Cantley Roberts is a Certified Child Life Specialist who works with the behavioral health population at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She has been working with the behavioral health population for 4 years and primarily serves patients awaiting inpatient psychiatric treatment in the Emergency Department. She serves on various committees focused on improving staff confidence to support behavioral health patients and helped author the institution’s pathway for providing care to behavioral health patients in the emergency department. Cantley’s professional passions include preparing patients for transfer to an inpatient psychiatric facility, facilitating goal-oriented therapeutic programming, and providing education to patients on coping skills and de-escalation techniques. When she’s not at work, Cantley enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time at the beach.

Anna has been a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist and Certified Child Life Specialist for 5 years. Some of her past experiences working with children include assistant teaching students in a pre-school and serving as therapeutic support staff in an elementary school. Currently, she is working full time as a Child Life Specialist and Recreational Therapist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for the past three years and per diem at Shriners Hospital for Children (SHC) for the past five years. At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Anna works with behavioral health patients admitted to the Adolescent Medicine Unit and Medical Behavioral Unit where she provides both child life and recreational therapy interventions to these patients. She serves on various committees and taskforces throughout the hospital as a Behavioral Health Committee member, Well-Being Champion and Committee member and Patient Safety Advisory Council member to help spread awareness to others on safely working with and supporting behavioral health patients during their hospitalization. When Anna is not at work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, shopping, doing puzzles and cooking.

Ashley has been a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for 5 years and a Certified Child Life Specialist for 4 years. Her experiences include previously working in an independent living memory care unit and she is currently am employed at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for the past four years. Ashley started her career working on the Medical Behavior Unit for two years working with behavioral health patients who present with a medical complexity. Ashley currently resides on the Rehabilitation Unit for the past year and a half. Ashley provides a variety of interventions to a diverse population of patients, a few examples being traumatic brain injuries, disorders of consciousness, oncologic, and orthopedic injuries. Some examples of these interventions include group programming, individual play sessions; both therapeutic and normalizing, and diagnosis education.

Caleb has been a Child Life Specialist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada, since 2017. Over nearly a decade, he has worked in procedurally-based areas such as POCU/PACU, phlebotomy, radiology, and outpatient clinics. His passion for supporting patients with behavioral and developmental complexities earned him the SickKids President's Award in both 2020 and 2023.

Caleb is a strong advocate for the needs of patients and families, sharing his expertise through participation in various hospital-wide initiatives and presentations at events like Project ECHO, Pain Week, and the Phlebotomy Symposium. With a deep commitment to finding “the right way to do the tough thing,” he continually strives to achieve the best possible health outcomes for those he serves.

Jamie is a Certified Child Life Specialist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada. Over the past four years, she has been dedicated to developing SickKids' Child Life program within the Department of Diagnostic Imaging & Interventional Radiology. Jamie holds an MSc in Child Life & Pediatric Psychosocial Care from McMaster University (2021), and applies her expertise to expand this practice across a variety of settings. In addition to her work at SickKids, she supports the psychosocial needs of teens and youth at Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto and contributes to other community initiatives such as vaccine clinics and family support programs. Jamie is passionate about new ways of sharing psychosocial knowledge interprofessionally and is looking forward to returning to present at the ACLP Conference.

A Certified Child Life Specialist since 2011, Hilary Woodward joined the Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) as Director of Patient and Family Programs in May 2025. Before that, she was a child life specialist in the Pediatric Emergency Department at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital at Columbia University Irving Medical Center for more than 13 years. In her clinical role, Hilary served as a child life internship coordinator and rotation supervisor.

Hilary is the founder and director of the child life program at BASE Camp, a simulation-based training program in pediatric emergency medicine for physicians, nurses, and child life specialists. In 2021 and 2023, she was elected to consecutive terms on the executive board of INSPIRE (International Network for Simulation-based Pediatric Innovation, Research, and Education), making her the first psychosocial professional to serve on the INSPIRE board.

Hilary’s professional interests include simulation, interprofessional education and collaboration, and pediatric pain management. She is the author of a textbook chapter, co-author of multiple peer-reviewed publications, and has given over 40 regional, national, and international presentations.

