Child Life Specialist I, Full-Time, Days

UChicago Medicine • Chicago, IL

9d • Onsite

About The Position

As a Child Life Specialist at UChicago Medicine's Comer Children's Hospital, you will provide crucial support to children and families navigating injuries and illnesses. The role focuses on addressing each child's psychological and developmental needs to enhance their comfort within the hospital environment. This involves utilizing a variety of medical dolls, teaching tools, and resources to prepare children for procedures, surgeries, and treatments. Recognizing the importance of play in child development, the position offers numerous opportunities for kids to engage in play and socialize with peers. The Child Life Specialist is responsible for delivering psychosocial support, designing, and maintaining a therapeutic, developmental, and educational environment that is child/family friendly. You will also contribute expertise in child growth and development to the healthcare team, adapting interactions and treatments to meet the unique developmental, educational, and other needs of each patient.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree with a concentration in child life
• An internship in a child life program over 500 hrs
• Certification eligible as a Child Life Specialist and acquired with one year of employment
• One to two years’ work experience with infants, children or adolescents
• Knowledge and skills necessary to utilize theoretical constructs of human development for assessment and intervention for infants through teenagers
• Interpersonal skills necessary to establish therapeutic relationships with children and their families, as well as effective communication
• Analytical skills necessary to identify and solve problems within a constantly changing and stressful environment

Nice To Haves

• Master's Degree with a concentration in child life
• Hospital setting work experience as a Child Life Specialist
• Child Life Specialist certification

Responsibilities

• Assess patients/families' psychosocial and developmental needs within the context of their adjustment to the healthcare setting.
• Facilitates appropriate interventions through individual and group play/art activities, therapeutic activities/medical play, preparation for procedures, surgeries and potentially stressful events.
• Formulates treatment goals.
• Documents weekly Child Life interventions and services on weekly reports and computer census. Documents in patient's medical chart adhering to departmental policy.
• Orders, stocks, and maintains supplies; maintains play areas with developmentally appropriate toys/activities that are clean and safe.
• Initiates and implements new programs/projects as assigned by Director of Child Life.

Benefits

• UChicago Medicine is committed to transparency in compensation and benefits.
• Review the full complement of benefit options for eligible roles at Benefits - UChicago Medicine

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees