Child Life Assistant TEMPORARY

Job Description:

TEMPORARY POSITION

The Child Life Assistant Interacts directly with pediatric patients, families, and other healthcare team members and facilitates age-appropriate activities to help make the healthcare experience easier for patients and families. Under the direction of a child life specialist, the child life assistant provides activities in a play setting that reduces patient and family distress, increases effective patient and family coping, fosters patient independence, and promotes optimum development. This role is designed as a career path toward other child development roles and most Child Life Assistants are working towards child life certification through the Association of Child Life Professionals while earning a degree and certifications.

Posting Specifics 

• Entry Rate: Based on experience

• Position is NOT Benefits eligible.

• Shift Details: Full-time TEMPORARY position (40 hrs/wk).
  Must be able to work flexible shifts of 8–10 hours and maintain availability Monday through Saturday to meet staffing and scheduling needs. PRN coverage as needed by the department as well.

• Location: Position is onsite at Salt Lake City location in the Kids Clubhouse, Forever Young Playroom, Teen Room and Hope Garden.

• Additional Details:

• Child Life Assistants work under the direction of a child life specialist to provide therapeutic safe environments, developmentally appropriate activities, play-based interventions, and support to patients and families. 

• Child life assistants also coordinate volunteer training and scheduling.

• Experience with children and knowledge of Child Development is necessary.

• Knowledge of child cognitive, social and skills of child development

• Ability to communicate effectively in Spanish, including knowledge of medical terminology in Spanish, to support diverse patient needs

• Enthusiasm for data collection, statistics, and proficiency with Excel

Required Qualifications 

• Demonstrated experience working with healthy children or children in a medical or hospital setting 

• Knowledge of child development 

• Computer experience in word processing, spreadsheets, and databases or similar applications 

• Able to work independently and be organized 

• Ability to work in a stressful environment related to patient needs including acute, chronic, and complex disease, and grief and bereavement 

• Maintains appropriate boundaries with patients and families 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Associate or bachelor’s degree 

• Working towards child life certification through the Association of Child Life Professionals 

• Work experience as a child life assistant. 

• Completion of child life pre-internship/practicum  

• Completion of a 600-hour child life internship. 

• Spanish speaking 

Essential Functions 

• Accurately assesses and prioritizes developmental needs of the pediatric patient and family and updates child life specialist when patient needs are outside scope of practice.  

• Develops, implements, advertises, and evaluates developmentally appropriate play/recreational activities and directs parents, students, and volunteers in providing developmentally appropriate toys to patients and families in play space. 

• Screens and transports patients to play areas, completes appropriate check-in guidelines and policies to ensure child safety and assists in coordinating special events, holidays, and special visitors.  

• Maintains a clean, safe environment in accordance with infection prevention and safety standards. 

• Monitors and provides a supportive child-friendly environment in play spaces; supervises, orients, and trains students and volunteers as needed.  

• Assists with ordering, receiving, organizing, and distributing supplies. 

• Supervises and independently leads the facility “Kids Clubhouse,” coordinating the work of the volunteers in those spaces.  

Skills 

• Relationship building 

• Supervision  

• Teamwork 

• Critical thinking 

• Communication 

• Interpersonal skills 

• Patience