Pediatric Child Life Specialist - Ryan House

Join Arizona’s largest, most prominent not-for-profit hospice, serving the valley since 1977.

Hospice of the Valley is a national leader in hospice care and has been serving the Phoenix metropolitan area since 1977. A mission-driven, not-for-profit organization, Hospice of the Valley employs compassionate, skilled professionals who are committed to excellence, enjoy teamwork, and contribute daily to our mission and culture of caring. Team members experience a friendly, supportive atmosphere, leadership support, autonomy, flexibility and the privilege of doing meaningful, rewarding work.

Benefits

• Supportive work environment with a culture of caring for patients and one another.
• Competitive wages and excellent benefit program.
• Generous Paid Time Off.
• Flexible schedules for work/life balance

Position Profile

Promotes a healthy/healing environment for children and their families as they deal with the emotionally and physically demanding process of coping with a life threatening illness through assessment, therapeutic play, socialization, and education. Proactively supports efforts that ensure delivery of developmentally appropriate care/services, and promotes a safe environment at Ryan House.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with appropriate care team and family members, contributing to the development and implementation of a specialized plan of care by assessing and identifying developmental, temperament, coping style, social, sensory, and emotional needs.
• Identifies, educates, and supports the use of developmentally appropriate coping strategies with children and families facing illness, disability, and/or death/loss.
• Plans, organizes, and leads individuals/groups in creative expression, self healing, and developmental play. Encourages socialization whenever possible, with peers, siblings, and family members through developmentally appropriate play activities.
• Participates as a member of the interdisciplinary team by integrating child life goals into the total care of the child/family during team meetings, interdisciplinary case conferences, and staff meetings.
• Provides a safe, therapeutic, and healing environment for infants, children, adolescents, and families.
• Responds to crisis situations appropriately, effectively, and calmly to ensure ongoing safety of children/families
• Organizes and manages special events, birthdays, holidays, graduations, special guests, and participates in the planning of house-wide family programming. Implements marketing strategies to encourage family participation.
• Implementation of developmentally appropriate legacy and memory activities for the child and/or siblings facing end of life, to allow expression of feelings, and inclusion in the process. Ensure memory making items are thoughtfully packaged and returned to families in a timely manner.
• Communicates on ongoing basis with nursing staff as to plans, interventions, and progress issues that impact care/status of child and family.
• Participates in the training, supervision, and evaluation of volunteers and Child Life student interns. Leads volunteers in Ryan House activities on a daily basis.
• Maintains current, accurate patient records in accordance with established protocols.
• Maintains and inventories bereavement materials, toy storage, and activity rooms.
• Facilitates developmentally appropriate swimming and aquatic activities, while following established safety procedures.
• Works with development team to create and implement resource driven child life budget.

Minimum Qualifications

• Masters preferred but not required in Child Development or related field.
• Current Child Life Specialist certification (CCLS) by the Child Life Council (CLC).
• Minimum two year of recent experience in a healthcare setting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hospice experience preferred.

Hospice of the Valley is an equal employment opportunity employer. EOE/M/F/D/V