utilizes her clinical skill set in art therapy and animal assisted therapy to support and promote well-being and resilience amongst patients and healthcare professionals alike.

Michelle Badejo is a Certified Child Life Specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital with a background in pediatric nursing. Michelle has experience in pediatric medicine, hospice, and ICU environments. Michelle works with pediatric patients and families to provide interventions supporting wellness in the hospital setting.

Jennifer Fieten has been a child life specialist for over twenty years, providing child life services in various hospital settings, in pediatric palliative care and hospice, and child life instruction for students in the academic setting. She has her bachelor's degree in family, consumer, nutrition, and sciences from Northern Illinois University; her master's degree in education from University of Texas in San Antonio, and has started her doctoral study in child development from the Erikson Institute in Chicago. In a previous role, she proposed, developed, coordinated and facilitated a hospital wide child abuse response team, which led to her appointment to two state wide child death review teams. She has recently served as the child life specialist in a pediatric specific transitional medical care facility, caring for children with medical complexity following non accidental trauma and is currently the child life specialist at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, an innovative rehabilitation hospital, continuing to serve children with medical complexity, and their families.

Troy is a Certified Child Life Specialist for and has over 25 years of experience in the field of Child Life, including directing several child life programs in the tri-state area. She has served as the Director of the Child Life Masters Program at Bank Street College since 2004, and has taught the following courses: Child Development, Adolescent and Emerging Adulthood, Child Life in Health Care Settings, Children with Special Health Care Needs, and Child Life Administration.

Troy has been an active member of the Association of Child Life Professionals and has held several leadership positions. Patient and Family Centered Care has been an integral part of her work with children, youth and their families for the last 30 years. She is committed to working with families. During her career, she has worked as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist, Special Educator and as a Certified Child Life Specialist. Throughout her career she remains committed to and advocating for the diverse and unique needs of all patients and their family, supporting their growth and development.