Child Life Specialist

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 58,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) seeks a Child Life Specialist to support patients and families with developmentally appropriate interventions. You will provide therapeutic play, education, and procedural preparation to optimize growth and reduce stress.

The role requires a Bachelor's degree with preferred advanced training in related fields; experience with infants to adolescents and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required for employment.
• Master's degree in Child Life, Child Development, Family Studies, Counseling, or Psychology preferred.
• Experience with infants, children, and adolescents is required.
• Knowledge of growth and development across ages.
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently.

Responsibilities

• Provide child life services including therapeutic play, education, and procedural preparation.
• Assess and tailor care plans based on patient and family needs.
• Collaborate with clinical teams to align goals and plans with ICARE values.
• Participate in on-call rotations and ensure proper documentation.
• Provide training and supervision to volunteers and practicum students.
• Contribute to departmental operations and continued professional development.
• Support cost-effective programming and donor-funded initiatives.

Skills

Child growth & development knowledge

Pediatric patient experience

Time management

Team collaboration

Independent work

Policy compliance

Goal setting

Mission alignment

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree in related field

Job description

Seeking Breakthrough Makers

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers countless ways to change lives. Our diverse community of more than 20,000 Breakthrough Makers will inspire you to pursue passions, develop expertise, and drive innovation.

SHIFT: Any (United States of America)

Seeking Breakthrough Makers

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers countless ways to change lives. Our diverse community of more than 20,000 Breakthrough Makers will inspire you to pursue passions, develop expertise, and drive innovation.

At CHOP, your experience is valued; your voice is heard; and your contributions make a difference for patients and families. Join us as we build on our promise to advance pediatric care—and your career.

CHOP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, or any other legally protected categories in any employment, training, or vendor decisions or programs. CHOP recognizes the critical importance of a workforce rich in varied backgrounds and experiences and engages in ongoing efforts to achieve that through equally varied and non-discriminatory means.

A Brief Overview

The Child Life Specialist functions as a member of the healthcare team who practices at the beginner level and is clinically trained on the developmental impact of illness and injury. The Child Life Specialist is responsible for supporting patients and their family members in the health care setting by providing developmentally appropriate and therapeutic interventions with the goals of optimizing growth and development, reducing pain, fear, and anxiety, and to cope with the stress and uncertainty of illness, injury, disability, and loss.

Work Schedule:

This position is scheduled to work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:00 PM to 3:00 AM.

What You Will Do

• Provides child life services to patients and family members, including developmentally appropriate therapeutic play and activities, education, procedural preparation, coping facilitation, and support as it relates to their illness and medical treatment.
• Assesses, individualizes, and evaluates plan of care based on patient/family physical, developmental, emotional, and recreational needs.
• Collaborates with patients, families, and interdisciplinary team members to integrate goals and plans to promote optimal patient care that is family-centered, developmentally appropriate, psychosocially sound, and in alignment with CHOP's ICARE values.
• Participates in the weekday, weekend, and holiday-on-call rotation, as assigned.
• Demonstrates compliance with patient care documentation and Hospital policies.
• Provides training, supervision, and feedback to volunteers and practicum students.
• Participates in tasks, initiatives, and/or committees that support departmental operations and/or enhances one's professional development.
• Serves as a financial steward by implementing cost effective programming, adhering to budget constraints, and supporting efforts to raise funds through donor contributions.

Education Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree Required
• Master's Degree Child Life, Child Development, Family Studies, Counseling, or Psychology Preferred

Skills And Abilities

• Knowledge of infant, child, and adolescent growth and development. (Required proficiency)
• Experience working with infants, children, and adolescents. (Required proficiency)
• Ability to prioritize and complete duties in a timely and organized manner. (Required proficiency)
• Work collaboratively and in a positive manner with others. (Required proficiency)
• Ability to work independent. (Required proficiency)
• Perform work according to CHOP policies and procedures, professional standards of care, and applicable laws. (Required proficiency)
• Ability to set goals, prioritize, and achieve results in accordance with the highest standards. (Required proficiency)
• Understands and promotes CHOP's mission (Required proficiency)

Licenses and Certifications

• Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) - Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) - upon hire - Preferred

To carry out its mission, CHOP is committed to supporting the health of our patients, families, workforce, and global community. As a condition of employment, CHOP employees who work in patient care buildings or who have patient facing responsibilities must receive an annual influenza vaccine.

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SALARY RANGE:

$58,300.00 - $72,900.00 Annually

Salary ranges are shown for full-time jobs. If you're working part-time, your pay will be adjusted accordingly.

At CHOP, we are committed to fair and transparent pay practices. Factors such as skills and experience could result in an offer above the salary range noted in this job posting. Click here for more information regarding CHOP's Compensation and Benefits.