Child Life Specialist for Adaptive Care Team

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 54,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center on Burnet Campus is seeking a Child Life Specialist for the Adaptive Care Team (ACT). The role involves enrolling patients in ACT, providing psychosocial support during in-person appointments, and advocating for patient and family needs within the care system.

Requirements include a bachelor's degree in a related field, successful completion of a child life internship under a certified child life specialist, and certification as a CLS within one year

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Successful completion of a child life internship under a certified child life specialist.
• Certified as a Child Life Specialist within one year of hire.

Responsibilities

• Assess, enroll appropriate patients in the Adaptive Care Program.
• Provide psychosocial and coping support for in-person healthcare appointments.
• Identify and advocate for the needs of patients and families within the healthcare system.
• Provide support, education, and resources to staff to ensure adaptive care needs are met.
• Utilize formal and informal assessment skills and organize pre-care planning for patients enrolled.

Skills

Relationship building

Communication skills

Empathy

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Child life internship completion under a certified CLS

CLS certification within 1 year of hire

Job description

Position Overview

Primary Location: Burnet Campus

Department: Child Life & Integrative Care

Shift: Day (United States of America)

Schedule: Full time

Weekly Hours: 40

FTE: 1

Employee Status: Regular*

Expected Starting Pay Range: $53,705.60 - $67,142.40*

Job Title: CHILD LIFE SPECIALIST FOR ADAPTIVE CARE TEAM (ACT)

Location: Burnet Campus, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati OH 45229

Status: Full-time, 40 hours/week

Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:30a-5p, with 1 weekend day every 8 weeks plus holiday coverage rotation

Base Pay: Starts at $55,182.40 as a salaried/exempt employee, and can go up based on years of experience

Weekend Differential: $5.00/hour is added to base pay for working weekend days.

About the Adaptive Care Team and the job

We are skilled practitioners of adaptation of care for individuals with developmental disabilities and other behavioral health challenges.

Seek to improve the patient and family medical experience by promoting awareness across the care team and facilitating patient and family coping by focusing on the individual adaptation of care.

• Child Life Specialists assess, create, and enroll appropriate patients in the Adaptive Care Program.
• The team provides psychosocial and coping support for in-person healthcare appointments.
• Will assist with identifying and advocating for the needs of patients and families within the healthcare system.
• Provides support, education, and resources to staff to ensure the adaptive care needs of patients are met.
• Utilizes formal and informal assessment skills and organizes pre-care planning for patients enrolled in the Adaptive Care Program before healthcare encounters.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field
• Must have successful completion of child life internship under the supervision of a certified child life specialist. Candidates that do not have a child life internship, will not be considered.
• Must be certified as a Child Life Specialist within one year of hire.

About Us

At Cincinnati Children's, we come to work with one goal: to make children's health better. We believe in a holistic team approach, both in caring for patients and their families, and in advancing science and discovery. We strive to do better and find energy and inspiration in our shared purpose. If you want to be the best you can be, you can do it at Cincinnati Children's.

• Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as at the top 10 best Children's Hospitals in the nation for more than 15 years.
• Consistently among the top 3 Children's Hospitals for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.
• Recognized as one of America's Best Large Employers (2025), America's Best Employers for New Grads (2025).
• One of the nation's America's Most Innovative Companies as noted by Fortune.
• Consistently certified as great place to work.
• A Leading Disability Employer as noted by the National Organization on Disability.
• Magnet designated for the fourth consecutive time by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

We Embrace Innovation-Together. We believe in empowering our teams with the tools that help us work smarter and care better. That's why we support the responsible use of artificial intelligence. By encouraging innovation, we're creating space for new ideas, better outcomes, and a stronger future - for all of us.

Comprehensive job description provided upon request.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Cincinnati Children's is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating an environment of dignity and respect for all our employees, patients, and families. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, genetic information, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.

EEO/Veteran/Disability