Kristal R. Neal, BS, CCLS
Kristal, Child Life Coordinator, has been working at The Children's Hospital at Saint Peter's University Hospital since 2001. She graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University with a degree in Psychology/Child Life. She completed her Child Life Internship at Bellevue Hospital in New York, and was employed as a CCLS at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) before coming to Saint Peter's. She has helped to create a department staffed by three full-time child life specialists and other support staff.
Amanda Carlson, BS, CCLS
Amanda is a full-time child life specialist who works in the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic and in the Dorothy B. Hersh Pediatric Emergency Department. She graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University with a degree in psychology, concentrating on youth and children. Prior to working at Saint Peter's, she interned at Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, NY, where she worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings and at an annual bereavement camp for children. She volunteered for many years and completed a child life practicum at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, CT. She has extensive experience working with children and their families in different settings and is experienced also as a children's dance teacher and nanny for children of all ages.
Michelle Cumber, MA, CCLS, CEIM
Michelle is a part-time Child Life Specialist who works in the Dorothy B. Hersh Pediatric Emergency Department. She earned a master's degree in Child Advocacy and a bachelor's degree in Family and Child Studies with a concentration as a Child Life Specialist from Montclair State University. As an intern at Robert Wood Johnson University, Michelle gained experience working in Pediatrics, Adolescents, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Radiology, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Pediatric Same Day Surgery, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and the Pediatric Emergency Department. Prior to interning, she volunteered at St. Peter's University Hospital. As a Child Life Specialist, Michelle has experience working in Pediatrics, the Pediatric Emergency Department, and Pediatric Same Day Surgery and has training in working with bereaved families, which is a passion of hers.
Sarah Jennings, BS, CCLS
Sarah is a part-time child life specialist at Saint Peter's on the general pediatric unit and the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). She graduated from The College of New Jersey with a bachelor's degree in Psychology with a focus on child and adolescent development. Prior to working at Saint Peter's, Sarah completed an internship and worked as a full-time child life specialist at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she gained experience in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), the hematology/oncology unit, the emergency department and the trauma bay, and with the general pediatric and adolescent populations.
Nikki Schellinck, MA, CLS
Nikki is a full-time child life specialist working on the General Pediatric Unit and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Nikki earned a master's degree in Child and Adolescent Development from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree in Family and Human Services from Towson University. Before coming to work at Saint Peter’s, she completed her child life internship at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in New York, gaining experience with patients in General Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and the PICU. Nikki has also worked in both the daycare and elementary school settings and has years of experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities in the home care setting.
Iris Kwak, MA, MT-BC
Iris is a board-certified music therapist working in the pediatric department at Saint Peter's. She has received her master's degree in music therapy at New York University and her bachelor's degree in piano performance at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Iris has a broad clinical background serving patients with medical, developmental, social, and emotional needs. Iris completed her fieldwork training at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music where she conducted group music therapy sessions with kids with developmental delays to work on social-emotional development, as well as the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy where she worked with adults with physical, mental, social, and emotional delays. Iris completed her music therapy internship at the NewYork Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, with experience working with patients and their families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Pediatric Cardiology Intensive Care Unit, and the general pediatric department. From her clinical experience in the medical music therapy field, Iris is passionate about working within a resource-oriented music therapy perspective to connect with patients and their families to address their biopsychosocial needs. Iris currently works with pediatric patients here at Saint Peter’s in the NICU, PICU, Hematology/Oncology unit, Pediatric Emergency Department, and the general pediatric department.