Child Life Specialist

6 months ago

Toronto, Canada Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Full time

The Child Life Specialist is responsible for the ongoing development, co-ordination and implementation of Child Life Services aimed at providing psychosocial care to children and families. Child Life Services promotes children and families’ coping and positive adjustment to illness and hospitalization through a variety of expressive mediums. Child Life Services further heightens awareness of and sensitivity to the developmental and psychosocial needs of children and family members among staff, students, volunteers, and community professionals.

In this role, the CLS will be involved in the Extensive Needs Service (ENS) (0.5 FTE) as well as provide care to other inpatient/outpatient areas (0.5 FTE) within Holland Bloorview. The Extensive Needs Service is a new program for individuals up to the age of 18, whose needs cannot be met in a single service stream and who require an integrated approach across Mental, Behavioural and Developmental Health. The role will provide client and family care as well as collaborate with various team members within ENS. With a commitment to trauma-informed care and through the knowledge of current and evolving best practices within Child Life, the role will ensure that CLS within ENS are delivered to the highest quality standards. The role will also act as a resource to the therapy team within ENS and provide guidance around involvement of CLS in complex client and family circumstances. This position may require work off site (not at Holland Bloorview).

**Responsibilities**
- Provides therapeutic play opportunities and programming designed to reduce stress, help clients cope with illness and hospitalization, promote development, and foster independence, a positive self-esteem, and a sense of mastery.
- Helps prepare clients for diagnostic, and medical/nursing procedures through medical play, demonstration, discussion, and various expressive mediums in efforts to promote positive coping, adjustment and compliance with various hospital procedures and experiences.
- Provides emotional support to clients during times of stress including measures of comfort; clarifying information; coping support during treatment; and post-procedure follow-up to support the resolution of feelings of fear, anxiety and pain.
- Provides emotional support to clients, families, and significant others, and plans and implements activities which help to alleviate fears and anxieties regarding illness, hospitalization, and separation from family.
- Observes and assesses clients’ psychosocial behaviour, coping, emotional adjustment, and parent/child relationship, etc., to determine plans for Child Life Services and/or interdisciplinary intervention and necessary referrals.
- Collaborates with members of the interdisciplinary teams to plan and implement an individualized intervention program to: foster self-esteem and a sense of mastery; promote coping and enhance individual coping strategies; promote positive interpersonal relationships; prevent behavioural regression; promote optimal development and the achievement of developmental milestones.
- Provides support, education, and feedback to families regarding developmental and psychosocial needs, appropriate interventions, advocacy, and the ongoing development of positive parenting and coping strategies.
- Provides diversional activities and celebrations as appropriate.
- Collaborates with family members and the interdisciplinary team to assess the client’s needs, develop a plan of care, and evaluate this plan. Attends all necessary interdisciplinary program rounds and care conferences as appropriate.
- Ensures that a plan of care addressing therapeutic, developmental, and psychosocial needs is current for each client.
- Ensures that discharge planning addresses developmental and psychosocial needs of client and family through transition back into the community.
- Documents ongoing assessment, interaction, and evaluation of information in clients’ health record as appropriate.
- Communicates with family members and community agencies as appropriate to ensure continuity of developmental and therapeutic programming and care.
- Participates in quality improvement initiatives, contributes to the academic agenda through education or research and supports the maintenance of a safe and healthy work environment that advances a culture of client/patient safety through work and daily practices.

**Qualifications**
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology, child studies, or health-related study required.
- Master’s degree (M.A., M.Sc., or M.Ed.) or Child Life graduate diploma preferred.
- Child Life Specialist Professional Certification (C.C.L.S.) required.
- A minimum of 2 years experience working with children and families to include 1 year experience as clinical Child Life Specialist in healthcare setting required.
- Child Life Council (CLC) membership preferred.

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