Child Life Specialist (Bereavement Coordinator)

Atrium Health is one of the nation’s leading healthcare organizations, connecting patients with on-demand care, world-class specialists and the region’s largest primary care network. A recognized leader in healthcare delivery, quality and innovation, our foundation rests on providing clinically excellent and compassionate care.

We’ve been serving our community since 1940, when we opened our doors as Charlotte Memorial Hospital. Since then, our network has grown to include more than 40 hospitals and 900 care locations ranging from doctors’ offices to behavioral health centers to nursing homes.

Our focus: Delivering the highest quality patient care, supporting medical research and education, and joining with partners outside our walls to keep our community healthy.

Job Summary

Provides information, education, support and guidance to parents, siblings and other family members. Promotes effective coping and play, preparation, education and self-expression activities. Provides emotional support for families and encourages optimum development of children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to healthcare and hospitalization.

Pediatric healthcare experience - preferably in an acute care setting or outpatient oncology

Essential Functions
 

• Plans, implements, and evaluates short and long term goals to support the psychosocial and developmental needs of the pediatric and neonatal patients.
• Works with the multidisciplinary team to provide education to patients and families and to formulate and implement a plan of care.
• Collaborates with appropriate departments when planning and implementing special activities and events that assist the patient and family with normalizing their hospital experience.
• Serves as a patient and family advocate through the philosophy of family centered care.
• Assists with planning, presenting and evaluating in-service education.
• Works with the Child Life Assistants and Volunteer Services to on-board and evaluate volunteers as needed.
• Provides education and supervision of student interns for the Child Life Department.
• Assists with on-boarding and mentoring of new teammates and Child Life interns.

Physical Requirements
 

Work requires walking, standing, silting, lifting, stooping, bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling. Must be able to lift and support 51 pounds of weight in handling patients, medical equipment, and supplies.

Education, Experience and Certifications
 

Bachelor's Degree in Human Growth and Development, Education, Psychology or a related field of study. Experience with completion of student placement/internship in a Child Life Program in a healthcare setting required. Current Child Life Certification required. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required. Good organization and time management skills are required.