Jenny Chabot, PhD, CCLS, completed her child life clinical training with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and is the Coordinator of Child and Family Studies/Child Life at Ohio University. She teaches Fundamentals in Child Life and Pediatric Health Care, Children and Families in Health Care Settings, Qualitative Research, Foundations and Theories in Child Life, and Child Life in South Africa, a summer education abroad program in Cape Town. Dr. Chabot studies ambiguous loss in the hospitalization experience for patients and families and explores the role emotion work plays in child life work. She is a three-time recipient of the University Professor Award, a two-time recipient of the Presidential Teacher Award, a 2016 winner of her college’s Advising and Mentoring Award, and two-time recipient of her college’s Outstanding Teaching Award. She was chosen as the Fall Semester 2016 Commencement Speaker and recently received Ohio University’s Best Professor Award from the Athens News annual “Best Of” edition. Dr. Chabot received her PhD from Michigan State University and is an active member of the ACLP, currently serving on the Professional Resources Committee. During Spring Semester 2016, Dr. Chabot completed a Fulbright Teaching Scholar Award with the Child Life Studies department at McMaster University in Canada.

I am an associate professor in the Human Development and Family Science Department at East Carolina University (ECU), NC where I teach child life and child development courses. I have worked with students, interns, and professional development opportunities for the past 35 years both as a clinician and an academician. I formerly worked for about 17 years as a certified child life specialist (CCLS) at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA); Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. I have served on several committees of ACLP over the years, including as an executive board member. My efforts toward publishing include research and review articles in peer reviewed journals as well as textbook chapters. I have a unique collection of camel souvenirs.

Sherwood Burns-Nader, PhD, CCLS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Alabama where she coordinates the undergraduate and graduate child life programs. Sherwood’s research interests include examining the psychosocial issues affecting children and families in the healthcare setting, the benefits of child life interventions, the experiences of child life specialists and emerging professionals, and the value of play in development and coping. Sherwood has served as an Association of Child Life Professional’s Research Fellow since 2020, including as the Lead Fellow from 2023-2025.

Fairfax Davis is a Certified Child Life Specialist at Children’s of Alabama. She works clinically with the inpatient rehab and epilepsy monitoring populations. In 2022, Fairfax became the practicum coordinator for Children’s of Alabama. She now currently coordinates students’ clinical experiences for pre-internship and internship. Over the years, she has developed a research resume by collaborating with members of the health care team and members of academia. Her research interests include medical play, trauma informed care, and student clinical experiences. Fairfax began collaborating with in state universities in 2024 to adapt pre-internship experiences to accommodate students and Certified Child Life Specialists alike. This graduate level practicum model continues to be utilized. Fairfax has been a member of the child life team and Child Life and Education Department at Children’s of Alabama for 9 years.

At UCSF Health, my commitment to enhancing patient care in Neurosciences has been at the forefront of my role as a Neurosciences Improvement Specialist. Partnering with stakeholders, I have leveraged quality improvement models to elevate patient safety and the overall patient experience. Our collaborative efforts focus on strategic growth and clinical excellence across various neurology and neurosurgery service lines, strongly emphasizing culturally diverse and trauma-informed care approaches. My experience as a Child Life, Behavioral, and Quality Improvement Specialist equips me with valuable insight on how to enhance services provided to patients and families in any setting.
With a background that spans the healthcare and education industries for over 25 years, I am passionate about providing consultation services to varied industries. I apply complex quality improvement models and techniques, such as Lean methodology, to improve programs and institutions. My main areas of expertise are behavior modification, clinical care improvements, patient experience & safety, strategic growth, and program expansion. I am also passionate about advancing systems by providing education to the public via public speaking within varied platforms.

Alejandra Kim is a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco. She earned her Master of Science in Child Life Specialist from Loma Linda University and has spent the past 9 years at UCSF serving as Playroom Coordinator, Cardiac CCLS, and now, a Perioperative CCLS. She was a key contributor to the Child Life Value Improvement Project, which demonstrated how child life specialists can save hospitals millions annually. Based in San Francisco with her husband, Alejandra loves exploring the city and traveling the world!

