The Child & Family Life department at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is seeking a self-motivated, confident and enthusiastic child life specialist to join our team. Functioning as a member of the health care team, the child life specialist is responsible for supporting pediatric and adult patients and their family members in adjusting to healthcare experiences, illness/injury and loss across critical care, acute and ambulatory health care settings. Assessing developmental, psychosocial, emotional and cultural needs using a strengths-based approach, the child life specialist provides developmentally appropriate education for medical procedures and diagnoses, non-pharmacological pain management, therapeutic play and emotional and bereavement support for the patient and family. With support from advanced child life staff, the child life specialist orients and trains child life students and volunteers, provides interdisciplinary education related to the psychosocial and developmental needs of patients and families, and participates in patient related programming and events.
- Demonstrate proficiency in all child life clinical competencies and standards of clinical practice as defined by the Child Life Certification Commission, a subsidiary of the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP).
- Assess and prioritize patient and family needs for developmentally appropriate child life intervention.
- Support patients and families in coping with stresses associated with health care experiences through the development of therapeutic and supportive relationships.
- Plan and implement therapeutic interventions and a variety of individual and group play experiences promoting development, self-expression, and mastery.
- Advocate for patient and family-centered care through communication, involvement, partnership with and empowerment of patients and family members.
- Contribute to overall departmental coverage needs through daily coverage plan and float pager coverage.
- Document treatment plans/outcomes for patients within the electronic medical record as required by department guidelines and professional standards.
- Provide a physically and emotionally safe, therapeutic and healing environment for patients, families and staff.
- Provide education regarding illness/condition, treatment, procedures and coping techniques to patients, family members, and the larger community as appropriate.
- Actively participate as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team, integrating goals and plans to promote optimal patient care that is family-centered, developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, and psychosocially sound. Regularly attends and participates in medical, multidisciplinary, and psychosocial team meetings.
- Co-treat and refer patients and families to multidisciplinary services and resources as needed.
- Maintain and order supplies and equipment as needed. Serve as a financial steward by implementing cost effective programming.
- Orient and supervise volunteers and participate in education for Michigan Medicine and visiting students.
- Facilitate ongoing formal and informal education and orientation for unit and multidisciplinary team on availability and provision of child life service.
- Remain abreast of current developments in the child life profession and participate in professional development to enhance clinical knowledge and skills. Professional involvement with the ACLP is highly encouraged.
- Represent Child and Family Life and manages clinical responsibilities on evenings, weekends, and holidays as assigned.
- Actively participate in monthly clinical team and committee meetings.
- Exemplify Michigan Medicine's values related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
- Adhere to and embrace Child and Family Life team norms.
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