The Child Life Specialist (CLS) works in health care and community settings to address the psychosocial, emotional, and family concerns that accompany the illness and injury of infants, children, adolescents, and youth. The CLS utilizes developmentally appropriate information, procedure support, emotional processing, play, self-expression and empowerment to improve the coping and adjustment of patients and families. As a member of the psychosocial team, the CLS collaborates with the multidisciplinary healthcare teams to ensure that emotionally safe, family-centered care is being provided to patients and families. In addition, the CLS takes an active role in developing and maintaining resources, planning, and facilitating special events and providing educational opportunities throughout Children's Hospital Colorado (CHCO) and the community.
Additional Information
Department Name: CSH Child Life
Job Status: PRN
Shift: As needed
Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Child Life, Child Development, Counseling Psychology, Social Work, Education, or related fields.
Experience: Successful completion of 600 hours of child life internship under the direct supervision of a certified child life specialist.
Certification(s): Current Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS).
Responsibilities
POPULATION SPECIFIC CARE
Neonate - <30 days
Infancy - >30 days to 1yr
Toddlers - >1yr to 3yrs
Pre-Schoolers - >3yrs to 5yrs
School age - >5yrs to 13yrs
Adolescent - >13yrs to 18yrs
Adult - >18yrs to 65yrs
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all the following essential functions. These examples do not include all the functions which the employee may be expected to perform.
1. Applies formal and informal techniques to assess patient/family acuity and psychosocial risk while adapting services to meet the patient/family's needs, goals, and preferences. Collect, interpret, and integrate relevant data into psychosocial assessment and plan of care.
2. Considers the impact of diagnosis, procedures, and treatment. Incorporates into interventions the anticipated impacts of illness, injury, and healthcare experiences.
3. Facilitates basic interventions which allow children/youth to express feelings, process upsetting events, and explore positive coping skills while creating opportunities which strengthen the patient's self-esteem, independence, and understanding of medical diagnosis and care.
4. Utilizes best practice and/or evidenced-based practice to ensure high level of care.
5.
6. Facilitates basic interventions including psychological preparation and/or procedure support to infants/children/youth undergoing medical procedures or surgeries to improve coping and understanding.
7. Implements short-and long-term plans, resources, and/or programming to provide support for patients and families; monitors progress and evaluates overall developmental response to hospitalization and/or medical care.
8. Collaborates with internal and external CHCO organizational partners and participates in special events including fundraising efforts, to foster hospital engagement.
9. Documents in the patient electronic medical record to meet regulatory and departmental documentation and productivity requirements.
10. Participates in departmental committees, quality improvement, professional development, and/or research initiatives/programs related to child life services.
11. Provides education on the scope of child life services, the impact of healthcare on development, providing developmentally appropriate and emotionally safe medical care and professional boundaries for primary unit/population.
12. Provides guidance, feedback, and professional skill development opportunities for child life students.
Other Information
SCOPE & LEVEL
Guidelines: Trains in the field and assists higher level personnel to acquire learning through practical experience.
Complexity: Performs routine and/or basic tasks common to the field. Procedures, methods, and techniques to be used are well established with options to be considered well defined. Tools, work aids, and materials to be used are specified.
Decision Making: Duties assigned are primarily routine, repetitive, and restricted in intricacy with little or no discretion in how they are carried out.
Communications: Contacts with team members, clients, or the public where factual information relative to the organization or its functions are received, relayed, or a service rendered according to established procedures or instructions.
Supervision Received: Under close supervision, the team member receives training to develop skills and abilities in a specific line of work or general occupational area. Work product is subject to close, continuous inspection.
Physical Requirements
Ability to Perform Essential Functions of the Job
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Audio-Visual: Depth Perception: Good
Audio-Visual: Hearing: Good
Audio-Visual: Near Vision: Good
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Exposure: Exposure to blood/body fluid: Regular/Frequent.
Exposure: Exposure to cold/heat: Occasional.
Exposure: Exposure to infectious diseases: Occasional.
Exposure: Exposure to dampness: Occasional.
Mental and Emotional Requirements: Makes decisions under pressure.
Mental and Emotional Requirements: Manages stress appropriately.
Mental and Emotional Requirements: Works with others effectively.
Salary Information
Pay is dependent on applicant's relevant experience.
Hourly Range: $24.50 to $36.76
Benefits Information
As a Children's Hospital Colorado team member, you will receive a competitive pay and benefits package designed to take care of your needs that includes base pay, incentives, paid sick leave and a robust wellness program.
As part of our Total Rewards package, Children's Colorado offers an annual employee bonus program that rewards eligible team members based on organizational performance. If organizational goals are met for the year, the bonus is paid out the following April.
Children's Colorado delivers annual base pay increases to eligible team members based on their performance over the previous year.
EEO Statement
It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or any other status protected by law or regulation. Be aware that none of the questions are intended to imply illegal preferences or discrimination based on non-job-related information. The position is expected to stay open until the posted close date. Please submit your application as soon as possible as the posting is subject to close at any time once a sufficient pool of qualified applicants is obtained.
Colorado Residents: In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.
Children's Hospital Colorado
sick time
Jun 19, 2025