Child Life Specialist

Sanford Health • Sioux Falls, SD

4d • $21 - $33

About The Position

Sanford Health is one of the largest and fastest-growing not-for-profit health systems in the United States. We’re proud to offer many development and advancement opportunities to our nearly 50,000 members of the Sanford Family who are dedicated to the work of health and healing across our broad footprint. Develop, coordinate and implement the delivery of developmentally appropriate play activities, expressive arts, and special events for pediatric patients and their families within the health care setting, both at the bedside and in playroom settings.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Child Life, Child Development, Human Development, or related field required.
• Completion of Child Life internship required.
• Certification as a Child Life Specialist (CCLS) is required or must be obtained within one year of hire.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required within six months of hire.

Nice To Haves

• Minimum two years experience working with various age groups of children is preferred.
• Experience working with pediatric population in a therapeutic setting desired.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the child's advocate when collaborating with the healthcare team to determine suitable therapeutic interventions.
• Utilizes expert knowledge of child development, family systems theories, and the developmental effects of stress and trauma on children to establish appropriate interventions to alleviate distress.
• Promotes family-centered care and facilitates the strengthening of positive coping and resiliency skills within the healthcare setting.
• Provides ongoing assessment of interventions used.
• Provides oversight and direction for utilization of volunteers in Child Life department.
• Possesses expert knowledge of medical diagnosis and procedures.
• Understands special needs of children with chronic or disabling conditions, with expertise in the use of play activities in a health care environment and in-depth knowledge of research regarding children in health care settings.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time