Child Life Specialist I

University of Maryland Medical System•Baltimore, MD

29d•Onsite

About The Position

Seeking an experienced child life specialist to cover our 19 bed PICU. This role provides psychosocially and developmentally based assessment and support to infants, children, youth and families in the healthcare setting. Services are provided to children from infancy to twenty-one years of age. This role supports the social, emotional, intellectual and physical needs of children and families in healthcare settings through direct intervention and advocacy regarding their psychosocial needs. This role assesses children’s developmental and coping needs and implements developmentally appropriate therapeutic interventions such as play, medical play, psychological preparation, and rehearsed coping to minimize distress associated with the health care environment and to foster resiliency. This role teaches, supervises and evaluates the work of volunteers and Child Life clinical placement students. This role collaborates with the interdisciplinary team and the community to promote patient and family centered care and to foster positive hospital-community relations.

Requirements

B.S. or B.A. in child life, child development, or closely related discipline.
Completion of a child life internship under the supervision of a certified child life specialist is required.
The candidate must meet requirements set forth for certification by the Association of Child Life Professionals Certifying Commission.
Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) certification must be obtained within one year of hire.
The individual must demonstrate extensive knowledge and skill regarding child and adolescent development and appropriate interventions for children age neonate to young adult; knowledge of family systems theory; knowledge of the developmental effects of stress and trauma on children and interventions to alleviate distress; a working knowledge of medical diagnoses and procedures and their relationship to children’s behavior and development; broad based knowledge regarding the special needs of children with chronic or disabling conditions; knowledge of play activities and therapeutic interventions; and an in depth knowledge of body of research relating to children in health care settings.
The individual acts as a resource throughout the institution regarding age specific competencies.
Advanced interpersonal skills are required to interact with children, families, volunteers and the interdisciplinary health care team.
Strong time management and organizational skills are required.

Responsibilities

Assesses the developmental and psychosocial needs of infants, children, youth, and families.
Fosters safe, therapeutic and healing environments to minimize stress, maximize coping, and facilitate normative development in the healthcare setting.
Promotes patient and family centered care.
Functions as an active, contributing member of the child life department, hospital and health care team.
Acts as a resource for the psychosocial needs of children and advocates for these needs within the healthcare environment and the community.
Maintains resources for optimum utilization.
Assists in orientating and training new staff, child life students and volunteers.
Maintains professional standards of practice.