Child Life Specialist-Full-Time

Job Summary:
The Certified Child Life Specialist employed by Erlanger is responsible for planning and providing therapeutic activities and appropriate psychosocial/developmental care for pediatric and adolescent patients and families to minimize stress/anxiety and maximize positive coping throughout the healthcare experience in cooperation with the multidisciplinary team.

Education: Required: BS, BA in Child Life, Child Development or related field

Preferred: N/A

Experience:
Required: Internship and/or work experience in a hospital setting focusing on the psychosocial needs of hospitalized children and their families.

Preferred: N/A

Position Requirement(s): License/Certification/Registration
Required: Child Life Certification

Preferred: N/A

Department Position Summary:
The Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) at Children's Hospital at Erlanger provides expert psychosocial support to pediatric patients and their families, enhancing the overall quality of care. This role involves conducting comprehensive psychosocial assessments, delivering emotional and developmental support, facilitating therapeutic medical play, and advocating for patient and family needs within the healthcare system. The CCLS collaborates with the multidisciplinary team to improve patient and family experiences and communicates relevant observations to ensure coordinated care.

Key Responsibilities:

Psychosocial Assessments:
o Conduct comprehensive evaluations of patients and families to identify strengths, concerns, and needs.
o Develop and implement individualized short-term and long-term goals based on assessment findings.

Emotional, Social, and Developmental Support:
o Provide emotional, social, and developmental support to patients and families throughout illness, injury, end-of-life, and bereavement.
o Enhance the quality of care by addressing psychosocial challenges related to medical conditions.

Therapeutic Medical Play and Preparation:
o Facilitate medical play and preparation sessions to help patients and families understand medical procedures and develop effective coping strategies.
o Use play as a therapeutic tool to reduce anxiety and improve the medical experience.

Advocacy and Reassessment:
o Identify and advocate for the needs of patients and families within the healthcare system.
o Regularly reassess the effectiveness of interventions and adjust strategies as needed to meet evolving needs.

Age and Developmentally Appropriate Activities:
o Provide activities tailored to the age and developmental stage of patients to support cognitive and emotional growth.
o Ensure that activities are engaging and therapeutic, promoting positive outcomes.

Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration:
o Function as a proactive and effective member of the multidisciplinary team.
o Share relevant observations and insights about patients with other healthcare professionals to facilitate coordinated and comprehensive care.

Skills:
o Demonstrated ability to provide comprehensive psychosocial care appropriate to the age and developmental level of patients.
o Strong assessment skills with the ability to consistently re-evaluate and prioritize care based on patient and family needs.
o Proficiency in providing therapeutic play opportunities and diversions to reduce stress and enhance the hospitalization experience.
o Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
o Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment.
o Compassionate and empathetic approach to patient and family interactions.
o Flexibility and adaptability in managing changing patient and family needs.