Pediatric Psychologist

La Rabida Children’s Hospital provides specialized, family-centered health care to children with medically complex conditions, disabilities, and chronic illness. Through expertise, compassion, and advocacy we help children and their families reach their fullest potential, regardless of their ability to pay.

Our not-for-profit hospital, licensed for 49 beds, helps transition children from neonatal or pediatric intensive care to home, by providing medical, rehabilitative and developmental care, and by training families to continue treatments and manage the necessary equipment in the home. La Rabida also provides extensive rehabilitation for those recovering from wounds or burns and treatment for exacerbations of chronic conditions.

The hospital’s enhanced pediatric patient-centered medical home provides primary care to children with complex medical conditions and their siblings. Children with medical homes elsewhere come to La Rabida for specialty services. La Rabida offers a wide range of specialty services provided to children with sickle cell disease, diabetes, and many others. Children are supported in their emotional and developmental growth, particularly in cases where such growth has been interrupted by accident or disease.

Finally, La Rabida provides forensic and treatment services for children exposed to abuse and neglect, comprehensive assessments for youth in care, early intervention for children between 0 and 3 years of age. Care coordination services for medically complex children are also provided for those who are covered by a health plan and receive care from providers in Cook County

Job Description

SUMMARY : Functions in an independent and professional manner to provide high-quality, trauma informed, psychological services to inpatients, outpatients and their families.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS :

Clinical Responsibilities 70%

• Conducts psychological testing (focusing on mood, behavior, emotional regulation, and psychiatric concerns) to diagnose anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, trauma, and adjustment disorders.
• Diagnoses and treats a range of psychological conditions, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, and adjustment disorders. 
• Develop and implement comprehensive treatment plans.
• Responsible for case management of patients so that appropriate psychological and psychosocial services are delivered within the hospital and/or via community resources. Maintains follow-up contact with the patient, and their family, and other agencies to assure that the required and recommended services are obtained.
• Provides consultation/liaison services, assessment and brief intervention to patients during their outpatient clinic visits for specific patient populations (e.g., Diabetes, Sickle Cell, Primary Care)
• Provides guidance and consultation to parents or caregivers on how to manage the child's psychological issues and needs. 
• Applies knowledge and expertise of a wide variety of psychotherapeutic techniques to assist children, adolescents, and their families to cope adaptively with the impact of medical conditions. This includes the wide range of general pediatric behavioral problems such as attention disorders, learning and school problems, and social emotional problems. 
• Provides consultation/liaison services and follow-up care to inpatients and their parents/caregivers. 
• Consults and collaborates with multidisciplinary health care teams to ensure psychological services are integrated into patient care plan.
• Document and maintain detailed records.
• Takes active role in new program development to provide innovate care to children served by La Rabida Children's Hospital.
• Provides supervision to psychology interns and post-doctoral fellows, as needed. 
• Part of crisis response team for behavioral health needs during their shift.

Teaching Responsibilities 20%

• May be involved in education and training programs for other students and staff members, both inside and outside of the Division of Behavioral Health.
• Conducts in-service training and educational seminars for hospital staff, parents and/or community agencies as required.

• Provides supervision to interns, externs and post-doctoral fellows (when licensed in Illinois).
• Plays an active role in the recruitment of trainees (interns, externs and post-doctoral fellows).

• Serves as a member of the Pediatric Psychology training committee.

Clinical Impact Standard  

• A minimum of 70% of work must be in direct patient/family contact.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS : 10%

Performs other duties as assigned.

• Maintains accurate and up-to-date records and statistical reports

• Has scheduled evening hours to meet the needs of patients
• May have weekend hours should the need arise
• Supports new program development to provide innovative care to children served by La Rabida Children’s Hospital
•  Other duties as required and/or assigned.

COMPETENCY ASSESSMENTS :

Maintains required job skills, professional competencies, current licensure, certification and ongoing education required of job, as applicable.

Supports the hospital mission and observes hospital core job values with respect to Service Excellence Standards, work quality, productivity, teamwork and initiative.

Demonstrates safe and proper usage of machinery/equipment, as applicable.

Demonstrates additional departmental specific areas of competencies as defined annually.

Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served in their area.

Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span.

Demonstrates ability to assess data reflective of the patient's satus and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to their specific needs.

Demonstrates ability to provide the patient care needed as described by the hospital.

Attends Mandatory Education Sessions:

• Annual Infection Control
• Annual Safety
• Disaster
• Hazardous Wastes & Material
• Others as determined by Hospital and Department

Demonstrates knowledge and behaviors regarding:

• Hospital Infection Control Program
• Hospital Safety and Risk Management Program
• Hospital Hazardous Waste & Material Plan
• Departmental Specific Safety Policies
• Patient Rights and Cultural Diversity
• Confidentiality
• Hospital Mission and Goals
• Hospital CQI/QM Program
• Service Excellence Standards
• Department Policy and Procedure Manual
• Employee Handbook

FREQUENCY WITH WHICH JOB HOLDER IS GIVEN THE FOLLOWING :

Supervision: Moderately

Instructions: Infrequently

Discretionary authority: Frequently

Authority over others: Frequently

Authority to train or guide others: Frequently

WHAT PHYSICAL EFFORT IS REQUIRED :

• Must be able to chase, bend, squat and sit on the floor with patients.
• Must be able to bend and lift patients out of cribs and beds.
• Must be able to respond quickly to emergent situations (i.e., must be able to walk and move quickly).
• Must be able to function in a stressful environment.
• Must be able to get to outside meetings and offsite locations.

WHAT MENTAL EFFORT IS REQUIRED :

Ability to understand instructions, reason and make judgments: Maximum

Ability to perform arithmetic operations quickly and accurately: Type Minimal, Moderate or Maximum

Ability to understand forms in space and understand relationship of plane and solid objects: Maximum

Ability to perceive pertinent details and objects in pictorial or graphic materials: Maximum

Ability to perceive pertinent details and verbal or tabular materials: Maximum

Ability to think objectively, see often hidden aspects of situations, able to remain focused, to put tasks in priority, must be able to respond to and handle multiple task demands simultaneously, must be able to handle the interpersonal aspects of the job, must be able to handle the difficult emotional aspects of job, must be able to problem solve effectively, must have excellent communication (verbal and written) skills.

MACHINERY AND/OR EQUIPMENT TO BE OPERATED :

Copier, PC (data entry and word processing) and automobile (must be able to drive to offsite meetings and to offsite locations).

LEVEL AND TYPE OF INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS :

Must be able to maintain interpersonal relations with peers, physicians, other staff, patients/children, families, public and media.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Ph.D. or Psy.D. in Clinical (child or pediatric) Psychology

Related Work Experience: APA internship in child or pediatric psychology and must have training/experience in pediatric health psychology. Experience working with children in a medical setting, part of a multidisciplinary medical team, a pediatric psychology fellowship, training in neuropsychological assessment, training in operant and cognitive behavioral techniques, experience with child abuse victims, chronically ill children, supervisory experience and a strong research background are highly desirable. 

Licensure/Certification: Current Illinois Registration/licensure in Clinical Psychology or eligible and able to attain within 6 months of hire.

CPR required: CPR required: Effective 7/1/2026 New hires will obtain RQI BLS within 30 days of hire or prior to direct patient care and will maintain certification quarterly.

Additional Information

La Rabida Children’s Hospital is very proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

La Rabida is a place unlike any other. We understand the needs of families with children dealing with the most serious or complicated of conditions. With teams of the best healthcare providers in Chicago, we give continuous, comprehensive care, education, and support, helping families face their unique obstacles head-on.

La Rabida Children’s Hospital is very proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.