Maile is a Certified Child Life Specialist at Children's Hospital Colorado in Colorado Springs, where she works in outpatient specialty clinics serving a variety of populations. Before relocating to Colorado, Maile worked as an acute care specialist and with the liver transplant population at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt after earning her master's degree at Vanderbilt University. Her research interests include the concept of legacy and legacy oriented interventions in pediatric healthcare, and the effects of stress and early adversity on child development. A recipient of the ACLP Student and Professional Research Award in 2021, Maile is proud to serve as a member of the ACLP Research Fellows Committee, contributing to advancing child life research and practice.

Cara Sisk, PhD, CCLS is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Ecology at Tennessee Technological University and works as the Child Life Program Director. Previously serving children and families as a practicing Certified Child Life Specialist for over a decade, Cara’s clinical work influences her teaching and scholarly interests including research focused on the internship readiness of child life students. Cara contributes to child life’s academic discipline as an editor of and author in the Child Life Assessment textbook and Past president of the Child Life Academic Society. She is active in the Association of Child Life Professionals as a Research Fellow and member of The Journal of Child Life: Psychosocial Theory and Practice Review Board.

Brittany Wittenberg Camp, PhD, CCLS, CFLE is a Program Development Coordinator for the Child Life and Therapeutic Arts Program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. In this role, Brittany is developing, implementing, and evaluating the adaptive care program throughout the Phoenix Children’s network, and providing clinical leadership to the outpatient child life team. Brittany completed her PhD, MA, and BS in Human Development and Family Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. Brittany practiced as a child life specialist at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas and worked in academia as an assistant professor at Missouri State University and Louisiana State University, where she helped develop and grow the child life programs at both universities. Brittany’s research interests include academic and research preparation of child life students; healthcare professionals' perception of the CCLS role; and the impact of child life services on children, their families, and healthcare providers. Brittany has published in the The Journal of Child Life: Psychosocial Theory and Practice, Journal of Interprofessional Care, Pediatric Dental Journal, Family Relations, Child Abuse and Neglect, and Journal of Child and Family Studies. In 2015, Brittany completed the inaugural ACLP Leadership Academy and has since served on various ACLP committees, including Scientific Advancement of Professional Practice, Awards, and Research and Scholarship.

Sarah Daniels, PhD, CCLS, (pronouns she/her/hers) is a Certified Child Life Specialist working in a remote research role for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. She also works as an adjunct instructor teaching undergraduate and master's level courses in Human Development and Family Studies. Sarah received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Rhodes College, and both master’s and doctoral degrees in Educational Psychology and Research from the University of Memphis. Sarah’s research and quality improvement interests include projects that evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and role of child life services in the hospital setting. More specifically, Sarah enjoys exploring trends in technology use and youth development, psychosocial aspects of adolescent and young adult oncology, and mixed methods research design. Sarah is a member of the Research Fellows for the ACLP and volunteers as a member of the Review Board for the Journal of Child Life: Psychosocial Theory and Practice.

Lisa Cies is a Child Life Specialist II currently working at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital in Santa Monica, CA. Her undergraduate education at UC Davis focused on child and human development, and she received her Masters in Early Childhood Education and Child Life from Mills College in Oakland. She has been a child life specialist for over 20 years, having also worked at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She has worked with nearly every patient population (PICU, transplant, hem/onc, ER, surgery, and more) and has loved them all! Over the years, she has developed a passion for communication. It first focused on how to help kids and teens expand their “growth mindset” while undergoing stressful procedures, but has continued to look at how we listen and speak with parents and our colleagues to have healthier communication and less conflict. When she’s not at the hospital, she’s chasing around her three boys (3, 6 and 45 years old) and cooking new recipes.

