Overview

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives - and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It's also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community. Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

The Sr Child Life Specialist utilizes child life interventions to provide a safe and nurturing environment where children and adolescents can enrich coping skills, address psychosocial needs, and increase understanding of issues related to medical experiences. Sr Child Life Specialists maintain the same responsibilities as the Certified Child Life Specialist with additional supervisory roles of activities assistant, volunteers, and students. Sr. Child Life Specialist acts as a positive role model for team members.

Responsibilities

A day in the life of a Senior Child Life Specialist at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:

• Full knowledge of roles and responsibilities on assigned units, as well as coverage responsibilities on other designated coverage units throughout the medical center.
• Daily productivity goal 80% clinical and 20% non clinical responsibilities (volunteers, students, other programming needs). Team members will be responsible for collecting data to support productivity. Data will be forwarded to the leader on a monthly basis for review.
• Triage consults with the unit team and the Child Life Manager/Supervisor based on census/staffing.
• Rounding and collaboration with the interdisciplinary team on designated units.
• Patient/Family assessment to prioritize and create a psychosocial care plan for each patient.
• Well versed in a variety of play practices including, but not limited to medical, developmental and normalizing play and how these modalities can support goal oriented tasks including maintaining milestones, expression, education, growth and development.
• Procedure preparation and coping/distraction to reduce risk of stress, anxiety or pain for patient and family members.
• Therapeutic interventions such as medical art, expression activities, etc, geared toward meeting a specific therapeutic goal.
• Diagnosis education in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team to ensure developmentally appropriate patient and family understanding of diagnosis and treatment plan.
• Assessment and interventions for the creation of long/short term goals that support such issues including, but not limited to adjustment, normalization, mastery, expression, family bonding, compliance, growth and development while hospitalized
• Vast understanding of Family Centered Care practices, both here at the medical center, and those innovations nationally. Putting this knowledge to use in order to encourage family and sibling support for patient services received inpatient and outpatient.
• Non-clinical responsibilities include participation in program development, continuing education, patient charting, and interdisciplinary team participation as designated. Miscellaneous responsibilities include coordinating for patient milestone events and anything directly impacting patient care, such as maintenance of playrooms/teen lounge and storage units, restocking therapeutic play supplies, etc.
• Supports Child Life volunteer program in cooperation with Volunteer Services
  • Interview potential volunteers
  • Training/orienting new volunteers
  • Assignment and scheduling of daily responsibilities
  • Prepare letters of verification of volunteer hours as needed for school, associations, etc.
• Assist with Donations:
  • Screen donors and educate potential donors as to donation policy
  • Schedule drop off donations with individual and group donors
  • Organize donations and distribute appropriately
  • Review applications for special visitors and approve/deny request for visit
  • Schedule approved special visitors and coordinate visit
• Assist in coordination and performance of Child Life internship program
  • Review applications, interview and assist with selection of candidates
  • Clinical supervision of student/intern
  • Provide feedback on written assignments, evaluation of competencies
• Write letters of recommendation at successful completion of program
• Reviews supply requests and submit programming needs to the Child Life Manager.
• Participate in community events, as deemed appropriate for Child Life representation representing KHCH.
• Assist with orientation/mentoring for all new hires into the Child Life department at KHCH
• Provide formal and informal internal education about child life services to team members, medical/nursing students, residents, etc.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in child Life or related field, with 3 years of HMHN experience or 5 years of previous experience or Masters degree in child life or related field with 2 years experience and minimum 1 year at HMHN
• ACLP certification as Certified Child Life Specialist in good standing
• Knowledge of advance care practice.

• Certified Child Life Specialist.

• Regular contact with medical personnel and its visitors.

Our Network

Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) is a Mandatory Influenza Vaccination Facility

As a courtesy to assist you in your job search, we would like to send your resume to other areas of our Hackensack Meridian Health network who may have current openings that fit your skills and experience.