Teen Impact is a program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles for teens and young adults that have or once had cancer or a blood disease. We're open to teens and young adults from any part of the country and from any hospital or treatment center. Teen Impact gives teens and young adults with cancer or a blood disease a chance to make new friends, share life experiences and participate in fun activities. The teens and young adults who participate in Teen Impact go to school, have jobs, prepare for the future, and most importantly enjoy life.  In addition, Teen Impact has some services for parents and siblings, because we know that they need support and friendship too.  Another great thing about Teen Impact is that it doesn’t cost you anything to participate.  Call us to find out how to join Teen Impact.

Support Groups:

Dates: Every second and fourth Monday of each month (no meetings in the month of August)
Time: 6 to 8 pm
Place: Conference Room D on the Ground Floor of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, near the cafeteria

Support groups are a chance for you to get together with people like you to talk about life, make new friends and express yourself through discussions and activities.  We have groups for:

• Teens (ages 13 - 19)
• Young Adults (ages 20 - 30+)
• Parents
• Siblings
• Pre-teens (ages 8 - 12) 

These five groups all meet at the same time so that all members of the family can experience the benefits of group support.

In addition, we have an inpatient teen group (for teens in the hospital) that meets every Monday.

Beginning Fall of 2007, teens and young adults are invited to show up to the twice-per-month support group meetings an hour early for TEEN SPACE, a hang-out and lounge hour for members of Teen Impact.

When: Every second and fourth Monday of each month (except August)
Where: Conference room D, Ground floor, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
Time: 5 - 6pm (one hour before the support group starts)
What: Video games, music, snacks and "hang-out" time 

Three-Day Retreats:

Teen Impact is proud to offer unique three-day retreats for teens and young adults with cancer and blood diseases. Held away from the hospital at a resort or natural setting in Southern California, the retreats provide participants with opportunities to:

• Engage in various recreational and creative activities, such as swimming, ropes courses, and arts and crafts
• Benefit from social rehabilitation through events such as dances and social hours
• Explore their cancer experience in a meaningful way through group discussions and workshops

The retreats allow our teen members to participate in normal adolescent activities they have often missed out on because of their illness and treatment. Adult survivors of childhood cancer and blood disease serve as staff on the retreats, enhancing the sense of hope and togetherness the retreats bring to the participants.   The opportunity to build friendships during retreats increases participants' comfort with the group, and a sense of belonging and trust. A physician and nurse attend all retreats in order provide care for teens who are still receiving treatment, or have special medical needs

Please call our office for more information on upcoming retreats.

Adventure Therapy Retreats:

Teen Impact offers its adolescent members unique opportunities to participate in adventure therapy trips. Past examples of these retreats include ski trips, white-water rafting excursions, and sailing expeditions to Catalina Island . These exciting adventures encourage teens with at any every level of physical ability to push beyond their personal comfort zones, creating strong bonds of trust with one another and building self-esteem as they navigate new challenging environments. Teen Impact often collaborates with other organizations like CoachArt and the United States Adaptive Recreation Center to offer these adventurous experiences.

Click here to learn more about CoachArt

Click here to learn more about the United States Adaptive Recreation Center

Young Adult Mentor Program:

Our Young Adult Mentor Program is one of the most unique features of Teen Impact. We use a special training curriculum designed to prepare young adult survivors of childhood cancer to become retreat counselors and mentors. Having experienced cancer first-hand, these counselors reach out to the teen group members as only someone who has shared a similar experience can, thus making a lasting impact. As models for younger members, young adult members foster hope, introduce diverse coping strategies and demonstrate successful life-span transitions. Through this program, mentors gain a sense of empowerment and meaning to their personal illness experience.