Certified Child Life Specialist - Levine Children's Jeff Gordon Children's Center (at Atrium Health Cabarrus)

Overview

**Must have successfully completed a Child Life Internship. Certification required within 6 months of hire.**

Child Life has been a part of Atrium Health's Carolinas Medical Center since 1977, and at Levine Children's since its opening in 2007. The Child Life Department has more than 44 staff members, including a Child Life manager, two Child Life lead positions, Child Life Specialists & Child Life Education Specialists and Child Life Assistants.  Our Child Life team covers a broad scope of care within the Levine Children's Service Line, from Emergency Care to Transplant Programs, Clinical Trials, inpatient and outpatient care.  Opportunities for leadership growth with our clinical advancement program. 

Atrium Health Levine Children's Jeff Gordon Children’s Center (JGCC) is a 28-bed children’s unit within Atrium Health Cabarrus that serves the surrounding counties to deliver inpatient and sub-specialty care to the pediatric patients of that community. The children’s unit is a general pediatric, Progressive Care, and Epilepsy unit. JGCC is home to the regions only dedicated pediatric Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) and is a Level 3 EMU designated by the National Association for Epilepsy Centers. It has also been accredited through The Joint Commission for disease specific certification for Epilepsy. Support services are available to the patients and families we serve with Certified Child Life Specialists throughout the children’s unit and ancillary departments. With an active Family Advisory Council, JGCH continuously evaluates and adapts to the needs of the patients and families we serve. 

Job Summary

Provides information, education, support and guidance to parents, siblings and other family members. Promotes effective coping and play, preparation, education and self-expression activities. Provides emotional support for families and encourages optimum development of children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to healthcare and hospitalization.

Essential Functions
 

• Plans, implements, and evaluates short and long term goals to support the psychosocial and developmental needs of the pediatric and neonatal patients.
• Works with the multidisciplinary team to provide education to patients and families and to formulate and implement a plan of care.
• Collaborates with appropriate departments when planning and implementing special activities and events that assist the patient and family with normalizing their hospital experience.
• Serves as a patient and family advocate through the philosophy of family centered care.
• Assists with planning, presenting and evaluating in-service education.
• Works with the Child Life Assistants and Volunteer Services to on-board and evaluate volunteers as needed.
• Provides education and supervision of student interns for the Child Life Department.
• Assists with on-boarding and mentoring of new teammates and Child Life interns.

Physical Requirements
 

Work requires walking, standing, silting, lifting, stooping, bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling. Must be able to lift and support 51 pounds of weight in handling patients, medical equipment, and supplies.

Education, Experience and Certifications
 

Bachelor's Degree in Human Growth and Development, Education, Psychology or a related field of study. Experience with completion of student placement/internship in a Child Life Program in a healthcare setting required. Current Child Life Certification required. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required. Good organization and time management skills are required.