Child Life Specialist (Full-Time)

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community. Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

About the role

The Child Life Specialist implements child life care providing a safe and nurturing environment where children and adolescents can enrich coping skills, address psychosocial needs, and increase understanding of issues related to medical experiences.

Responsibilities

• Assesses psychosocial and developmental needs of pediatric patients and develops care accordingly.
• Participates in interdisciplinary team rounding on assigned units.
• Educates families about the patient's developmental and coping responses to illness and hospitalization.
• Provides individual and/or group support for children and adolescents inpatient and outpatient.
• Provides Child Life Services to patient and family members in accordance with the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP).
• Maintains records of practices and tracks trends for reporting as requested.
• Works in collaboration and communicates with the treatment team to enhance care to patients.
• Completes timely documentation in EPIC as required.
• Task supervises volunteers, child life assistant or activities assistant.
• Provides supervision to child life students in accordance with department, educational site and ACLP standards.
• Maintains child friendly and safe playrooms as designated.
• Participates in team programming, i.e. task forces and committees within department or hospital.
• Assists with Child Life and CH Foundation events.
• Identifies the needs of the patient population served and modifies and delivers care that is specific to those needs (i.e., age, culture, hearing and/or visually impaired, etc.). This process includes communicating with the patient, parent and/or primary caregiver(s) at their level (developmental/age, educational, literacy, etc.).
• Provides education about child life services to team members.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Child Life or related field.
• Completion of Child Life Internship.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient computer skills that include but are not limited to Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office platforms.

Qualifications

• Must acquire and maintain competencies, certifications, and continuing education in order to meet any facility accreditation or individual licensing requirements.
• Certified Child Life Specialist (preferred).

Regular contact with HMH personnel, vendors, and/or visitors.

Pay

Minimum rate of $53,601.60 annually. The starting rate of pay is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee of a specific offer. Posted rates may vary based on labor market data, experience, education, certifications, skills, geographic location, internal equity, budget, and grant funding.

Benefits

In addition to our compensation for full-time and part-time (20+ hours/week) job positions, HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits. Certain positions may also be eligible for shift differentials for work performed on evening, night, or weekend shifts.