Child Life Specialist

Job Overview

The Child Life Specialist (CLS) works in health care and community settings to address the psychosocial, emotional, and family concerns that accompany the illness and injury of infants, children, adolescents, and youth. The CLS utilizes developmentally appropriate information, procedure support, emotional processing, play, self-expression and empowerment to improve the coping and adjustment of patients and families. As a member of the psychosocial team, the CLS collaborates with the multidisciplinary healthcare teams to ensure that emotionally safe, family-centered care is being provided to patients and families.

In addition, the CLS takes an active role in developing and maintaining resources, planning, and facilitating special events and providing educational opportunities throughout Children's Hospital Colorado (CHCO) and the community.

This position will cover Med Surg

Job

Location:

Colorado Springs

Position Type:
Regular

Regular/Temporary:
Regular

Department Name: CSH Child Life

Job Status: full time, 40 hours/week

Shift: Monday-Friday 8:00a-4:30p. Will participate in holiday rotation. Adjustments to the schedule listed may be made and communicated in advance to the team member on as needed basis to support department needs/vacancies.

This position would serve as the primary Child Life Specialist on an inpatient Medical/Surgical Unit. Duties and responsibilities also include but not limited to:

• Support and supervise patient facing and playroom Volunteers for the department alongside Child Life Activity Coordinator.
• Actively involved in playroom programming, supporting Child Life Activity Coordinator.
• Special event coordination and patient/family support/recruitment as needed.
• Facilitating patient facing Special Visits/events at the bedside as needed.

• Education:
  
  Bachelor's degree in Child Life, Child Development, Counseling Psychology, Social Work, Education, or related fields.
• Experience:
  
  Successful completion of 600 hours of child life internship under the direct supervision of a certified child life specialist.
• Certification(s):
  Current Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS).

POPULATION SPECIFIC CARE

• Neonate - 30 days to 1yr
• Toddlers - >1yr to 3yrs
• Pre-Schoolers - >3yrs to 5yrs
• School age - >5yrs to 13yrs
• Adolescent - >13yrs to 18yrs
• Adult - >18yrs to 65yrs.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the following essential functions. These examples do not include all of the functions which the employee may be expected to perform.

• Provides, develops, and implements child life services that provide basic support for end of life, new diagnosis, and traumatic experiences for patients and families.
• Helps patients, families and communities cope with the social, emotional and psychological impact of illness, injury and medical care.
• Provides effective and timely clinical services including, but not limited to, assessing the psychosocial risk level of patients.
• Consistently meets departmental productivity requirements.
• Assesses coping responses and the needs of children/adolescents and families related to healthcare experiences.
• Communicates appropriate information to members of the healthcare team to promote an understanding of the unique psychosocial/emotional needs of the child/adolescent and to advise on the plan of care.
• Creates opportunities which strengthen the patient's self-esteem, independence, and understanding of the medical care and diagnosis.
• Facilitates basic interventions which allow children/adolescents to express feelings, process difficult events, and explore positive coping skills.
• Practices and promotes patient/family-centered care.
• Utilizes up-to-date and appropriate resources for patients, families and the community.
• Utilizes best practice and/or evidenced-based practice to ensure high level of care.
• Provides education to healthcare staff, patients and families regarding the scope of child life services, the impact of health care on development, providing developmentally appropriate and emotionally safe medical care, and professional boundaries.
• Provides psychological preparation and procedure…