Child Life Specialist

At Children's Health, our mission is to Make Life Better for Children, and we recognize that their health plays a crucial role in achieving this goal. Through our cutting-edge treatments and affiliation with UT Southwestern, we strive to deliver an extraordinary patient and family experience, ensuring that every moment, big or small, contributes to their overall well-being.

About the role

The Child Life Specialist promotes coping, growth and development for children, teens and young adults in the hospital environment. As a member of the care team, this position collaborates in care plans, procedures, diagnosis education, play, coping support, and referrals to community services. This position practices in alignment with current principles and practices of the Association of Child Life Professionals.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates procedural and surgical preparation and support
• Provides medical play opportunities to promote desensitization and developmentally appropriate understanding for patients and family members
• Provides therapeutic play opportunities for patients and siblings in the playroom, at bedside and in patient care areas
• Utilizes appropriate tools to implement diagnosis education for patients and family members
• Creates and implements a developmentally appropriate plan for the facilitation of therapeutic interventions
• Prepares siblings and children/visitors for visitation and anticipated events related to treatment
• Provides sibling support and therapeutic interventions for continued coping and normal growth
• Provides legacy building and bereavement support
• Coordinates and initiates involvement or referrals in appropriate community activities or resources/support
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with members of the healthcare team to meet care plan goals
• Provides interdisciplinary team member education on utilization of services and developmentally appropriate care
• Documents patient's developmental needs, coping and plan to facilitate mastery in patient medical records and recognize subtle changes in patient psychosocial assessment
• Continues to develop self-reflective capacity and incorporates feedback into daily practice
• Engages in promotion of hospital-based priorities and regulatory readiness through committees, unit-based work groups and departmental efforts to maintain high level of care
• Provides education for hospital team members and community regarding child development, unique needs of pediatric patients, ways to engage patients to allow for most successful coping strategies
• Collaborates with camp program to organize and facilitate camp activities including weeklong and weekend camps for patients and families
• Supports student programming through supervising interns, practicum and community based students
• Collaborates with special events program coordinator to facilitate events for patients in the hospital and in the community

Requirements

• Four-year Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Completion of Child Life Internship
• Certified Child Life Specialist within 18 months of hire

Benefits

• Employee portion of medical plan premiums are covered after 3 years
• 4%-10% employee savings plan match based on tenure
• Paid Parental Leave (up to 12 weeks)
• Caregiver Leave
• Adoption and surrogacy reimbursement

Schedule

2:30 PM – 3:00 AM with rotation weekends

Work Environment

We welcome, value, and respect the beliefs, identities and experiences of our patients and colleagues. We are committed to delivering culturally effective care, creating meaningful partnerships in the communities we serve, and equipping and developing our team members to make Children’s Health a place where everyone can contribute.