Child Life Specialist

UNC Health Care; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

UNC Health Care System is seeking a Certified Child Life Specialist I to join our inpatient team at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill. You will support pediatric patients and families in a high-acuity setting, delivering developmentally appropriate care and education.

Schedule: 11:00am to 7:30pm with rotating weekends and holidays. Note: requires completion of the Child Life Certifying Commission coursework and internship, including 600 internship hours under supervision prior to employment.

Qualifications

• Exhibits effective communication and interprofessional skills.
• Must have a Bachelor's degree in Child Life or related field with internship.
• Demonstrates physical stamina for patient interventions.

Responsibilities

• Completes child life documentation per team guidelines.
• Evaluates patient progress and designs treatment plans with the team.
• Provides clinical guidance and teaching for students and staff.
• Collaborates with interdisciplinary team members for patient needs.
• Assists in planning and coordinating clinical programs with the team.
• Plans for patient discharge and aftercare recommendations.

Skills

Effective communication

Interprofessional skills

Physical stamina

Education

Bachelor's degree in Child Life or related field

Job description

Description

Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve across North Carolina.

UNC Health is seeking a Certified Child Life Specialist I to join our inpatient team. The ideal candidate brings demonstrated resilience and the ability to thrive in a complex, fast-paced environment. In this high-acuity setting, you will support pediatric patients and their families while advancing compassionate care, clinical excellence, and resilience across the care continuum.

Summary

The Child Life Specialist I provides skilled evaluation and delivers developmentally appropriate treatment of pediatric physical, cognitive, social, emotional, play and life skill needs. Educates family on effective methods and strategies to improve pediatric patient's quality of life. The clinician provides student shadowing, clinical instruction, and participates in departmental and community continuing education and outreach.

Schedule: 11:00am - 7:30pm with rotating weekends and holidays.

Note: This position requires satisfaction of the Child Life Certifying Commission's coursework and internship requirements prior to the start of employment. This includes 600 child life internship hours under the supervision of a certified child life specialist.

Responsibilities

• 1. Completes child life documentation per team guidelines. Manages daily caseload with efficiency and efficacy. Meets productivity standards per team guidelines.
• 2. Evaluates patient progress towards treatment plan and responses to treatment interventions, adapts as necessary in compliance with team performance expectations. Designs treatment plans and individualized and/or group treatment interventions for assigned patient population to meet their treatment needs with teammates and other disciplines in compliance with team performance expectations.
• 3. Provides clinical guidance and teaching for students and/or staff under the guidance of the clinical specialist or other subject matter experts.
• 4. Collaborates with interdisciplinary team members, communicating about individual patient needs to inform child life interventions.
• 5. Assists in the planning and coordinating of clinical programs in collaboration with the clinical specialist or manager.
• 6. Plans for patient discharge and recommends continued service or aftercare in accordance with team performance expectations.

Other Information

Other information:

Education Requirements

• * Bachelor's degree Child Life or a related field that meets the Child Life Council's recommendation for coursework concentration in Child Life, which includes an internship.

Licensure/Certification Requirements

• * Certification by the Child Life Certifying Commission within one (1) year of hire date.
• * BLS within 3 months of hire date.

Professional Experience Requirements

• * No prior experience required.

Knowledge/Skills and Abilities Requirements

• * Exhibits effective communication and interprofessional skills; requires physical stamina and repetitive movements, including, but not limited to, sitting, standing, kneeling, walking, and squatting during patient interventions while supporting one's weight; can engage in high-level problem-solving to ensure patient safety during mobilization.

Job Details

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: UNC Medical Center

Organization Unit: Recreational Therapy Child Life

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Salary Range:$23.24 - $33.41 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email [e-mail] if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.