Child Life Specialist

Job Description

Description

Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 diverse employees, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.

Summary:

UNC Health is recruiting for a full time Child Life Specialist, to join our UNC Children’s Hospital team located on the beautiful campus of UNC Chapel Hill.

As a top-tier academic medical center, UNC Children’s hospital upholds a four-tiered mission to “CARE,” aligning clinical care, advocacy, research, and education to deliver world-class family-centered care – always regardless of a family’s ability to pay. UNC Children’s clinical home, N.C. Children’s Hospital, is a major referral center for children with complex conditions and consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" on its annual list.

We are seeking dynamic, motivated and team-oriented Child Life Specialists with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with multidisciplinary groups in effective, collaborative practice. This position will provide Child Life assessment and intervention independently to assigned patient populations predominantly admitted to acute medical and intensive care units. Through diversional and recreational play, medical play and developmental/skill retention support, the Child Life Specialist creates a therapeutic, safe environment for individual patients and family members on inpatient units, playrooms, clinic and emergency clinical spaces.

In collaboration with the health care team on the various units served or through physician/R.N. consultation, the selected candidate creates individualized pre-procedure and pre-surgery preparation which is developmentally appropriate and best meets the child/adolescent learning style and emotional state. Creates coping strategy with child/family and accompanies family to procedure/surgery. This position will also provide support and coping strategies for patients and families experiencing loss. Palliative and bereavement support are essential functions for this role.

The Child Life Specialist teaches, supervises, and evaluates the work of volunteers and child life student interns. The incumbent may also serve as a resource and an advocate on child development, family-centered care, multicultural awareness, and the impact of various health care experiences on pediatric patients and families.

Anticipated work schedule is 36 hours/week Monday – Friday with evening hours, occasional weekend and holiday coverage required.

Responsibilities:
1. Evaluates patient progress towards treatment goals and responses to treatment interventions, adapts as necessary in compliance with departmental performance expectations
2. Initial assessment and evaluation--Receives physicians' orders and individually assesses/evaluates patients formulates clinical impressions and recommendations for treatment, referral for other services or provision for no service based upon the analysis of assessment data, and reports assessment findings to appropriate individuals in compliance with departmental performance expectations
3. Internship management--Recruits, screens, interviews, selects, supervises and evaluates child life interns in accordance with department performance expectations
4. Outreach--Develops and facilitates community outreach programs that promote the Children's Hospital and the health and wellbeing of children in accordance with departmental performance expectations
5. Planning--Interprets assessment data accurately, determines appropriate treatment goals in conjunction with the overall treatment plan, designs recreational therapy treatment plans and individualized treatment interventions for assigned patient population to meet their treatment needs in compliance with departmental performance expectations
6. Plans for all needed resources, coordinates program scheduling and plans and facilitates group and individual treatment interventions with co-workers and other disciplines in compliance with departmental performance expectations
7. Plans for patient discharge and recommends continued service or aftercare in accordance with departmental performance expectations
8. Program development--Develops new or revises existing programs & interventions to reflect current patients' needs, interests and abilities and to promote safety in compliance with departmental performance expectations

Other Information

Other information:
Education Requirements:
● Bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation, Child Life or a related field that meets the Child Life Council's recommendation for coursework concentration in Child Life.
● Therapeutic Recreation or Child Life related Internship
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
● If a Bachelor's degree in Child Life: Certification by the Child Life Certifying Commission.
● If a Bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation: Licensed as a Recreational Therapist by the North Carolina Board of Recreational Therapy Licensure (NCBRTL).
● If a Bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation: Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC).
Professional Experience Requirements:
● No prior experience required.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:

Job Details

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: UNC Medical Center

Organization Unit: Rec Therapy & Child Life-Peds 

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 36.00

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No