Child Life Specialist

**About SickKids**:
Dedicated exclusively to children and their families, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is one of the largest and most respected paediatric healthcare centres in the world. As innovators in child health, we lead and partner to improve the health of children through the integration of healthcare, leading-edge research and education. Our reputation would not have been built - nor could it be maintained - without the skills, knowledge and experience of the extraordinary people who come to work here every day. SickKids is committed to ongoing learning and development, and features a caring and supportive work environment that combines exceptionally high standards of practice.

When you join SickKids, you become part of our community. We share a commitment and determination to fulfill our vision of _Healthier Children. A Better World_.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to work alongside the world’s best in paediatric healthcare.

**Position Description**:
The Child Life Specialist is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating a variety of therapeutic play-based interventions to support patient and family-centered care.

**Here’s What You’ll Get To Do**
- Assess the developmental level and the psychosocial and emotional responses of the child to illness and the treatment process
- Develop and implement a plan of care to promote optimum development and maintain normal living patterns and experiences
- Discuss sensitive and medical issues with children of various ages and developmental capacities
- Prepare children for medical procedures and provide interventions during procedures
- **Lead use of Virtual Reality (VR) in clinical practice, supporting children during procedures and in additional therapeutic interventions**:

- **Member of VR steering committee and engage in Virtual Reality progrm development**:

- Provide a variety of goal-directed play programs and opportunities for gaining a sense of mastery, self-expression, learning, and peer interaction
- Collaborate with families as a member of the health care team using the philosophy of family centered care and interprofessional practice
- Integrate research into practice and create, utilize and/or disseminate new knowledge

**Here’s What You’ll Need**
- Current certification with the Child Life Council and designation of CCLS credentials
- University degree in a child related field
- Previous job-related experience with children/families with medical or special needs
- Ability to provide ethnically and culturally sensitive and inclusive care to a diverse patient population
- Specific child life courses as well as specific child life experience in pediatric settings are considered assets
- Familiar with the philosophy of family centered care and interprofessional practice
- Demonstrated belief in life-long learning and an ability to cite evidence-based practice
- Strong problem-solving, communication and organization skills, and ability to work well as a team player

**Employment Type**

Temporary, Full-time, Contract - 13 months with modified benefits

**Our Commitment to Diversity**:
The children and families we care for are from a variety of communities, and so are our employees. We welcome and encourage everyone to join our organization and be part of our team.

Thank you for your interest in joining SickKids. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. In accordance with our Hospital policy, employment at SickKids is conditional upon the Hospital’s receipt of all necessary documentation.

**How to Apply