Certified Child Life Specialist (Adolescent Psychiatry)

Certified Child Life Specialist (Adolescent Psychiatry)

Hiring Department: Psych Research Unit

Location: Chicago, IL USA

Requisition ID: 1034207

FTE: 1

Work Schedule: 5 shifts/week, 9AM - 5PM

Shift: Days

# of Positions: 1

Workplace Type: On-Site

Posting Close Date: June 13, 2025

Salary Range (commensurate with experience): $58,676.80 - 72,000.00 / Annual Salary

About the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health)

The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health) provides comprehensive care, education, and research to the people of Illinois and beyond. A part of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), UI Health comprises a clinical enterprise that includes a Joint Commission-accredited tertiary care hospital and outpatient clinics, and the Mile Square Health Center network of federally qualified health centers. It also includes the seven UIC health science colleges: the College of Applied Health Sciences; the College of Dentistry; the School of Public Health; the Jane Addams College of Social Work; and the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing, including regional campuses in Peoria, Quad Cities, Rockford, Springfield, and Urbana. UI Health is dedicated to the pursuit of health equity. Learn more: https://hospital.uillinois.edu/about-ui-health

Benefits eligible positions include a comprehensive benefits package which offers: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability & AD&D insurance; a defined benefit pension plan; paid leaves such as Vacation, Holiday and Sick; tuition waivers for employees and dependents. Click for a complete list of Employee Benefits.

The Child Life Specialist is responsible for collaborating with the multidisciplinary team to create and implement child life interventions and programs in the Comprehensive Assessment and Treatment (CATU) Unit. The primary purpose of this position is to provide optimal developmental and psychosocial care and interventions to decrease the negative impacts of hospitalization. Child life interventions include but are not limited to procedural preparation; support and distraction; support programs and education for siblings and family members; teaching coping techniques and developing coping plans; utilizing knowledge of child development to create appropriate therapeutic interventions; providing family-centered care for caregivers; and bereavement support.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Ensures the delivery of child life services through assessment and intervention, and by providing a safe and therapeutic environment for patients
• Provides procedural preparation and post-procedural support while utilizing developmentally appropriate explanations and teaching materials
• Offers nonpharmacological pain management techniques such as deep breathing and imagery, and advocates for utilization of additional techniques to help patients relax and cope positively.
• Utilizes therapeutic interventions to help patients explore and familiarize themselves with medical experiences, express emotions related to their experiences, and gain a sense of mastery and control over their admission.
• Facilitates and teaches effective coping techniques while working in conjunction with patients to create coping plan tailored to patient's individual and developmental needs during hospitalization
• Assesses patient's developmental, emotional, and medical needs for therapeutic play interventions and provides activities and toys as appropriate
• Provides developmentally appropriate techniques and education to increase patient understanding of diagnoses and treatment plans
• Offers non-pharmacological pain management techniques such as deep breathing and imagery, to help patients relax and cope positively
• Implement special event programming appropriate to the set population
• Works with the multidisciplinary team to address individual psychosocial needs of patients to promote optimal coping throughout hospitalization
• Provides bereavement support by offering memory making activities and resources to patients to help cope with grief
• Organizes and accumulates age-appropriate resources and activities in useful space for multidisciplinary team to distribute and utilize for patient and family needs
• Communicates with child life team vital information and individual patient/family needs for a unit admission to facilitate continuity of care
• Collaborates with child life team to enhance programming
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary team to effectively communicate and learn about patient and family needs
• Provides updates and educational in-service to department with relevant education on psychosocial needs
• Participates in committees to enhance patient care, patient experience, pain management, and unit operations
• Develops teaching materials related to child life interventions to meet psychosocial needs of patients
• Creates developmentally appropriate preparation resources and coping tools for a variety of procedures and medical experiences
• Develops and maintains relationships with community organizations and donors. Gain donations to offer new resources to support patient needs.
• Completes timely documentation of services provided, share effective coping plans and successful techniques for patients' individual needs.
• Provides specialized knowledge of child life to multidisciplinary health care team members
• Participates actively in professional organizations and in the planning and development of long-term goals in the child life program
• Supervises child life students, other child life staff, volunteers, community groups, and support personnel
• Develops teaching and training materials related to the short and long-term planned curriculum for the Child Life Program.

Minimum Qualifications Required:

1. A. Bachelor's degree with a major in the social or behavioral science or related health specialty from an accredited college or university.

OR

B. Master's degree in social or behavioral science or related health specialty area from an accredited college or university.

2. One (1) year (12 months) of progressively more responsible full-time experience in the practice of social services/ agencies or medical/clinical setting maintaining acceptable standards of social work practices

Preferred Qualifications:

• Child Life Specialist certification
• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Child Life, Human Development, Child Development, or related field required.
• Previous experience with children services preferred
• Previous experience in a leadership role preferred

To Apply: For fullest consideration click on the Apply Now button, please fully complete all sections of the online application including adding your full work history with specific details of your duties & responsibilities for each position held. Fully complete the education, licensure, certification and language sections. You may upload a resume, cover letter, certifications, licensures, transcripts and diplomas within the application.

Please note that once you have submitted your application you will not be able to make any changes. In order to revise your application you must withdraw and reapply. You will not be able to reapply after the posting close date. Please ensure the application is fully completed and all supporting documents have been uploaded before the posting close date. Illinois Residency is required within 180 days of employment.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation


To apply, visit https://uic.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/15013?c=uic







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