They also provide emotional support for families and siblings take steps to encourage typical child development and educate the medical community about the negative effects of stress on children. But just because were a childrens hospital doesnt mean we only treat little kids.
Meet The Professional What Does A Child Life Specialist Do Hand To Hold
The goal of a certified child life specialist CCLS is to reduce the stress and anxiety childrenand families experience related to healthcare and hospitalization.
What does a child life specialist do. Using our training in child development Child Life Specialists provide psychosocial support to children and families in the health care setting. A child life specialists primary job is to reduce stress in children and to help them understand any medical procedures theyll be undergoing. CCLSs are experts in child development.
They provide services to the child to the childs family and to the general public. A child life specialist works with children and families during stressful events like hospitalizations and medical treatments. A child life specialist is a healthcare professional who helps children and their families navigate different or traumatic situations like illness death or other forms of trauma.
Research confirms the traumatic effects of hospitalization on children. My alarm goes off and I quickly push snooze. Child life specialists help young patients develop ways to cope with the anxiety fear and separation that often accompany the hospital experience.
Many child life specialists are employed by hospitals hospice programs courtrooms bereavement groups early intervention programs camps and community groups. But there are those child life specialists who go above and beyond to ensure their patients have the best possible hospital experience. In fact we are trained to assess and respond to the needs of all hospitalized children.
They promote effective coping through education preparation and play. Follow along for a day in the life of Karlie an oncology child life specialist. Child life specialists are trained professionals with expertise in helping children and their families overcome lifes most challenging events and the importance of their services has been well documented.
For children child life specialists assist with counseling the child prior to significant tests surgeries and major medical procedures. For a child life specialist at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children no two days are the same. The following are just a few resources highlighting the need for child life services in hospitals and a variety of other settings.
What Does a Child Life Specialist Do. Child life specialists are pediatric health care professionals who work with children and families in hospitals and other settings to help them cope with the challenges of. The Child Life Program offers personalized services to children and families while they are receiving care including education play and support.
I lay in bed for a bit longer as I am still trying to master the art of getting out of bed as soon as the alarm tells. The goal is to help each family cope more effectively. They give special consideration to each childs family culture and stage of development.
They work with children under 18 years of age although patients are often younger children and their families to ease discomfort during hospital visits as well as educate children on health issues and topics. A child life specialist has several varied responsibilities. What is a child life specialist.
Care Dimensions Childrens Program Manager Cammy Adler-Roth and Child Life Coordinator Keyla Kelley discuss how they help children and families through the e. With the aim of reducing. A child life specialist is a healthcare worker who is often employed in the pediatric department of a hospital among other venues.
Child life specialists work closely with children and families in medical settings serving as emotional support and helping develop family coping strategies. Certified by the Child Life Council child life specialists are trained to use play age-appropriate language creative arts therapies family centered care and distraction and relaxation techniques to help each child navigate the hospital experience using his or her best abilities for coping. CHOC child life specialists work with teen and young adult patients too.
Every child life specialist performs certain dutiesfor example providing emotional support to pediatric patients during their hospital stay and advocating on behalf of the patient in discussions with the healthcare team.
