Child Life Specialist

Child Life Specialist (Hackensack University Medical Center)

Location:

Hackensack, New Jersey

Requisition # | Shift: Day | Status:
Full Time with Benefits

Schedule:

Wednesday – Saturday from 12:00 pm – 10:30 pm.

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community.

Together, we keep getting better — advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

• Assesses psychosocial and developmental needs of pediatric patients and develops care accordingly.
• Counsel family members regarding issues related to the patient's development and ability to cope with their hospitalization, diagnosis, and medical treatment.
• Provides individual and/or group support for children and adolescents inpatient and/or outpatient.
• Provides Child Life Services to patients and family members in accordance with the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) and defined and interpreted by supervisor.
• Maintains records of practices and tracks trends for reporting as requested.
• Works in collaboration and communicates with treatment team to enhance care to patients.
• Completes timely documentation in EPIC as required.
• Helps oversee Child Life volunteers within unit.
• Task‑supervises interns within the Child Life/Creative Arts Therapy department.
• Provides supervision to bachelor’s‑level child life interns in accordance with department, educational site, and ACLP standards.
• Maintains child‑friendly and safe playrooms as designated.
• Participates in team programming, e.g., task forces and committees within department or hospital.
• Assists with Child Life and CH Foundation events.
• Identifies the needs of the patient population served and modifies and delivers care that is specific to those needs (e.g., age, culture, hearing and/or visually impaired, etc.). This process includes communicating with the patient, parent and/or primary caregiver(s) at their level (developmental/age, educational, literacy, etc.).
• Adheres to the standards identified in the Medical Center's Organizational Competencies.

• Bachelor's degree in creative arts therapy, child psychology, special education, occupational therapy, social work, or equivalent.
• Minimum of 1 year utilizing Child Life services or an internship with children/adolescents in a medical setting.

• Certified Child Life Specialist within 18 months of entering the position.

Starting at $55,556.80 annually.

HMH is committed to pay equity and transparency for our team members. The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good‑faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act and does not reflect the full value of our market‑competitive total rewards package.

HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH (HMH) IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding, genetic information, refusal to submit to a genetic test or make available to an employer the results of a genetic test, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, national origin, nationality, ancestry, disability, marital status, liability for military service, or status as a protected veteran.