Pediatric Art Therapist

Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation • Park Ridge, IL

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Pediatric Art Therapist will provide direct assessment, consultation, and delivery of art therapy services to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals from birth through 18. This role involves assessing individual and/or group psychosocial needs, identifying therapeutic goals, and designing and implementing art therapy interventions. The therapist will evaluate progress towards goals, respond to referrals from various hospital staff, and develop/lead individual and group sessions across pediatric and neonatal intensive care units. A strong understanding of psychological theory, therapeutic interventions, the creative process, and human development is essential. The position also includes managing art supplies, ensuring safe handling, coordinating events with patients and families, and partnering with Public Affairs and Marketing for special events. Additionally, this role involves recruiting, interviewing, accepting, and supervising art therapy interns, evaluating their performance, and overseeing their work assignments.

Requirements

• ATR required within 2 years of hire.
• Masters Degree in Art Therapy Field of Study.
• One or more years of Art Therapy experience with children and adolescents.
• Working knowledge on how to use a wide range of art materials in therapeutic sessions, including drawing, painting, clay, mixed media, and digital art methods.
• Ability to function in a multidisciplinary environment while providing direct patient/family care.
• Ability to establish supportive relationships with children and their families and maintain rapport.
• Experience and comfort working with hospitalized children, patients diagnosed with mental illness, developmental delay, and/or who display challenging behaviors in individual and group contexts.
• Ability to adapt interventions to meet the needs of patients with special needs.
• Experience and/or comfort working with patients and families during critical illness and at end of life.
• Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span with expertise in birth to 18 age range.
• Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient’s status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient’s requirements relative to his/her age-specific and/or developmentally appropriate needs.
• Understanding, supportive, and empathetic to individual needs of a diverse patient/family population.
• Strong PC skills and understanding of current technologies utilized in the medical setting.
• Works safely and efficiently under stressful and difficult situations.
• Resilient and flexible in an ever changing environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal).
• Assessment skills, organizational skills, and knowledge on how to prioritize patients.
• Proven leadership skills, ability to prioritize in a fast paced and high demand setting, and strong organizational skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills as demonstrated through establishing and maintaining positive relationships with patients, parents, donors, and other team members.

Nice To Haves

• Preferred ATR prior to hire date.
• Preferred Art Therapy experience in medical setting including grief and trauma.

Responsibilities

• Provides direct assessment, consultation, and delivery of art therapy services to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals birth through 18.
• Assesses individual and/or group psychosocial needs and identifies therapeutic goals based on assessment.
• Designs and implements art therapy interventions for patient(s), siblings, guardians, and groups of patients.
• Evaluates progress towards established goals based on developmental level and goals for treatment.
• Responds to referrals from physicians, nursing, child life specialists, music therapists, chaplains, and other hospital staff for group and individual sessions.
• Develops, leads, and supervises individual and group sessions on all pediatric and neonatal intensive care units.
• Incorporates a working knowledge of psychological theory, therapeutic interventions, and therapeutic principles with a thorough understanding of the creative process.
• Utilizes knowledge of human development to identify the pediatric patients’ developmental level to formulate the plan of delivering art therapy services for each individual patient.
• Provides initial and ongoing assessments of the individual’s overall coping effectiveness and overall psychosocial functioning.
• Makes assessments and subsequent treatment plans within the context of patients’ and families’ medical, emotional, social, and cultural concerns.
• Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team in treatment plan formulation by contributing to the assessment of the patient’s and family member’s need from a psychosocial point of view.
• Maintains art supplies and ensures safe handling and appropriate use within the hospital and outpatient settings.
• Practices in accordance with the Ethical Principals for Art Therapists governed by the American Art Therapy Association.
• Coordinates, plans, and implements events with patients and families to ensure typical development and enhance coping while receiving medical treatment.
• Partners with Public Affairs and Marketing and Advocate Charitable Foundation to coordinate and implement special events with donors and community partners in order to develop, nurture and maintain relationships.
• Maintain all in-kind donations and utilize restricted funding per donor intent.
• Manages delivery and storage of all in-kind donations, toys, and supplies.
• Recruits, interviews, accepts, and supervises all art therapy interns.
• Evaluates performance and growth throughout the students’ training.
• Oversees work assignments in relationship to the needs of clinical units and the learning goals of each student.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off programs
• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
• Educational Assistance Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level