Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago provides superior pediatric care in a setting that offers the latest benefits and innovations in medical technology, research and family-friendly design. As the largest pediatric provider in the region with a 140-year legacy of excellence, kids and their families are at the center of all we do. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago is ranked in all 10 specialties by the U.S. News & World Report.

Job Summary:

Child Life Specialists promote effective coping and reduce trauma experienced throughout hospitalizations by providing developmentally appropriate play, preparation, education, and therapeutic self-expression activities. Child Life Specialists provide emotional support for families and encourage optimum development for children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, especially those related to healthcare and hospitalization. Child Life services are uniquely developed for specific patient and family needs, provided through supportive intervention, and documentation.

Job Responsibilities:

• Identifies, assesses, and responds to child/family needs in order to support patient/family coping throughout illness, injury and hospitalization. This includes timely and effective interventions focused on preparation, education and support within a developmentally supportive framework.
• Develops relationships with patient and family to provide a psychosocial assessment of coping abilities and necessary interventions to support coping and understanding throughout hospitalization.
• Advocates for and addresses the psychosocial/developmental/spiritual/cultural needs of the child and family throughout the continuum of care to promote comprehensive psychosocial and family-centered care.
• Documents in a thorough and timely manner in accordance with professional standards, and communicates with members of the health care team, through formal and informal information, in order to coordinate service delivery with families and among the psychosocial team, medical teams and others.
• Works in collaboration with Volunteer Resources staff to assess volunteer coverage in child life programs. Develops and implements volunteer services for patients based on identified needs and supports volunteer trainings and supervises unit-specific volunteers.
• Works to meet established annual goals and assume responsibility for professional development through participation in seminars, course work, and/or hospital education programs to develop and maintain professional credentials.
• Performs job functions adhering to service principles with customer service focus of innovation, service excellence and teamwork to provide the highest quality care and service to our patients, families, co-workers and others.
  

Education and Experience:

• Completion of a bachelor's degree, with knowledge of child and adolescent developmentally typically acquired through the completion of a baccalaureate degree in child development, child and family development, or related field of study.
• Requires CCLS (certified child life specialist) credential from the Association of Child Life Professionals acquired within 12 months of hire and subsequently maintained.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in child life setting or equivalent position.
• Basic Life Support Certification required. Obtained within 6 months of hire.
• Spanish-speaking abilities strongly preferred.

Education

Benefit Statement

For full time and part time employees who work 20 or more hours per week we offer a generous benefits package that includes:

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Employer paid group term life and disability

Employer contribution toward Health Savings Account

Flexible Spending Accounts

Paid Time Off (PTO), Paid Holidays and Paid Parental Leave

403(b) with a 5% employer match

Various voluntary benefits:

• Supplemental Life, AD&D and Disability

• Critical Illness, Accident and Hospital Indemnity coverage

• Tuition assistance

• Student loan servicing and support

• Adoption benefits

• Backup Childcare and Eldercare

• Employee Assistance Program, and other specialized behavioral health services and resources for employees and family members

• Discount on services at Lurie Children's facilities

• Discount purchasing program

Lurie Children's and its affiliatesare equal employment opportunity employers. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, order of protection status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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