About The Position
Under the supervision of a Manager or Director, the Child Life Specialist supports infants, children, youth, and families by providing evidence-based, developmentally appropriate interventions, including therapeutic play, preparation, and education to reduce fear, anxiety, and pain. The role provides direct patient and family support, contributes to collaborative care planning, and promotes family-centered, developmentally appropriate care as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team. The position also supports professional development and evidence-based practice, contributes to the development and updating of policies and procedures, and helps improve patient outcomes. It provides education about child life services to hospital departments and outside agencies, and educates and supervises child life volunteers and practicum students. The posting advertises a $5,000 sign-on bonus with a two-year agreement.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Child Life, Child Development, or a closely related field.
- Completion of child life clinical training requirements, such as an internship, in accordance with Association of Child Life Professionals guidelines.
- Completion of the Child Life Professional Certification Examination administered by the Child Life Certification Commission within six months of hire.
- CPR certification.
- Ability to assess and prioritize patients’ psychosocial acuity and collaborate with the medical team on a plan of care to address patient and family psychosocial needs.
- Ability to educate patients and family members about illness or condition, treatment, and coping techniques.
- Ability to support family-centered care through communication and involvement of parents and other family members.
- Ability to educate and assist in the clinical training of child life students as assigned by the Child Life Coordinator.
- Ability to assist with orientation, scheduling, and supervision of child life volunteers.
Responsibilities
- Assess patients’ developmental levels and emotional states using formal and informal techniques, and keep assessments current through an ongoing cycle of assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation.
- Prioritize child life services according to patients’ susceptibility to stress and trauma.
- Collaborate with the service team to develop plans of care and identify therapeutic approaches that support open-ended, developmentally appropriate play and expressive arts.
- Communicate effectively with children and families, using creative modalities to address individual developmental and emotional needs.
- Support the central role of families, recognize their strengths and needs, build trust and rapport, respect sociocultural diversity, and maintain professional boundaries.
- Develop professionally according to the needs of the population served and the Child Life Specialist’s knowledge and skills; incorporate evidence-based practice into assessment, care, and evaluation.
- Identify and participate in professional development opportunities and resources.
- Assist the Child Life Coordinator with developing and updating policies and procedures and methods to improve patient outcomes.
- Provide in-service education about child life services to hospital departments and educate outside agencies or institutions about child life.
- Educate and supervise child life volunteers and assist the Coordinator with education and supervision of practicum students.
- Integrate goals and plans as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team to promote optimal, family-centered, developmentally appropriate patient care.
- Educate patients and family members about illnesses or conditions, treatment, and coping techniques.
- Assist with orientation, scheduling, and supervision of child life volunteers.
Benefits
- $5,000 sign-on bonus with a two-year agreement.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
