Child Life Specialist

**Company Biography**

Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) is located in the City of Orillia - a beautiful community nestled along the shores of Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching. Orillia offers an environment where a health work/life balance is easy to achieve as exceptional urban amenities, natural resources, points of interest, and recreational opportunities abound.

People have always been OSMH’s greatest strength. Our committed team has helped our community for over a century. We offer an environment where each individual works interdependently towards common goals: we value _Trust, Courage and Teamwork_. We are an organization where individuals’ contributions are valued and there are many opportunities for personal growth and development.

**Position Summary**

The Child Life Specialist (CLS) within the Paediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) Satellite clinic at OSMH plays a vital role in providing comprehensive support to children of all ages navigating the challenges of illness, hospitalization, and treatment. This specialist is dedicated to fostering optimal development, facilitating normal living patterns, and minimizing psychological trauma, all while enhancing the child’s adjustment to changing health circumstances.
Key responsibilities include reducing pain and stress associated with medical procedures through tailored preparation, education, and therapeutic play. By implementing a variety of intervention strategies, the CLS empowers paediatric patients to gain a sense of mastery over their experiences, encouraging self-expression, family involvement, and peer interaction.
Additionally, the CLS will offer support as needed across other paediatric areas within OSMH, ensuring that every child receives compassionate and effective care during their healthcare journey.
PRIMARY RESPONSBILITIES
- Assess, design, implement and evaluate programs which provide for the psychosocial and development needs of patients in the POGO clinic
- Promote coping skills and reduce anxiety through play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities
- Implement strategies to minimize pain and stress during medical procedures
- Provide emotional support, guidance, and information to families (parents, siblings, caregivers) to help them understand and address the emotional needs of children, while fostering open communication and encouraging active participation in the care process
- Facilitate therapeutic play activities to help children express their feelings, develop coping skills and process their experiences
- Work closely with health care teams to ensure holistic care and providing input on the emotional and developmental needs of patients
- Prepare documentation through charting, assessments, program reports and individual treatment and therapy plans
- Prepare the child life area by organizing the rooms, equipment and play materials, providing safe and developmentally appropriate toys and supplies, assuring all materials are clean, and ordering and maintaining an inventory of equipment and supplies

**Qualifications**

QUALIFICATIONS:
**Education**:

- Child Life Certification (or obtained within 1 year of employment)
- Bachelor's degree in Child Life, Child Development, Psychology, Social Work, or a related field is essential.

**Experience**:

- Minimum of 1 to 2 years’ experience, within the last 3 years, as a CLS

Competencies:

- Knowledge, skills and abilities required to interact with infants, children, adolescents and their families in a high stress, fast paced and changing environment
- Skills in assessing patient needs and evaluating effectiveness of interventions to adapt strategies as needed
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to work within the interdisciplinary team
- Knowledge of the oncology health population is an asset
- Awareness and sensitivity to diverse cultural backgrounds and practices, ensuring respectful and individualized care
- Skills in crisis intervention and problem-solving to support patients and families during difficult situations
- Strong collaboration skills to work effectively within the interdisciplinary healthcare teams
- Proficiency in utilizing play as a therapeutic tool to facilitate coping and self-expression

**Our Employees Enjoy**
- a professional practice environment
- a collaborative atmosphere with emphasis on teamwork
- wellness initiatives
- continuing education grants
- employee recognition and assistance programs
- a competitive salary and benefits package
- equal opportunities for growth and development

**Employment Equity**

**Accomodation in the Workplace**
- Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital is a respectful, caring, and inclusive workplace. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity, equal opportunity and maintaining a barrier-free selection process for job applicants. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process providing the applicant has met the requirements for