A Heart 4 Clowning: Hospital Clowns, Caring Clowns & Healthcare Family Entertainers

How to Establish a Hospital Clown or Creative Ministry Guide

Hospital clown — are you clowning around ‘on purpose’?

We may have a fairly clear vision of our own personal purpose in life, and maybe in our applied humor therapy work… but if involved with a group in this work that looks like play, establishing a clearly-spelled-out “purpose” for the entity is advisable.

Having an identified group purpose, operating procedures and expectations goes a long way in providing needed guidelines and ensuring better quality performances by all group, troupe or ministry team members.

Here are some areas to consider, develop, write and print-out for all in your group:

1. Clearly call out the group, troupe or ministry ‘mission’ (purpose/focus). What is the group supposed to do?
2. Outline your group’s standard operating procedure (SOP). What is expected?
3. Determine a Code of Conduct. What is/not allowed?

This topic came up when I was contacted recently by a coordinator of a hospital clown group. With growth and development, the troupe was feeling a need to establish their modus operandi in a more formal way.

Perhaps you are involved with a group that has been provoking laughter and fun for some time, and might benefit from making this commitment in formalizing your organization a bit more. If growth and effectiveness are desired or in-process, group dynamics dictate developing a framework within which to grow and operate. Having been involved with a long-time hospital clown group that was expanding, I personally experienced this as coordinator.

It might seem much ado about nothing, being “just a bunch of clowns,” after all. But there really is so much more involved in what we do. As much as I would have liked to avoid it, establishing a more formal framework was necessary, and a fact of life. Some hospitals might require it, some maybe not.

In taking a more professional approach, by formalizing group purpose and procedures, the team and hosting facility are provided more stability through structure. If you are involved with a troupe, or establishing one, you will do everyone a service in defining it and expectations of all participants.

When I saw this need to be met, I realized I had the unique perspective from which to write this book: “How to Establish a Hospital Clown or Creative Ministry Guide.” It is all based upon my first-hand experience, it became the official manual of our group, and I have presented on it several times, including to international audiences.

This book is written for all levels of proficiency and stages of group development. I highly recommend checking out:

• Chapter 2, there you will find guidance on how to: Define: Who, What, Mission and Purpose (pgs 26-27)
• Organization and Standards (pgs 34-36)
• In Chapter 9, I have included “Useful Forms” (printables)
• Checklist/Fill-in-Blank Form for Policy/Code of Conduct (pg 87)
• Do you have an application procedure established? I recommend it! A sample application (you can copy it-use it-edit it-etc) is on pg 90-91
• If your group is new or yet-to-be-established, I recommend reviewing the: ’Proposal,’ (pg 83) — make sure you can/do answer all the questions….

(NOTE: These are some of the areas to be considered in establishing or actively coordinating a healthcare humor group, the book provides more guidance; the above-listed are a few of the printable forms featured in this book.)

Written from a grassroots perspective (that’s you-and-me), not from a medically-trained professional or someone who is under contract with a medical facility or hospital group — this book is totally unique. It was thrill to write it, because I wish I would have had this same information when I worked hundreds of hours to formulate our group!

By the way, if the word “Ministry” throws you in the title, please know I fully define what is meant by that word in the first chapter. This book is intended as a guide to help others establish or improve the operations of their hospital clown, caring clown, healthcare family entertainer group, or healthcare humor program. I recognize the fact that there are some facilities that would not host an entity that sounds like it has a religious undertone. It not written nor intended to be presented in any way in an exclusive manner.

Author’s side note: I knew some day I would write a book, but believe me when I say I had no idea my first book would be “How to Establish a Hospital or Creative Ministry Guide.” But, that was the book that was in me to write (at that time), and I was compelled to write it. It has been gratifying to hear the stories shared by those who have purchased and used my books. I am so grateful to know my books have been helpful and inspiring!

For book details (click on this link here): “How to Establish a Hospital Clown or Creative Ministry Guide”