Child Family Life Specialist

and the job listing Expires on January 17, 2026

At Fairview, we believe in the power of possibility — within ourselves, our teams, and the communities we serve. We believe that leadership isn’t just a title — it’s a mindset we all share. Whether you’re providing hands‑on care, innovating behind the scenes, or supporting those who do, your work matters.

The Child Family Life Specialist provides services to pediatric patients and their families to support coping and adaptation to the health care environment, utilizing play as a therapeutic modality. Provides clinical psychosocial services throughout the hospital system based on the competencies of a certified child life specialist (CCLS). The Child Family Life Specialist will function as an integral part of the multi‑disciplinary team, applying a knowledge of child development and family systems to their practice.

Minimum of a BA/BS in child life, therapeutic recreation, family or child development, counseling, child psychology, education, social work, nursing or related fields. Completion of a child life internship with a minimum of 480 hours. CCLS certification through the ACLP required, or ability to sit for the exam within 6 months of hire.

Responsibilities:

• Ability to assess patient and family psychosocial needs and implement therapeutic coping plans.
• Describe and apply formal and informal techniques to assess developmental and emotional state
• Identify factors that impact a child and family’s vulnerability to stress and trauma and how children and families interpret and make meaning of health, illness, and loss
• Describe and apply the cyclical process of assessment, plan, intervention, and evaluation of child life services
• Ability to integrate clinical evidence and fundamental child life knowledge into professional decision making.
• Identify therapeutic approaches that facilitate open‑ended, developmentally‑supportive play and expressive arts
• Utilize play as an assessment tool that encourages patients to express their anxieties, misconceptions, and perceptions of hospital experiences.
• Ability to provide developmentally appropriate preparation, teaching, and education regarding patients’ diagnosis, plan of care, and independent coping skills.
• Identify basic terminology, processes, and expected plan of care for the population served.
• Articulate learning styles and needs of individuals with various developmental levels, emotional states, and of diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Describe common fears, misconceptions and concerns of individuals in each developmental stage.
• Determine realistic goals and objectives for learning in collaboration with family members and other healthcare professionals and identify an action plan to achieve these goals.
• Use accurate and developmentally appropriate teaching aids and techniques to increase knowledge and support emotional needs.
• Ability to facilitate positive coping experiences and provide developmentally appropriate procedural support during stressful, painful, and traumatic healthcare experiences.
• Identify types of stressful events affecting children and families, including medical procedures, pain, traumatic life events, loss, end of life, and grief work.
• Describe immediate and long‑term coping styles and techniques, as well as their effect on adjustment and behavior.
• Articulate and apply effective non‑pharmacological pain management techniques.
• Describe sensory, cognitive, and behavioral coping strategies specific to developmental stages and populations.
• Implement a team plan for coping support during medical procedures, including parental presence with guidance, comfort positions, role responsibilities, and distraction techniques to help children refocus their attention.
• Facilitate planning, rehearsal, implementation, and evaluation of coping strategies.
• Ability to provide opportunities for play for infants, children, youth, and families
• Articulate and implement theories of human growth and development, play, and family systems
• Demonstrate the ability to assess individual play needs and incorporate play into daily practice.
• Facilitate opportunities for play to decrease…