Child Life Specialist Per Diem

Our Certified Child Life Specialists embrace a collaborative multidisciplinary approach in meeting the developmental, psychosocial, and intellectual needs of pediatric patients and their families.

Responsibilities

• Implement therapeutic medical preparation, supervise, organize, and direct age-appropriate therapeutic play experiences to help alleviate anxiety and provide a sense of normalcy.
• Provide developmentally appropriate medical teaching to help patients better understand their medical experience.
• Assess the developmental, psychosocial, and intellectual needs of pediatric patients to plan, organize, and direct a therapeutic program that reduces stress, anxiety, and fear associated with illness and hospitalization.
• Create a healing environment while promoting social, emotional, and intellectual growth and wellbeing.
• Assessment: Identify, obtain, and use relevant data (healthcare, family, child) to develop a comprehensive assessment and initiate a plan of care.
• Identify developmental factors and their implications regarding the child’s healthcare experience to plan appropriate interventions.
• Identify psychosocial factors (such as diversity, culture, spirituality, family dynamics and structure, coping styles, and socioeconomic status) and family-identified needs and goals to provide family-centered care.
• Intervention: Provide psychosocially and developmentally appropriate support responsive to the specific needs of children and families.
• Empower and collaborate with children and families to develop and use advocacy skills.
• Provide educational opportunities and resources responsive to the needs of children and families to promote learning mastery.
• Facilitate preparation (psychological and educational) for challenging situations to minimize fear and anxiety and promote proficiency in their experience.
• Facilitate the development of coping strategies (pain management, positioning for comfort, distraction, alternative focus, guided imagery, and child participation) to minimize distress and promote empowerment.
• Facilitate play (recreational, healthcare, therapeutic) and familiar life experiences to encourage expression, process information, and promote development and normalization.
• Evaluate and document assessment goals, interventions, outcomes, and significant events to communicate and modify care plans as necessary.
• Function as a member of the healthcare team and promote professional relationships (child life team, inter-disciplinary teams, community resources) to enhance communication, foster family-centered care, and maximize positive outcomes.
• Educate staff, students, volunteers, and the community to promote greater awareness of the needs of children and families as well as the child life profession.
• Recognize and document administrative responsibilities (quality improvement, staffing, resource allocation, policies, and program evaluation) to ensure quality services.
• Engage in continuing education (educational opportunities, relevant medical information, technology, research, and literature) to promote professional development.
• Orient, train, and supervise students and volunteers assigned to the unit.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Association of Child Life Professionals verified internship hours (minimum 600 hours).
• Bachelor’s degree in child life, child development, or closely related field required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Certified Child Life Specialist by the Association of Child Life Professionals (or completion within one year of hire).
• Completion of Child Life Professional internship with one year of experience working with children required.
• Professional child life experience in a healthcare setting strongly preferred.

Performs independently within the department’s policies and practices. Refers specific complex problems to the supervisor when clarification of the departmental policies and procedures is required.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Orients, trains, and supervises students and volunteers assigned to the unit.

Pay

$23.11-$38.16 per hour

Schedule

• Variable daily hours
• Per diem - as required