Child Life Specialist

St. Luke’s University Health Network • Bethlehem, PA

3d

About The Position

St. Luke's is proud of the skills, experience and compassion of its employees. The employees of St. Luke's are our most valuable asset! Individually and together, our employees are dedicated to satisfying the mission of our organization which is an unwavering commitment to excellence as we care for the sick and injured; educate physicians, nurses and other health care providers; and improve access to care in the communities we serve, regardless of a patient's ability to pay for health care. The Child Life Specialist is responsible for supporting pediatric patients and families in the health care setting by planning, developing and providing developmentally appropriate and therapeutic interventions to optimize growth and development; reduce the pain, fear, and anxiety associated with illness/injury; and promote positive coping with the stress of hospitalization.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in child life, psychology, child development, education, or related field required.
• Completion of Child life internship under supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist required.
• Must be eligible to receive Child Life certification from the Association of Child Life Professionals.
• CCLS Certification required within one year of hire.
• Prior experience in a hospital-based Child Life program preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct developmental assessments and individualize care plans based on the patient’s physical, developmental, and emotional needs
• Participate as a clinical member of the patient care team by providing developmentally appropriate education, psychological procedural preparation, coping support, comfort management, and play opportunities to pediatric patients and families
• Develop, implement, and evaluate effective pediatric patient and family centered health care plans, including as needed for behavioral support/modification, medication/treatment compliance, and bereavement support
• Communicate care plans to interdisciplinary care teams and family members
• Provide education to and serve as a resource for Network care teams on developmental care, coping mechanisms, distraction, parental engagement, therapeutic play techniques, etc. in an effort to improve the pediatric care experience
• Assist with supervision of students and volunteers in their daily activities with patients
• Assist with community outreach and fundraising activities related to the further development of Child Life services

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees