Program Partners Frequently Asked Questions

CoachArt arranges free, safe and supported arts and athletics lessons for youth participants by coordinating between medical personnel, parents, volunteers and community centers. Lessons take place in the student’s home with a volunteer mentor or at a Program Partner location. CoachArt acts as the liaison between all parties to ensure a quality experience.

All prospective Program Partners must:

• Agree to serve both patients and their siblings
• Complete the application process and have a site visit by CoachArt staff
• Provide proof of liability insurance
• Have key staff participate in an on-site orientation
• Promote CoachArt community by displaying CoachArt partner signage
• Allow CoachArt to display partner information on CoachArt communication

CoachArt lessons are provided to patients with chronic physical illnesses and/or siblings between the ages of 6-18. There are no financial prerequisites to determine eligibility.

Chronic illness is defined as a medical condition that requires 3 months or more of treatment or maintenance. The chronically ill patients in CoachArt’s program are in outpatient treatment for their illness, which means that they are no longer in acute (hospital) care, but are living at home. Due to the ongoing nature of their illness, CoachArt students often still visit the hospital frequently for procedures, therapies and treatments; however, they are medically stable enough to engage in arts and athletics activities with their peers. Participant health and safety is CoachArt’s priority. All CoachArt patients receive a physician’s consent for their requested activity prior to enrollment. CoachArt will also discuss any limitations or need-to-know information with Program Partner staff.

CoachArt patients are dealing with a variety of illnesses such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS and severe asthma. Some of these illnesses are “invisible” and some are more physically apparent. CoachArt staff approves each activity our participants select making sure it has been consented by their physician and is appropriate to their abilities. CoachArt does not disclose a patient’s diagnosis and we do not differentiate patients and siblings. We will, when necessary, disclose any physical or developmental limitations that might impact the participant’s lesson.

CoachArt partners with local hospitals and healthcare organizations for referrals. Each participant must then complete either a patient or sibling application. Patients are required to have their physician consent for each activity they are interested in before they are enrolled in a lesson.

The youth participants in CoachArt have a wide range of interests. We seek Program Partners offering activities as common as guitar, cooking and karate to as unique as standup comedy, DJing and circus arts.

The CoachArt program is completely free to families. If a student is matched they will receive a call from CoachArt to assess the need for transportation and lesson materials.

We are a non-profit, 501(c) 3 organization, funded by individual donors, corporations and foundations.

There are 3 types of Program Partnerships, each requiring a different commitment:

• Mentor Program Partner- Provides focused instruction to students for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks.
• Clinic Program Partner- Provides a series of 1 to 10 lessons to CoachArt students.
• Community Partner- Provides a one time activity for CoachArt students. These special events may include existing programs that are open to the public.

CoachArt programming goes on throughout the year for mentoring, activity clinics and special events. Participants are ‘matched’ with a volunteer mentor or Program Partner class based upon activity of interest, geographic location and scheduling. Participants have the opportunity to continue lessons when they are complete or select another activity of interest. CoachArt strives to match students as quickly as possible.

CoachArt staff makes frequent phone calls to assess student and family satisfaction and address any needs. After each session, CoachArt conducts an evaluation with each student and mentor/Program Partner to measure the quality of the experience in that activity. At this time, the student decides whether to continue with the existing lessons or try something new. CoachArt also conducts on-site evaluations to determine the quality of instruction and ensure a positive experience.

Please contact CoachArt immediately. We will then follow up with the family to assess the cause of the absence and discuss participant continuation in classes with the Program Partner.

When possible, please share your center’s scheduling changes to both families and CoachArt. If you are only able to provide updates to CoachArt, we are happy to notify our families on your behalf.

Due to the requested activity and geographic location of some participants, we may not always have a Program Partner match for every session. Any Program Partner that has not been matched with a student will receive a letter to acknowledge that they were not matched, and an opportunity to be involved with CoachArt in other ways during the Session (i.e. one day events, mixers).

We are constantly seeking and adding new volunteer mentors and partner organizations to our network of resources. Call our office at 213-736-2850 for referrals.

Yes! In addition to long term programs, many of our partners provide one-day events as well. Please contact our offices to coordinate your level of involvement.

Yes! Many of our Program Partners have helped us put on events at hospitals and at other special events. Please contact CoachArt to coordinate your level of involvement.

As a Program Partner providing us with access to group classes, you are one of CoachArt’s most valuable resources, allowing us to serve more patients and families. CoachArt also looks to you for feedback on our program, especially on progress of a participant’s self esteem. Your personal observations and feedback provide proof that our programs are successful.