Child Life Specialist

**Posting Period**:
Open: September 17, 2024

Deadline: September 23, 2024

Non-Union

**Department Name**:
**Child Life Specialist - Children's Care**

Prepared with a strong background in child development and family systems, Child Life Specialists promote effective coping through play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities. They provide emotional support for families, and encourage optimum development of children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to healthcare and hospitalization. Child Life Specialists also provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members. They play a vital role in educating caregivers, administrators, and the general public about the needs of children under stress. Child Life Specialists’ function as a member of an assigned health care team or unit and practice according to the Child Life Code of Ethics, and Standards of Clinical Practice, as per the professional Association of Child Life Professionals.

Regular Full-Time

Rate of Pay: $34.65 per hour - $43.31 per hour

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week

**Qualifications**:

- Undergraduate Bachelor's Degree in Child Life, Child Psychology, Child/Adolescent Development, Child and Family Social Sciences, Education or as acceptable to Hospital
- Current certification with the Association of Child Life Professionals
- Minimum one (1) year recent related experience working with children, youth, and families in a health care environment
- Ability to understand the feelings, concerns and needs of other people, demonstrate care and interest towards them and establish and maintain productive relationships
- Ability to provide teaching, specific to the population served, including psychological preparation for potentially stressful experiences with infants, children, youth and families
- Ability to assist infants, children, youth and families in coping with potentially stressful events
- Demonstrated practice and commitment to the principles of patient and family centered care
- Demonstrated practice and commitment to patient and staff safety at LHSC
- Demonstrated practice and commitment to LHSC's vision, purpose and values
- Demonstrated ability to attend work on a regular basis

**Teaching, Learning and Research** London Health Sciences Centre is proudly one of Canada’s largest acute-care teaching and research hospitals. LHSC has an unwavering commitment to lifelong learning, with education agreements in collaboration with over 55 schools, hospitals, and community agencies from across Ontario, Canada and internationally; among our many education partners, our three regional partners are Western University, Fanshawe College, and Thames Valley District School Board. LHSC provides students with a place that they can learn and discover knowledge and skills to take them forward in their careers as health care professionals. Approximately 2,900 Nursing, Health and other students ranging from secondary school to university graduate level programs receive training at LHSC every year. As an employee of LHSC, you will be expected to engage in role-related teaching, professional development, and research activities in addition to standard position duties and responsibilities.** Immunization Requirements**:
Before beginning employment at LHSC, all new hires will be required to:

- Provide vaccination records or proof of immunity against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chicken pox), Hepatitis B, Tetanus/ Diphtheria/Polio; Meningitis;
- Provide documentation of the Tuberculosis skin testing (two step);
- Provide proof of Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccination reflective of Ontario Health’s current definition of being fully vaccinated