Child Life Specialist: Outpatient Services

Organization:

CPMC-California Pacific Med Center Van Ness

Position Overview:

Assists pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients and families to cope with hospitalization and illness through planning and implementation of evidence-based therapeutic, recreational, and diversion interventions based on their emotional and development needs. Plans and implements programs and services to meet the needs identified for assigned clinical populations and the child life department. Promotes and practices the delivery of high quality family-centered care and services for patients and families.

Job Description:

These Principal Accountabilities, Requirements and Qualifications are not exhaustive, but are merely the most descriptive of the current job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, staff changes, workload, or technical development).

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Assesses, plans, implements and evaluates clinical interventions utilizing theories of human growth and development, family systems, cultural backgrounds and coping behaviors affected by illness, disability and hospitalization in accordance with medical orders, hospital and departmental policies and patient needs.
• Demonstrates sensitivity to parental concerns and utilizes parents as resources and experts about their child.
• Supports family bonds and family strengths in the hospital and post-hospitalization.
• Provides a normalized, therapeutic and safe environment for Pediatric and NICU patients and families.
• Selects activities, materials and interventions that are developmentally appropriate for each individual child to foster growth and development as well as positive coping.
• Provides optimal care to patients and families by assessing each child and determining the individualized child life plan of care, using knowledge of child's development, culture, environment, language, background, temperament and past history.
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary team to develop and Implements plan of care, and communicates assessment, plan and response in patient chart and verbally to medical and nursing staff, while collaborating with family.
• Provides developmentally appropriate education and preparation to child and family regarding illness, treatment, procedures and surgeries.
• Explains goals, plans and interventions for children and families to multidisciplinary team and child life team.
• Cares for patient/family according to Sutter standards, striving to ensure the best patient/family experience.
• Provides supportive services to sibling, parents and extended family, and promotes family centered care.
• Provides consultation to and collaboration with interdisciplinary staff and makes appropriate referrals for support services.
• On referral, provides developmentally appropriate support to children experiencing the illness of an adult family member, and supports adult patients with developmental delays.
• Plans, coordinates or participates in patient and family teaching, in-service education for department staff, staff in other disciplines, students and volunteers, community education programs and special events. Identifies and utilizes hospital and community resources for patients and families.
• Weekends Required

EDUCATION:

Bachelor's: Bachelor's: Child Life, Child Development, Psychology, or another area with all necessary coursework for Clinical Child Life Certification completed

Other: Successful completion of Child Life Internship that meets the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) requirement of Clinical Child Life Certification


CERTIFICATION & LICENSURE:

CCLS-Certified Child Life Specialist within 1 year

BLS-Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

Working knowledge of child growth and development, family dynamics, therapeutic play, developmental assessment, the learning process, group process and behavior management, the reactions of children and their families to illness and healthcare encounters, interventions to support coping, collaboration with other healthcare professionals, basic medical terminology and children's illnesses.

Ability to implement therapeutic play activities for individual children and groups, apply knowledge of child growth and development and assess children's behaviors and needs.

Ability to utilize and teach coping strategies as well as to utilize appropriate supervisory skills with volunteers, students and interns. Able to prioritize multiple demands independently, and in a self directed manner, in an ever changing environment.

Must have interpersonal communication skills along with the ability to direct the day to day activities of patients, their families, students, volunteers and interns.

Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with children of all ages, families and hospital staff, both verbally and in writing.

Working with medical fragile children.

Interpersonal and organizational skills and ability to independently handle crisis and emergent situations.

Pay Range:35.52-44.39

Job Shift:

Days

Schedule:

Full Time

Shift Hours:

8

Days of the Week:

Variable

Weekend Requirements:

Occasionally

Benefits:

Yes

Unions:

No

Position Status:

Exempt

Weekly Hours:

40

Employee Status:

Regular

Number of Openings:

0

Sutter Health is an equal opportunity employer EOE/M/F/Disability/Veterans.

Pay Range is $40.85 to $61.28 / hour

Qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment. Applicants for specific positions are still required to disclose certain convictions during the application process, and those convictions may also be considered in determining eligibility for employment in accordance with applicable law.

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