Child Life Specialist
The Child Life Specialist at Confidential Client provides specialized psychosocial and developmental support to pediatric patients and their families through therapeutic play, education, and coping strategies. This role involves assessing children's needs, preparing them for medical procedures, and collaborating with healthcare teams to enhance patient care in a clinical pediatric environment.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Healthcare & Nursing.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
What You’ll Do
As a Child Life Specialist for the Confidential Client, you will plan, develop, and deliver Child Life programming to meet the psychosocial, emotional, and developmental needs of pediatric patients and their families. You will use age-appropriate play and therapeutic interventions to prepare children for procedures, promote coping, and support families.
- Evaluate developmental stage, coping ability, temperament and emotional state of pediatric patients
- Develop and implement strategic plans to reduce fear and anxiety related to the health care setting
- Deliver individualized interventions such as medical play, procedure preparation, education, and coping-skills training
- Lead patients, families, and staff through coping strategies during medical procedures
- Assess and apply family and patient coping strategies to support adaptation to hospitalization, illness, loss, or bereavement
- Provide consultative support and education to multidisciplinary staff about developmental and behavioral issues that impact patient care
- Create and maintain therapeutic, safe play environments; select and maintain toys and play materials in accordance with infection-control policies
- Document Child Life interventions in the medical record and maintain required departmental record-keeping
- Recruit, orient, schedule, and supervise Child Life volunteers and support ACLP-accredited internship/practicum activities as assigned
Qualifications
- Completion of a Child Life Internship (minimum 600 hours) under the direct supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist
- Bachelor’s degree in Child Development, Education, Psychology, or a related field
- Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) within 18 months of hire (Association of Child Life Professionals - ACLP)
- Minimum of 1 year related work experience preferred
- Strong communication, multitasking, organizational, and teamwork skills
- Commitment to ongoing professional development and maintenance of certification
Location & Schedule
Confidential Client — Danville, PA (onsite)
- Employment type: Full time
- Schedule: Days; typically 40 hours per week
- Incentives: Eligible candidates may receive up to a $5,000 sign-on bonus. Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates.
Benefits
Confidential Client offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:
- Full medical, dental, and vision benefits starting day one
- Multiple medical plan options and access to expanded provider networks
- Company-paid life insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage
- 401(k) with employer contributions
- Generous paid time off (PTO) accrual
- Up to $5,000 tuition reimbursement per calendar year
- Wellness programs with financial incentives
- Family-friendly supports (parental leave, adoption/fertility assistance, backup care resources)
- Employee Assistance Program (mental health, legal, caregiving resources)
- Coverage for ACLP membership and certification maintenance fees (department provided where applicable)
- Voluntary benefits including accident, critical illness, and pet insurance
Why You’ll Like This Role
- Meaningful, patient-facing work supporting children and families through healthcare experiences
- Opportunity to grow professionally within a teaching institution that supports internships and practicum supervision
- Competitive benefits and targeted recruitment incentives (sign-on bonus and relocation help)
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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