Child Life Specialist

Job Description

Promotes and maintains the delivery of quality social services for patients and their families and acts as an advocate for hospitalized children and adolescents in an effort to promote high quality patient health and wellness.

The Child Life Specialist markets health care services, develops individualized treatment plans, and creates education training programs.

Responsibilities

1. Patient Care

a. Promotes patient health and wellness by acting as an advocate for hospitalized children and adolescents and providing emotional support during stressful events (.

ER visits, admissions, medical procedures). Ensures that children receive appropriate psychosocial preparation for hospitalization and medical encounters by encouraging the expression and understanding of feelings associated with illness and hospitalization through developmentally appropriate activities and stress reduction techniques in an effort to enhance social and emotional development and facilitate recovery.

b. Develops individualized treatment plans based on thorough patient assessment and evaluation of child's developmental level, coping style, social support network, and required medical procedures in an effort toward meeting child and family health care needs.

2. Collaboration and Partnership

a. Assists in marketing health care services for developed programs within the hospital and community, researches and evaluates consumer health and wellness needs, and continuously develops high quality programs to address consumer needs and optimize departmental and hospital performance.

b. Develops positive relationships between the hospital and community agencies, special interest and civic groups, and professional affiliations by acting as a hospital representative.

Works through civic groups and public education activities to improve community health and foster the hospital's image as a leader in the health care industry.

c. Promotes compassionate health care services by communicating and interpreting patient and caregiver concerns to staff members through treatment team meetings and consultation.

Participates in and coordinates treatment team meetings to identify and address patient and caregiver needs and follows up with discussions regarding treatment goals.

d. Develops required reports and maintains accurate records for use in evaluating departmental performance. Identifies ways of improving current services and consults with supervisors on employee and operational issues and problems.

e. Participates in public health education programs, hospital projects, and community relations programs in an effort to promote the hospital's image as a leader in the health care industry and foster the well-being of others within the community.

3. Quality

a. Creates and presents education training programs and for medical and nursing staff and provides child development training for parents in an effort to promote an understanding of the continuity of child development from infancy to childhood.

b. Promotes and maintains the delivery of high quality mental health care services for patients and their families in a manner that enables them to deal with the impact of illness and distress and achieve maximum benefit from the health care services provided by the hospital.

c. Creates and procures high quality developmentally appropriate activities for children and adolescents in an effort to promote a home environment in the hospital, minimize psychological trauma, and enhance patient health and recovery.

d. Assists in the development and implementation of continuous quality improvement programs and participates in multi-disciplinary continuous quality improvement efforts.

Assists in ensuring that all services provided by the department are performed with compassion, understanding, and respect for others.

e. Promotes the quality and efficiency of his / her own performance through participation in staff educational programs, approved continuing education courses, and specialized skill training programs.

4. Other Duties As Assigned

a. Performs other duties as assigned or requested.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's Degree, Child Life Internship

Special Skills

Child Development, Child Life, Human Development or related field

Licensure

Certification by the Child Life CouncilEligibility to sit for the Child Life Council Certification Exam