Child Life Specialist

Tufts Medicine - Boston, MA

Full-time

Boston, MA

Ambulatory Health Care Services

About the position

The Child Life Specialist (CLS) at Tufts Medical Center plays a crucial role in providing developmentally appropriate support to pediatric patients and their families. This position is designed to help children cope with the stress associated with illness, injury, hospitalization, and medical procedures through a variety of therapeutic interventions. The CLS is an integral member of the healthcare team, advocating for the needs of children and families while also serving as a resource for other healthcare professionals. In this role, the CLS is responsible for designing and implementing individualized interventions based on thorough assessments of each patient's developmental stage, coping mechanisms, and psychosocial needs. The CLS utilizes medical play and developmentally appropriate language to prepare patients for medical interventions, ensuring they understand their diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, the CLS employs therapeutic techniques to provide emotional support during treatments and procedures, fostering a sense of security and understanding for the patients. The CLS also plays a vital role in supporting family members, offering guidance and interventions tailored to siblings and parents. By organizing celebrations for birthdays and holidays, and facilitating educational tutoring when necessary, the CLS helps maintain continuity in the patients' lives, accommodating cultural needs and bridging differences. Furthermore, the CLS is responsible for training and supervising Child Life students and volunteers, managing supplies, and maintaining a collaborative work environment with peers to achieve shared goals. Overall, the Child Life Specialist is dedicated to enhancing the quality of care provided to pediatric patients by addressing their emotional and developmental needs in a compassionate and professional manner.

Responsibilities

• Provides developmentally appropriate play and activities to support normal growth and development.
• Designs and implements individual interventions based on assessment of a patient's development, coping style, diagnosis and treatment, and psychosocial supports.
• Uses medical play and developmentally appropriate language and teaching tools to ensure adequate preparation for medical interventions and encourage understanding and mastery of diagnosis, medical care and experiences.
• Uses therapeutic/diversional techniques to support patients during treatments and procedures.
• Communicates pertinent information concerning patient care at appropriate rounds, case conferences and in the medical record.
• Offers support to parents and family members; uses developmentally appropriate interventions in supporting siblings.
• Encourages continuity of normal life experiences by preparing birthday and holiday celebrations, arranging for educational tutoring when appropriate, and using resources to accommodate cultural needs and bridge differences.
• Provides training and supervision for Child Life and child development students and volunteers.
• Assists in managing supplies, cleaning and maintaining toys and equipment, and recording census and intervention data.
• Maintains collaborative, team relationships with peers and colleagues in order to effectively contribute to the working groups achievement of goals, and to help foster a positive work environment.
• Performs other similar and related duties as required or directed.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in Child Life, Child development, or a closely related field. Master's degree preferred.
• A minimum of a 600-hour Child Life internship.
• Child Life Certification required for this position. All new graduates must obtain certification within the first year of employment.
• Demonstrates understanding of child growth and development and the impact that medical experiences can have on this process.
• Demonstrates competency in working with infants, toddlers, preschool and school age children, and adolescents in developmentally appropriate ways.