Child Life Specialist

Job Description

This position will support our behavioral health population on our Integrated Care Unit, an inpatient unit for patients with both a medical and psychiatric diagnosis as well as patients in our behavioral health unit in the ED in collaboration with the outpatient behavioral health child life specialist. Some of the job responsibilities include providing psychosocial support, promoting positive coping, procedural preparation and support, normalizing the hospital environment, facilitating special events, and providing group and 1:1 activities. The position is M-W-F 10:30am – 7pm with the option to pick up additional child life shifts as available.

Under general supervision, contributes to a positive hospital experience by providing psychosocial support for pediatric patients and their families to promote optimal cognitive, emotional, social and physical development of the patient and family during a hospital stay. Assess needs of children and their families taking into consideration each child’s family, culture and stage of development. Provide children and their families with a variety of developmental, therapeutic and educational opportunities in order to minimize stress and anxiety, and to provide support to patient/family during hospitalization or challenging events. Reports to Manager of Child & Family Support Services.

Responsibilities

Assessment & Planning:

• Assess the coping responses and needs of assigned patients/families to their healthcare experience; plan and coordinate appropriate developmental, therapeutic and educational opportunities for the patient and family during the hospital stay, taking into consideration the individuality of each child’s family, culture and stage of development; develop and implement activities, resources and programs to meet patient/family needs.

Therapeutic Interventions:

• Minimize stress and anxiety for patient by providing developmentally appropriate opportunities (in activity rooms and at bedside) that encourage expression of feelings and promote a sense of mastery and understanding of health care experiences. Maintain appropriate supply of therapeutic materials.
• Prepare children and families for and provide support during tests, surgeries or other medical procedures through education, tours, rehearsal and coping skills development. Promote and support parental role.

Essential Life Experience:

• Provide essential life experiences for children to foster continued growth and development during their hospital stay; organize play activities, materials and other experiences at bedside and/or in activity rooms; coordinate special events in recognition of significant and familiar experiences (e.g. birthdays, holidays, and other family observances); participate in development and implementation of activities with individuals/community groups involved in interacting with children and their families.

Health Care Team:

• Effectively communicate observations, assessments and recommendations for care to other members of healthcare team (through verbal and written channels); accurately documents care, and services provided following established policies and procedures. Advocate for patient and family needs; and activate appropriate services/referrals.
• Assists in the maintenance of a safe and therapeutic patient care environment. As assigned, participates in quality improvement activities.
• Actively participates on inter-disciplinary teams and committees.

Education/Collaboration with Community

• Develop and maintain own knowledge and understanding of the medical conditions and healthcare experiences of specific patient populations.
• Develop resources and provide education for medical center staff; may develop and provide education and resources for community providers regarding developmental needs of children.
• Orient, supervise and provide input into the evaluation of Child Life students, interns and hospital volunteers.
• Participate in continual professional development.

Bereavement Support:

• Provide age-appropriate emotional support and education, in collaboration with the health care team, for parents and families surrounding issues of end-of-life care, grief and loss; facilitate memory-making activities relative to family’s cultural and traditional practices.

Sibling Support:

• Assess the support needs of siblings, both indirectly, through parent report, and directly, through observation and therapeutic interactions. Provide teaching and support regarding surgery and/or procedures, orientation to the hospital environment (i.e. visits to the PICU, NICU), bereavement support and ongoing assessment / support for siblings of chronic and critically ill patients.
• Offer support/education to parents and other caregivers regarding both normal behaviors of siblings and those that might indicate a need for further interventions.
• Offer age-appropriate opportunities for siblings to participate in certain aspects of the hospitalization, such as decorating the patient's room, or working on a special project with their hospitalized sibling.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the age-related differences and needs of patients in appropriate, specific populations from neonate through adolescence and applies them to practice. Demonstrates cultural sensitivity in all interactions with patients/families.
• Demonstrates support for the mission, values and goals of the organization through behaviors that are consistent with the Connecticut Children's Standard.

Qualifications

Education and/or Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in child Life, Child Development or directly related field in behavioral sciences or human development required.
• 600-hour Child Life Internship required.

Education and/or Experience Preferred:

• Master’s degree preferred.

License and/or Certification Required:

• Certified Child Life Specialist, issued through Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), within one year of hire.
• Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training certification required within one year of hire and maintained thereafter.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Basic knowledge and understanding of the medical conditions and healthcare experiences of specific patient populations.
• Clinical operations policies and procedures; documentation and patient record policies and standards.
• In-depth knowledge of child development theory and practice.
• Therapeutic play activities and materials; teaching techniques; identification of learning needs and provision of patient/family education.
• Legal and ethical issues related to patient rights.
• Crisis intervention techniques.

Skills:

• Strong interpersonal and communication (verbal and written) skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Basic proficiency in utilization of personal computers in networked Windows-based health care environment to access related software applications; locate, open, edit and print files and information utilized by the unit; and use of Internet as research tool.

Ability to:

• Create effective relationships with individuals of different cultural beliefs and lifestyles.
• Observe, assess, and record symptoms, reactions and progress.
• Maintain emotional stability to cope with human suffering, emergencies and other stresses.
• Maintain confidentiality of information
• Make administrative/procedural decisions and judgments.
• Evaluate the progress of therapeutic programs and make individual modifications.
• Lead and train staff and/or students in child development theory and practice.
• Work within a multidisciplinary team.
• Draw upon experience from pre-admission tours, pre-procedural teaching, pre-operational teaching, playroom programs, play and art therapy, and sibling support.

About Us

Connecticut Children’s is the only health system in Connecticut that is 100% dedicated to children. Established on a legacy that spans more than 100 years, Connecticut Children’s offers personalized medical care in more than 30 pediatric specialties across Connecticut and in two other states. Our transformational growth establishes us as a destination for specialized medicine and enables us to reach more children in locations that are closer to home. Our breakthrough research, superior education and training, innovative community partnerships, and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion provide a welcoming and inspiring environment for our patients, families and team members.

At Connecticut Children’s, treating children isn’t just our job – it’s our passion. As a leading children’s health system experiencing steady growth, we’re excited to expand our team with exceptional team members who share our vision of transforming children’s health and well-being as one team.