COVID-19 Response

MADE FOR MOMENTS LIKE THIS

At Team IMPACT, we have been working tirelessly to find ways to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on our participants, and to develop innovative ways to provide our therapeutic program remotely. Team IMPACT has always helped sick kids beat loneliness. In these extraordinary times of mass isolation, loneliness and fear, our therapeutic support is needed more than ever—for every member of our community.

Below are the ways we’re supporting our children, families, and student athletes during this unprecedented time:

Increased 1:1 Case Management


Physical separation does not fundamentally change the Team IMPACT service model. However, with sports seasons cancelled, college students displaced across the globe, and children and families isolated in their homes, our Case Managers are intensifying their 1:1 outreach to provide increased therapeutic support. Because our Case Managers have always provided their services remotely, they are true experts in building and fostering relationships without physical interaction. They are now teaching and supporting their student athletes and matches to do the same in order to optimize the program for virtual delivery.

Virtual Huddles


We are actively enhancing our service delivery model by building Virtual Huddles – creative ways for kids and teams to connect and continue to deepen their relationships. Huddles are designed to appeal to a variety of ages, areas of interest and developmental capacity, and all have “learning objectives” or key takeaways, for both kids and student athletes. Huddles include a Spotify Challenge, Movie Club, Show and Tell, and Choose Your Own Adventure Stories. They are not meant to replace a match’s traditional methods for staying connected, rather to provide alternative ways for them to stay creatively engaged, from a distance.

Virtual Training & Curriculum for Student Athletes


Our Case Managers, all of whom are clinically-trained, either as a Certified Child Life Specialist and/or with a Masters in Social Work, will begin hosting NEW Team Trainings to support our student athletes. These trainings will be focused on providing support to student athletes who have been sent home from school and had their seasons and semesters end; and providing guidance on making the most of their match during social distancing, self-care, and more.

Student Athlete & Family Communities


Due to the growing need for virtual community support, we are creating Facebook groups for all of our student athletes and families, one per audience. In these critical communities, all Team IMPACT student athletes, across schools, sports and genders, will be invited to come together to collaborate on strategies for better supporting their matches, themselves and each other. Families in the Team IMPACT community will benefit from a separate yet parallel experience, as they cope with supporting immunocompromised children while navigating increasingly complex personal realities. Several of our student athlete Fellows and parents enthusiastically volunteered to co-lead these groups with Team IMPACT staff; yet another way our community is activated and engaged during this incredibly turbulent time in our lives.