Morgan Livingstone is a Certified Child Life Specialist and Certified infant massage instructor trainer with over 25 years of expert experience supporting infants, children and youth with retinoblastoma (Rb). Morgan is a passionate advocate for improvements and access to innovative child life supports for children and families with Rb from diagnosis, treatment and lifelong follow up. Morgan has been a part of the World Eye Cancer Hope (WeCHope) Charity worldwide as the Child Life Officer since its inception, and an active member and participant of the Canadian Retinoblastoma Society (CRBS), the Canadian Retinoblastoma Research Advisory Board and the Kenyan National Retinoblastoma Society. As part of the WeCHope team, Morgan travels the world educating and training hospitals, ministries of health and healthcare providers about the importance of improved child life supports for children with Rb. Morgan facilitates the creation of locally sustainable child life programs in low- and middle-income countries.

Jocelyn is a Certified Child Life Specialist from Ontario, Canada. She has a comprehensive undergraduate background in Early Childhood Studies and her Master of Science in Child Life & Pediatric Psychosocial Care from McMaster University. To date, Jocelyn brings a wealth of experience working in education, recreation, and community non-profit organizations. Jocelyn currently works full-time within a 2-person program at Halton Healthcare and serves as a float CLS at The Hospital for Sick Children. Aside from her primary role, Jocelyn is a dedicated volunteer in a variety of capacities supporting children and families impacted by Albinism and Retinoblastoma. In addition to her professional experience supporting children with visual impairment, Jocelyn has been living with a visual impairment since birth.

Kelsey is a Certified Child Life Specialist, who is currently working in the Ambulatory Clinics at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. She has her bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University, with a master's in Child Life from Concordia University Ann Arbor. Kelsey thrives in the outpatient world, where her interactions are mostly procedure based, and spends a majority of her time supporting patients in the blood draw, orthopedic, and surgery clinics. Her favorite procedures to prepare patients for and support are percutaneous pin removals, injection teachings, and anorectal manometries.

Emma is a Certified Child Life Specialist at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She began her career at Mott as a resource child life specialist filling long-term leaves with the majority of her resource time in the PICU, NICU, and the Cardiac ICU. Two years ago, she transitioned to a position in MRI/ Radiology. In her clinical work Emma feels especially passionate about the power of preparation. She recognizes the importance of patient and family centered care and applying child life skills both in healthcare settings and camp settings to promote connection, healing and growth.

Katherine Parker is a licensed creative arts therapist and credentialed supervisor within the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department at Mount Sinai Hospital. As the Family Care Coordinator, Katherine provides developmentally appropriate language and resources to support adult oncology patients in discussing their diagnosis and treatment with children in their families. She also facilitates ongoing art therapy sessions to help children and teens process the impact of cancer, express their emotions, and develop sustainable coping skills. She is trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and specializes in child development, medical psychoeducation, and traumatic grief. Within the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Katherine is a member of the Clinical Sphere, part of the Racism and Bias Initiative Guiding Coalition, where she collaborates with faculty, staff, and students to create programs and projects that help bridge the gap between DEI academic learning and clinical application. Katherine also works part time as an adjunct professor in the graduate Art Therapy program at New York University, teaching a course titled "Medical Art Therapy" and facilitating a group supervision course.
Katherine has lived in New York City for ten years, previously living in a variety of places including overseas in South Korea and Germany. To maintain a balanced wellness routine, she likes to travel, tap dance, and learn new pâtisserie skills. Her favorite artist is Faith Ringgold because of Faith’s unique style, bold activism, and creative storytelling.

Morgan Stojanowski, MS, CCLS is the Director of the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. Morgan joined the Department in 2012, serving as the primary child life specialist in the outpatient pediatric oncology/hematology clinic. After serving in this role for several years, Morgan advanced to a Senior Child Life Specialist position. In 2018, she was promoted to Assistant Director, where she worked closely with leadership to develop and operationalize child life programming, deepen patient and family engagement within the pediatric hospital and support staff through supervision and reflective practice. In addition to supporting day-to-day programming, Morgan played a crucial role in the launch of the Paws & Play program, the establishment of child life programming in the NICU, the development of the Youth Advisory Council, and the implementation of child life and creative arts therapy services in the adult setting. Before joining the team at Mount Sinai, Morgan received her Master’s Degree in Child Life from Bank Street College of Education and worked as a Certified Child Life Specialist at Blythedale Children’s Hospital.