Child Life Specialist

Now Hiring: Child Life Specialist - Sign-On available!

 

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families? We are currently hiring a Child Life Specialist to join our dynamic team at Presbyterian Healthcare Services!

 

What's in it for You?
We’re offering a sign-on bonus to help you take te next step in your career.  This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a supportive, innovative environment where you can grow both professionally and personally.

 

About the Role:
As a Child Life Specialist at Presbyterian Healthcare Services, you’ll provide invaluable support to pediatric patients and their families, helping them navigate the challenges of illness, injury, and hospitalization. You’ll deliver Child Life services to infants, children, youth, and families, grounded in an understanding of child development and the unique impact of medical experiences.

 

How You Make a Difference:
You’ll help alleviate the stress and anxiety that can come with hospitalization and illness, creating a comforting, empowering environment for our youngest patients and their families. This role is crucial in supporting the emotional and psychological well-being of children and families, making you an integral part of our healthcare team.

 

How you belong matters here.

We value our employees' differences and find strength in the diversity of our team and community.

At Presbyterian, it's not just what we do that matters. It's how we do it - and it starts with our incredible team. From Nursing, Information Technology to Food Services and beyond, our non-clinical employees make a meaningful impact on the healthcare provided to our patients and members.

 

Why Join Us?

• Full-Time Position (1.0 FTE) – Exempt
• Location: Presbyterian Hospital
• Work Hours: Varied days and hours, offering flexibility
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Includes medical, wellness program, vision, dental, paid time off, retirement options, and more for full-time employees.

 

The Ideal Candidate:

• A Master’s degree in Child Life, Child Development, Psychology, or a related field
• Professional involvement with the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP)
• A passion for providing emotional and developmental support to pediatric patients and families

If you’re looking to make a difference in a supportive and rewarding environment, we’d love to hear from you!

 

Join us at Presbyterian Healthcare Services and help us bring comfort, care, and hope to the children and families who need it most.

• Bachelors degree in Child Life, Child Development, Psychology, or related field allowing for credentialing as a Certified Child Life Specialist required.
• Masters degree in Child Life, Child Development, Psychology, or related field preferred.
• Completion of a Child Life Internship (minimum of 480-hour under internship under the direction of a Certified Child Life Specialist) required.
• Current BLS certification for Healthcare Provider from the American Heart Association.
• Certification from the Association of Child Life Professionals as a Certified Child Life Specialist or eligible for certification as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) by the Child Life Certifying Commission. CCLS must be obtained within 12 months of hire and maintained thereafter.
• Professional involvement with the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) is highly encouraged.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to problem solve and make clinical decisions with minimal supervision and independently when needed.
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office and electronic medical record.
• Demonstrate proficiency in all child life clinical competencies and standards of clinical practice as defined by the Child Life Certification Commission, a subsidiary of the ACLP.
• Provides child life assessment and appropriate interventions to promote optimal development and minimize the adverse effects of children and families experiences in the healthcare setting.
• Plan and implement therapeutic interventions and a variety of individual and group play experiences promoting development, self-expression, and mastery.
• Provides preparation and facilitates adaptive coping strategies for patients and families for medical procedures and other health care experiences.
• Document within the electronic medical record as required by department guidelines and professional standards.
• Provide a physically and emotionally safe, therapeutic, and healing environment for patients, families, and staff.
• Educates patient, family, and staff to other techniques to aid a child in coping and ensures technique is age appropriate for the development, and emotional state of the child.
• Functions as an active and contributing member of multidisciplinary teams to further improve the medical experience of patients and families. Communicates any relevant observations on patients to other members of the health care team in formal written (charting) and verbal formats.
• Co-treat and refer patients and families to multidisciplinary services and resources as needed.
• Supervises and trains students and volunteers.
• Remain well-informed of current developments in the child life profession and participate in professional development to enhance clinical knowledge and skills.
• Perform other miscellaneous related duties as assigned.
• Strong interpersonal communication, teamwork, and listening skills.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries to preserve the therapeutic relationship with patients and families.
• Match and pace interactions according to developmental level, emotional state, family preferences, and individual needs.
• Demonstrate respect for sociocultural diversity.
• This position requires frequent standing/walking, as well as lifting, positioning, pushing, and/or transferring of patients
  
  

All benefits-eligible Presbyterian employees receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, group term life insurance and other optional voluntary benefits.

Wellness
Presbyterian's Employee Wellness rewards program is designed to provide you with engaging opportunities to enhance your health and activate your well-being. Earn gift cards and more by taking an active role in our personal well-being by participating in wellness activities like wellness challenges, webinar, preventive screening and more.

Why work at Presbyterian?
As an organization, we are committed to improving the health of our communities. From hosting growers' markets to partnering with local communities, Presbyterian is taking active steps to improve the health of New Mexicans.

About Presbyterian Healthcare Services
Presbyterian exists to improve the health of patients, members, and the communities we serve. We are locally owned, not-for-profit healthcare system of nine hospitals, a statewide health plan and a growing multi-specialty medical group. Founded in New Mexico in 1908, we are the state's largest private employer with nearly 14,000 employees - including more than 1600 providers and nearly 4,700 nurses.

Our health plan serves more than 580,000 members statewide and offers Medicare Advantage, Medicaid (Centennial Care) and Commercial health plans.

 

AA/EOE/VET/DISABLED. PHS is a drug-free and tobacco-free employer with smoke free campuses.

USD $26.46/Hr.

The compensation range for this role takes into account a wide range of factors, including but not limited to experience and training, internal equity, and other business and organizational needs.