Ollie’s Branch Heart Warrior and Family Client Intake
The mission of Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation (OHHF) is to address the unmet needs of heart families while transforming the future of pediatric heart care. We achieve this by uniting heart families & clinicians through community; providing access without barriers; extending lifelong support; connecting the technical and human-side of care; and promoting education, empowerment, and advocacy.
“Spread Love” is the guiding principle behind our mission, which we extend to both heart families and the clinical care teams that support patients with pediatric heart disease. The stress and challenges faced by families of children with or affected by pediatric heart disease can have significant and lasting effects if not properly addressed. Supporting a family’s mental wellness can better equip them to cope with their child’s diagnosis and care for their heart warrior – benefitting the entire family.
The clinical care team is also an integral part of the child’s and family’s healing. By supporting their mental wellness, they can better cope with the stress and demands of the cardiac unit and provide superior care for all heart warriors.
Ollie’s Branch makes space to speak one’s mind by sharing all of one’s heart regardless of race, color, nationality or ethnicity, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or spirituality, language, national or social origin, ability, and socioeconomic background. We achieve this by wrapping families in love to create a safe space to access mental health support with dignity. Ollie’s Branch is committed to removing barriers to mental health treatment such as availability of resources, accessibility, finances, and stigma.
Ollie’s Branch provides FREE and trustworthy mental health support to heart warriors, heart parents/caregivers, grandparents, siblings, bereaved parents/guardians, prenatal families, and pediatric cardiac healthcare workers at no cost to the recipients. Clinical staff supporting the cardiac unit who have been on staff for at least six months are also eligible to request therapy services. OHHF understands the importance of caring for the mental wellbeing of the entire ecosystem surrounding the child born with or affected by heart disease.
OHHF will recommend a therapist based on the client’s identified criteria and can provide the therapist’s biographical information upon request. It is important that the client feels comfortable with the therapist and that the client confirms the therapist is a good fit for them. Should the recommended therapist not be the right fit, OHHF will provide a second recommendation. Sessions are scheduled directly between the client and the therapist, and the therapist will bill OHHF directly for services.
Heart family clients receive a baseline of 8 sessions with a therapist. We support 8 sessions at onset initially for each person if multiple members of a family want to participate. Services can be accessed while the child is inpatient or outpatient and continue to be available in the instances where the heart warrior passes away. Services are available virtually with some in-person availability. Pediatric cardiac healthcare professionals receive a baseline of 6 sessions. OHHF always reserves the right to extend the number of sessions based on therapist recommendations. Knowing that 9 out of 10 heart warriors will become adults, we offer services throughout the lifetime and families can re-engage in session as new events happen throughout their lives.
OHHF is not part of the relationship between the client and the therapist and will not obtain personally-identifiable clinical information from the therapist. If the client and therapist believe there is something either or both parties would like to share with OHHF, please let us know so we can handle that confidential information with appropriate care.
The therapists to which OHHF refers are a diverse group of individuals who each have a background working with patients dealing with trauma, loss, or resiliency. OHHF performs license verification and OIG clearance on all therapists participating in the program. That information can be provided to the client upon request. OHHF does not guarantee therapists who participate in this program meet all professional qualifications or background check standards. While OHHF has attempted to begin that process for our clients, the process is not complete. OHHF encourages clients to communicate with their therapist in order to resolve any qualification or background needs and obtain appropriate confirmations from the therapist.
OHHF does not provide professional services; rather, our clients’ therapists do. Compliance with any professional laws or requirements are the responsibility of the therapists alone, including compliance with any telehealth or state licensing requirements which apply where the client is located at the time the professional services are rendered. OHHF also defers to the therapist regarding their obligations to ensure their privacy and security responsibilities are met, including the use of telehealth technology.
All of the client’s sessions with their therapist will take place virtually unless otherwise agreed upon between the client and the therapist. The modality of the virtual session can vary based on what is easiest for the client.
OHHF invites you, the client, to accept this free support. OHHF strives to make this process as simple as possible, so please provide the requested information on the following pages that you are comfortable sharing with OHHF. All the information will be kept confidential in accordance with OHHF’s privacy policy. OHHF does not share or sell your information with third parties without your written consent, which OHHF is not seeking here. OHHF uses this information only internally to continually improve the services we provide and to refine OHHF’s efforts to reach families affected by pediatric heart disease.
If you are seeking therapy for a heart warrior and/or heart family member, please complete the information in the green box below to help us make the best possible match to a therapist who can serve your needs.
In order to ensure we are using our resources as equitably and sustainably as possible, Ollie’s Branch is currently only available to heart families whose heart warrior primarily receives cardiac care at a hospital where we have a current partnership. If you or your heart warrior primarily receives or received cardiac care at another hospital, please check out the following resources to help get you connected with a therapist:
If you are seeking therapy for a clinical staff person at a participating heart center, please click here.
For questions, email olliesbranch@theohhf.org.
Ollie’s Branch is not a crisis service. If you or someone you love is experiencing a mental health emergency or you are concerned about immediate harm, please call 911 or go directly to the nearest Emergency Department.
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Dial 9-8-8
National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
