Amanda Hope on the Go! Expands Mental Health Outreach Services Throughout Arizona
Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels introduced Amanda Hope on the Go! mobile counseling units supporting child cancer warriors and their families. Two mobile units — one for teens and adults and one for children — offer mental health counseling and other resources to children and their families battling cancer and other medical issues. Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels recognized that mental health services need to be more accessible and the mobile units expand their outreach to wherever children and families are throughout the state.
“The stress of making one more appointment can be too much for a warrior family,” said Melissa Savage, a counselor at Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels. “Especially after COVID, more and more families are coming to us, and our waitlist is increasing. Social and emotional learning are more important than ever, and that’s why Amanda Hope on the Go! is needed.”
The mobile unit for teens and adults is a Mercedes Sprinter Van donated by Brent and Christina Yates. It is used for support groups, individual/group counseling sessions and Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels’ “Mother Mentoring” events. The mobile unit for children was donated by BHHS Legacy Foundation and through individual supporters at the Night of Hope Gala the past two years. The children’s mobile unit is designed for experiential play therapies, medical play therapy, sand tray therapy, bibliotherapy and creative arts therapies. The inside of the children’s bus has LED lights, a puppet theater, art wall, sensory station and a sand tray.
Founded in 2012, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels is a celebration of Amanda Hope’s life. During Amanda’s three-year fight with leukemia and nine-month battle with a brain tumor, Amanda dreamed she would one day design a fun clothing line for children like her that would provide comfort and dignity during chemo treatments. Amanda’s life ended all too soon, but her dream lives on through the nonprofit’s Comfycozys for Chemo apparel, and her legacy continues through the expansion of the organization’s programs and services.
Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels Comfort and Care team of licensed counselors, coaches and mentors provide free counseling, play therapy and supportive services to families impacted by childhood cancer or life-threatening illness. Patients, siblings, parents and caregivers can take advantage of bilingual individual, couples and family therapy sessions. Grief counseling, mindfulness practices, mother mentoring and facilitated support groups for families to connect with others on the same journey are also available.
For more behind this Frontdoor, visit amandahope.org
