Pediatric Facility Dog Therapist & Clinical Assistant

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is hiring a Clinical Assistant/Facility Dog Handler for Pediatric Behavioral Health at the College Hill Campus in Cincinnati, OH. This full-time role (40 hours/week) involves integrating a professionally trained facility dog into patient care to support therapeutic goals and staff wellbeing.

The position requires trauma-informed practice, collaboration with behavioral health clinicians, and certification maintenance for handler and dog.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Divinity, Psychology, Social Work, or related field.
• Experience in pediatric behavioral health or trauma-informed care.
• Strong interpersonal and de-escalation skills.
• Experience with animal-assisted interventions or facility dog programs.
• Experience supporting staff wellbeing initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate goal-directed patient interactions that support emotional regulation, anxiety reduction, engagement in care and therapy.
• Partner with behavioral health clinicians to integrate the dog into care plans where appropriate.
• Apply trauma-informed practices in all patient interactions.
• Conduct structured staff support rounds and provide stress-reduction interventions.
• Collaborate with leadership on staff wellbeing initiatives.
• Manage daily scheduling of visits (patients and staff).
• Track encounters and outcomes per program metrics; maintain documentation.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

De-escalation

Staff wellbeing

Animal-assisted interventions

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Divinity, Psychology, Social Work, or related field

Job description

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is hiring a Clinical Assistant/Facility Dog Handler for Pediatric Behavioral Health at the College Hill Campus in Cincinnati, OH. This full-time role (40 hours/week) involves integrating a professionally trained facility dog into patient care to support therapeutic goals and staff wellbeing.

The position requires trauma-informed practice, collaboration with behavioral health clinicians, and certification maintenance for handler and dog.