Child Life Specialist- Full time- DC

Description As a member of the Trauma and Burn Surgery team this position will provide seamless mental health care and timely assessments and interventions for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, acute / post-traumatic stress disorder and other emotional and behavioral conditions associated with a traumatic injury. The Trauma and Burn Surgery Child Life Specialist will work with Trauma and Burn patients during hospitalization helping patients and families cope with the stresses of treatment and hospitalization. In the outpatient setting the Trauma and Burn Child Life Specialist will work with the social and medical team to support the patient and family before, during and after procedures. There will be additional opportunities for the Child Life Specialist to participate in and lead program development efforts.Qualifications Minimum EducationBachelor's Degree Bachelor's degree in Child Life, Child Development or related field. (Required)Master's Degree Master's degree in Child Life, Child Development or related field. (Preferred)Minimum Work ExperienceCompletion of Child Life Internship (minimum 600 hours) and all internship prerequisites including, but not limited to volunteer hours and Child Life Practicum . (Required)Candidate must be certified or eligible for Child Life Certification. Candidate must pass certification exam within 6 months of hire. (Required)As a member of the Trauma and Burn Surgery team this position will provide seamless mental health care and timely assessments and interventions for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, acute / post-traumatic stress disorder and other emotional and behavioral conditions associated with a traumatic injury. The Trauma and Burn Surgery Child Life Specialist will work with Trauma and Burn patients during hospitalization helping patients and families cope with the stresses of treatment and hospitalization. In the outpatient setting the Trauma and Burn Child Life Specialist will work with the social and medical team to support the patient and family before, during and after procedures. There will be additional opportunities for the Child Life Specialist to participate in and lead program development efforts.Required Skills / KnowledgeKnowledge of child and adolescent growth and development based on the theories of development, including but not limited to Piaget, Erikson, Bowlby, and VygotskyKnowledge of age-appropriate play and ability to utilize play as a mechanism for patient-understanding of the hospital environment and experiencesAbility to assess patient's development and response to hospital environment and provide developmentally appropriate interventionsAbility to discuss medical experiences in age-appropriate, child-friendly languageUnderstanding of basic human anatomy and physiology and knowledge of medical terminologyAbility to work in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple tasks simultaneously, utilizing critical thinking and problem solving skillsAbility to comfortably work with internal and external customers from diverse social, cultural and educational backgrounds.Ability to identify and work collaboratively with diverse teams.Ability to listen, be empathetic, motivate and follow-through, and eager to seize challenges and resolve issuesFunctional AccountabilitiesDirect Patient CareAssesses patients' development, temperament, coping style, and adjustment using knowledge of child development and behavior, disease / injury, treatment, healthcare stressors, cultural and family systemsUses knowledge and resources to create developmental plan and implement appropriate child life and interdisciplinary interventions.Provides therapeutic interactions and activities which offer emotional support, opportunities for continued growth and development, and diversion from the hospital experienceProvides opportunities for and facilitates a variety of group and / or individual recreational and play activities that promote normalization, development, learning, self-expression, and copingUses preparation and medical play opportunities to help alleviate misconceptions and increase understanding of hospital proceduresProvides procedural support to patients in order to foster increased coping skills and evaluates effectiveness of interventions to better inform and individualize future supportProvides education and support to siblings and parents related to hospital visits, effects of hospitalization, procedures, new diagnoses, etc.Prioritizes own caseload daily in order to meet both child and departmental needsParticipates in the weekday, weekend, and on-call rotation, as assignedRegularly maintains patient care documentation in accordance with standardsPatient ExperienceFosters environment for patients and families to feel heard and understood, anticipates patient and family needs, and ensures needs are met.Collaborates with child life team and other professionals to provide activities, special visitors, events, and entertainment to patients and families hospital-wideEncourages and coordinates patients' and families' participation in activities and special events to support normalization and copingSupports and chaperones special visitors to assigned areas of hospitalAssists child life team, assigned area of hospital, or department with intake and distribution of donations of toys and other comforting itemsInterdisciplinary CollaborationCollaborates with interdisciplinary healthcare team in order to provide optimal care and advocate for developmentally-appropriate patient and family needsUses formal and informal methods of communication to share assessments, interventions, and evaluations, as appropriateMaintains communication with interdisciplinary team members to coordinate care and engage in consultation regarding patient careProvides referrals to internal or community resources for patients and families as neededProgram DevelopmentFacilitates patient interaction for volunteers.Presents in-service trainings on role and impact of child life to departments or assigned areas, increasing understanding of importance of family-centered care.Adheres to budget set and outlined by Child Life Manager.Manages child life resources of assigned area of hospital and ensures consistent supply of resources.Attends and participates in opportunities that complement and enhance professional development.Professional DevelopmentWith Child Life Manager, establishes annual goals and independently works to meet those goals.Participates as member of assigned area or department committees as deemed appropriate.Develops and maintains professional skills and knowledge by attending seminars, workshops, conferences, etc.Maintains a willingness to learn and openness to new ideas and practices.Organizational AccountabilitiesOrganizational Commitment / IdentificationAnticipate and responds to customer needs; follows up until needs are metTeamwork / CommunicationDemonstrate collaborative and respectful behaviorPartner with all team members to achieve goalsReceptive to others' ideas and opinionsPerformance Improvement / Problem-solvingContribute to a positive work environmentDemonstrate flexibility and willingness to changeIdentify opportunities to improve clinical and administrative processesMake appropriate decisions, using sound judgmentCost Management / Financial ResponsibilityUse resources efficientlySearch for less costly ways of doing thingsSafetySpeak up when team members appear to exhibit unsafe behavior or performanceContinuously validate and verify information needed for decision making or documentationStop in the face of uncertainty and takes time to resolve the situationDemonstrate accurate, clear and timely verbal and written communicationActively promote safety for patients, families, visitors and co-workersAttend carefully to important details - practicing Stop, Think, Act and Review in order to self-check behavior and performancePrimary Location : District of Columbia-Washington Work Locations : CN Hospital (Main Campus) 111 Michigan Avenue NW Washington 20010 Job : Allied Health Organization : Patient Services Position Status : R (Regular) - FT - Full-Time Shift : Day Work Schedule : M-F, Occasional Weekends (approx. 3-4 per year) Job Posting : Dec 10, 2024, 5 : 49 : 32 PM Full-Time Salary Range : 50252.8 - 83761.6#J-18808-Ljbffr