Child Life Specialist

The Child Life Specialist (CLS) works in health care and community settings to address the psychosocial, emotional, and family concerns that accompany the illness and injury of infants, children, adolescents, and youth. The CLS utilizes developmentally appropriate information, procedure support, emotional processing, play, self-expression and empowerment to improve the coping and adjustment of patients and families. As a member of the psychosocial team, the CLS collaborates with the multidisciplinary healthcare teams to ensure that emotionally safe, family-centered care is being provided to patients and families. In addition, the CLS takes an active role in developing and maintaining resources, planning, and facilitating special events and providing educational opportunities throughout Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO) and the community.

Additional Information

Department Name: CSH Child Life
Job Status: full time, 40 hours/week
Shift: Monday-Friday 8:00a-4:30p. Will participate in holiday rotation. Adjustments to the schedule listed may be made and communicated in advance to the team member on as needed basis to support department needs/vacancies.

This position would serve as the primary Child Life Specialist on an inpatient Medical/Surgical Unit. Duties and responsibilities also include but not limited to:

• Support and supervise patient facing and playroom Volunteers for the department alongside Child Life Activity Coordinator.
• Actively involved in playroom programming, supporting Child Life Activity Coordinator.
• Special event coordination and patient/family support/recruitment as needed.
• Facilitating patient facing Special Visits/events at the bedside as needed.

Qualifications

• education: Bachelor’s degree in Child Life, Child Development, Counseling Psychology, Social Work, Education, or related fields.
• experience: Successful completion of 600 hours of child life internship under the direct supervision of a certified child life specialist.
• Certification(s): Current Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS).

Responsibilities

POPULATION SPECIFIC CARE

• Neonate – <30 days</span>
• Infancy – >30 days to 1yr
• Toddlers – >1yr to 3yrs
• Pre-Schoolers – >3yrs to 5yrs
• School age – >5yrs to 13yrs
• Adolescent – >13yrs to 18yrs
• Adult – >18yrs to 65yrs.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the following essential functions. These examples do not include all of the functions which the employee may be expected to perform.

• Provides, develops, and implements child life services that provide basic support for end of life, new diagnosis, and traumatic experiences for patients and families.
• Helps patients, families and communities cope with the social, emotional and psychological impact of illness, injury and medical care.
• Provides effective and timely clinical services including, but not limited to, assessing the psychosocial risk level of patients.
• Consistently meets departmental productivity requirements.
• Assesses coping responses and the needs of children/adolescents and families related to healthcare experiences.
• Communicates appropriate information to members of the healthcare team to promote an understanding of the unique psychosocial/emotional needs of the child/adolescent and to advise on the plan of care.
• Creates opportunities which strengthen the patient’s self-esteem, independence, and understanding of the medical care and diagnosis.
• Facilitates basic interventions which allow children/adolescents to express feelings, process difficult events, and explore positive coping skills.
• Practices and promotes patient/family-centered care.
• Utilizes up-to-date and appropriate resources for patients, families and the community.
• Utilizes best practice and/or evidenced-based practice to ensure high level of care.
• Provides education to healthcare staff, patients and families regarding the scope of child life services, the impact of health care on development, providing developmentally appropriate and emotionally safe medical care, and professional boundaries.
• Provides psychological preparation and procedure support to children/adolescents undergoing medical procedures or surgeries to improve coping and understanding.
• Participates in departmental committees and projects as assigned.

Other Information

SCOPE AND LEVEL

Guidelines: Guidelines are generally numerous, well established, and directly applicable to the work assignment. Work assignment and desired results are explained by general oral or written instructions.

Complexity: Duties assigned are generally repetitive and restricted in scope but may be of substantial intricacy. Employee primarily applies standardized practices.

Decision Making: Decisions or recommendations on non-standardized situations are limited to relating organizational policies to specific cases. Brings non-routine issues to supervisor. Problems that are not covered by guidelines or are without precedent are taken up with the supervisor.

Communications: Contacts with the public or employees where explanatory or interpretive information is exchanged, gathered, or presented and some degree of discretion and judgment are required within the parameters of the job function.

Supervision Received: Under normal supervision, within a standardized work situation, the employee performs duties common to the line of work without close supervision or detailed instruction. Work product is subject to continual review.

Physical Requirements

Ability to Perform Essential Functions of the Job

• Audio-Visual: Depth Perception: Good
• Audio-Visual: Hearing: Good
• Audio-Visual: Near Vision: Good

Work Environment

• Exposure: Exposure to blood/body fluid: Regular/Frequent.
• Exposure: Exposure to cold/heat: Occasional.
• Exposure: Exposure to infectious diseases: Occasional.
• Exposure: Exposure to dampness: Occasional.
• Mental and Emotional Requirements: Makes decisions under pressure.
• Mental and Emotional Requirements: Manages stress appropriately.
• Mental and Emotional Requirements: Works with others effectively.

Salary Information
Pay is dependent on applicant’s relevant experience.
Annual Salary Range (Based on 40 hours worked per week): $54,790.77 to $82,186.16
Benefits Information
Here, you matter. As a Children’s Hospital Colorado team member, you will receive a competitive pay and benefits package designed to take care of your needs that includes base pay, incentives, paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, company provided life and disability insurance, paid parental leave, 403b employer match (retirement savings), a robust wellness program, and access to professional development tools, including an education benefit to help you advance your career.

As part of our Total Rewards package, Children’s Colorado offers an annual employee bonus program that rewards eligible team members based on organizational performance. If organizational goals are met for the year, the bonus is paid out the following April.

Children’s Colorado delivers annual base pay increases to eligible team members based on their performance over the previous year.
EEO Statement
It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or any other status protected by law or regulation. Be aware that none of the questions are intended to imply illegal preferences or discrimination based on non-job-related information. The position is expected to stay open until the posted close date. Please submit your Application as soon as possible as the posting is subject to close at any time once a sufficient pool of qualified applicants is obtained.
Colorado Residents: In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.