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Job Overview
The Certified Family Child Life Specialist (CCLS) is responsible for providing a program of developmentally appropriate interventions and resources that meet the psychosocial and emotional needs for patients, families, and staff. They integrate psychological preparation, education, and emotional support for traumatic health care diagnosis, medical interventions, and stressful events that impact the entire family unit. As an integral part of the health care team, the CCLS is an advocate for the developmental, psychosocial, and emotional needs for children, youth, adults, and their families surrounding topics of stress, trauma, grief/ loss, and overall wellness. They create individualized and equitable therapeutic coping strategies and interventions that support the whole person and family unit and function as a direct resource to other healthcare professionals.
Schedule
40 hours per week; (4) 10-hr. shifts on days/evenings with rotating weekends.
Job Description
Minimum Qualifications :
1. Bachelor's degree in Child Life, Human Development, or a related field.
2. Completion of 400-hour Child Life Internship.
Preferred Qualifications :
1. Master's degree in Child Life, Human Growth and Development, Family Studies, or a closely related field.
2. Child Life certification or must be eligible to be obtained within the first year of employment.
3. Completion of a 600-hour Child Life internship under a certified Child Life Specialist.
4. Experience working with children, youth, and families in the hospital environment.
5. Experience supporting children, youth, and families through end-of-life experiences.
6. Experience working with individuals who have developmental delays, mental health diagnosis, and behavioral dysregulation.
Duties and Responsibilities : The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list . Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.
1. Designs and implements individual interventions based on assessment of a patient's development, coping style, diagnosis and treatment, and psychosocial supports.
2. Utilizes developmentally appropriate language and therapeutic techniques and strategies to educate and support patients of all ages and cognitive levels and their families during medical intervention and stressful healthcare experiences.
3. Provides developmentally appropriate resources and therapeutic play interventions that foster normal growth and development and reduce long term trauma.
4. Communicates and documents all interventions and pertinent information concerning patient care at appropriate rounds, case conferences and in the medical record.
5. Offers support to children, youth, parents, and family members surrounding end of life care, grief, separation, and loss.
6. Facilitates evidence based group programming for patients, families, and staff that are educational and supportive to one's psychosocial/emotional wellbeing.
7. Encourages continuity of normal life experiences by honoring important milestones, holiday celebrations, and significant life events through the utilization of resources that accommodate cultural needs and bridge differences.
8. Creates new and innovative programming that fosters growth and development, psychosocial/emotional support, and optimizes the overall patient experience.
9. Provides training and clinical education for Child Life student interns.
10. Assists in managing supplies, cleaning and maintaining department resources and equipment, and recording census and intervention data.
11. Maintains collaborative, team relationships with peers and colleagues in order to effectively contribute to the working groups achievement of goals, and to help foster a positive work environment.
12. Fosters a safe and emotionally supportive environment that is inclusive and equitable.
13. Performs other similar and related duties as required or directed.
Physical Requirements:
1. Works in inpatient units including critical care, med/surg, obstetrics and neonatology; ambulatory departments, emergency department, and perioperative services with patients of all ages and stages of development.
2. Continuous exposure to sick patients and bodily substances. Occasional exposure to hazardous chemicals.
3. Work requires occasional typing/computer keying, frequent lifting/assisting/positioning patients, and lifting/positioning materials, frequent cleaning of equipment and materials and frequent patient transport.
Skills & Abilities:
1. Demonstrates a high level of comprehension and understanding of human growth and development, family systems, the impact of illness, grief/loss, and traumatic experiences can have on this process.
2. Demonstrates high level competency in working with infants, toddlers, preschool, school age children, and adolescents in developmentally appropriate ways.
3. Demonstrates high level of competency counseling parents and families navigating stressful and traumatic life events.
4. Possesses and applies the skills and knowledge necessary to provide care to patients throughout the life span, with consideration of aging processes, human development stages and cultural patterns in each step of the care process. This includes:
- Knowledge of growth and development
- Ability to interpret age specific data and response to care
- Provide age specific communication
- Communicate and support individuals who may have Autism, neurological/developmental delays, behavioral dysregulation, and mental health diagnosis.
Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community healthcare to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, MelroseWakefield Hospital, Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford, Care at Home - an expansive home care network, and large integrated physician network. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion at Tufts Medicine. Tufts Medicine does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, national origin, gender identity and/or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation by emailing us at .