Child Life Specialist - Children of Adult Patients

Why UT Southwestern?

With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion.

As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care and resources for our patients and employees.

Ranked as the #1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth for the sixth consecutive year, we invite you to continue your healthcare career with us at William P.

Clements Jr. University Hospital. You’ll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and consistent opportunities for learning and advancement into leadership roles.

Job Summary

UT Southwestern Medical Center is seeking compassionate and skilled Child Life Specialists to provide support and assistance to children whose parents / guardians are receiving medical care at Clements University Hospital (CUH).

As a Child Life Specialist, you will work directly with families and their children to help minimize the stress and anxiety that can arise during hospitalization or medical procedures by providing opportunities for play, education, and coping strategies.

As a valued part of the Child Life Program, you have a unique opportunity to work closely with children from the beginning of their family’s healthcare journey and help to provide positive coping throughout their hospital stay.

Our Child Life Specialists use a variety of mental health activities such as therapeutic play, medical play, and bibliotherapy to help children work through psychosocial and developmental needs while also providing emotional support.

In this role, you will collaborate with healthcare providers to develop and implement plans that meet the emotional, developmental, and educational needs of children.

We invite you to join UT Southwestern as a Child Life Specialist and help with our commitment to enhance patient care and comfort for our families.

Experience and Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Child Life, Child Development, or a related field.
• Two (2) years’ experience preferred
• Requires current certification in Child Life (CCLS)
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, course accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) or the American Red Cross (ARC) is required

Job Duties

The Child Life Specialist supports the children of adult patients who are critically or terminally ill and provides psychosocial support to children and provides resources to families.

• Meet with involved adults to assess psychosocial needs of children and their families prior to implementation of therapeutic interventions.
• Understand and provide age-appropriate explanation of key aspects of disease, anticipatory grief, death, loss and bereavement to children, their parents or other involved adults.
• Facilitate developmentally and situationally appropriate therapeutic interventions as an outlet for expression and normalcy, for children, grandchildren or other relation to a patient Initiates legacy and memory-making activities for the entire family;

and advocates for allowing children the choice to say goodbye to their loved one, when developmentally appropriate.

• Provides grief and bereavement interventions, both preceding and following the death of their important person; including age-appropriate preparation for funeral or memorial services, therapeutic interventions to assess children’s understanding and coping, educational sessions for involved adults including explanations of developmentally appropriate / inappropriate coping and common behavioral concerns, as well as information and resources.
• Educate medical center personnel serving adult patients experiencing serious / limiting conditions, about child life services and identifying families with anticipatory grief or grief that could benefit from child life

Security

Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents in lieu of stated minimum require prior approval of Vice President for Human Resources Administration or his / her designee.

To learn more about the benefits UT Southwestern offers, visit