Child Life Specialist

TMC HealthCare is Southern Arizona's regional nonprofit hospital system with Tucson Medical Center at its core. Each day staff comes to work to use their skills and expertise to improve the health of the entire community, from birth to the end of life.

Summary: Provides assessment and evaluation of patients which will lead to organization and coordination of therapeutic programs and treatment modalities to effect improvement in the physical, mental and social well-being of patients and their families. Develops individualized treatment plans to promote psychosocial, emotional, physical, and developmental growth of patients while minimizing trauma of hospitalization and/or illness. Prepares patients for medical experiences with coping strategies, communicating with members of the health care team, and orienting and supervising Volunteers and Child Life/Recreation Therapy interns.

Essential Functions:

• Assesses and interacts with patients and families using theories of human growth and development, family systems and cultural background.
• Plans and implements diversional care/treatment plans to assist patient and family to cope with hospitalization.
• Provides a variety of types of activities to meet individual patient needs.
• Establishes leisure educational programs.
• Represents TMC in community as a positive and professional team member; coordinates & supervises community programs that are conducted in the hospital for patients.
• Assesses needs for volunteer service and develops new and/or improved volunteer positions; coordinates and directs volunteers.
• Provides therapeutic and safe environment for individuals in groups.
• Participates in patient/family teaching.
• Provides in-service education to hospital staff, community and ancillary departments who serve children, families, and patients.
• Develops and follows through on special projects communicating information to the healthcare team.
• Consults with and keeps Director informed of activities, needs, and problems related to hospital-based children and patient programs.
• Adheres to and supports team members in exhibiting TMCH values of integrity, community, compassion, and dedication.
• Adheres to TMCH organizational and department-specific safety and confidentiality policies and standards.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree (B.A. or B.S.) from four-year College or University, preferably in one of the following fields of study: Psychology, Human Development and Family Studies, Recreation Therapy, Leisure Studies or related fields.

Experience: One (1) year of child life or recreation therapy or related experience. 600-hour clinical child life internship under the supervision of a certified child life specialist required.

Licensure or Certification: Child Life Specialists must obtain Child Life Specialist Certification within one (1) year of hire. Recreational Therapists must obtain Therapeutic Recreation Specialist Certification within one (1) year of hire. Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of theories of human growth and development, family systems, and cultural backgrounds.
• Skill in preparing children with coping mechanisms for medical experiences.
• Knowledge of recreation therapy best practices.
• Skill in evaluating patients and recommending recreational programs for improvement in physical, mental and social well-being of patients.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals and complete routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to listen and accurately interpret others’ communication or instructions to take appropriate action.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.