The Child Life Specialist plans and implements a comprehensive program to minimize psychological trauma and promote optimal development for pediatric patients and families. This includes providing medical preparation, facilitating healthful play, and collaborating with the healthcare team to ensure continuity of care.
Requirements summary
A Bachelor's degree in Education, Child Development, Child Life, or a related field is required, along with a completed internship under a certified specialist. Candidates must be eligible for Professional Child Life Certification and obtain it within 18 months of hire.
CURRENT BRONSON EMPLOYEES - Please apply using the career worklet in Workday. This career site is for external applicants only. Love Where You Work! Team Bronson is compassionate, resilient and strong. We are driven by Positivity which inspires us to be our best and to go above and beyond for our patients, for one another, and for our community. If you’re ready for a rewarding new career, join Team Bronson and be part of the experience. Location BMH Bronson Methodist Hospital Title Child Life Specialist Pediatric Clinics 40 hours/1st shift- Kalamazoo The Child Life Specialist is responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive Child Life Program that promotes optimal development of children, adolescents, and families to maintain normal living patterns and to minimize psychological trauma. As an integral member of the health care team, the Child Life Specialist provides a sense of mastery, for play, for learning, for self-expression, for family involvement, and for peer interaction. Employees providing direct patient care must demonstrate competencies specific to the population served. Bachelor's degree in Education, Child Development, Child Life or related field, with an internship completed under the supervision of a certified Child Life Specialist required. Eligible for Professional Child Life Certification upon hire; Certification from the Child Life Certification Commission (CLCC) as a Certified Child Life Specialist within 18 months of hire. A minimum of two attempts to pass the exam are required within the first year of hire.
Must have basic computer usage skills and proficiency in computerized patient charting systems.
Must have a working knowledge of medical terminology and medical diagnoses, tests, and procedures.
Demonstrates both excellent verbal and written communication skills. Regularly communicates clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, as a demonstration of the function of effective process and relationships with the patient and members of the interdisciplinary team. Targeted audiences can include varying age- and knowledge-levels.
Requires a commitment to exceptional customer service.
Demonstrates effective interviewing, problem-solving and critical thinking in providing services to patients. Work which produces levels of mental/visual fatigue which are typical of jobs that perform a wide variety of duties with frequent and significant uncontrollable deadlines. Work may include the operation of and full attention to a personal computer or CRT up to 40 percent of the time. Involves considerable standing or walking, regular lifting of light-weight objects (i.e., 20 pounds or less) and assisting with heavier tasks such as assisting in lifting and moving patients. Minor straining or fatiguing positions must be assumed, and some fatiguing physical motions are required.
Benefits
Sign-On Bonus
Retention Bonus
Collaborates with other members of the healthcare team to support and initiate the developmental and psychosocial needs of children and to ensure continuity of care and coordination of services
Plans and provides age and developmentally appropriate experiences to ensure cognitive and emotional growth.
Plans, implements, and provides appropriate information on psychosocial and medical preparation for hospitalization and medical encounters for pediatric/adolescent patients and families in collaboration with other health care professionals.
Develops and maintains an environment which encourages healthful play, normal growth and development, including playroom and bulletin boards.
Collects and reports pertinent data.
Assists with supervision of and mentoring of students and volunteers. Shift First Shift Time Type Full time Sign-On Bonus External Candidates Only: Up to $1,000.00 Retention Bonus External Candidates Only, $1,000.00 Scheduled Weekly Hours 40 Cost Center 6450 General Pediatrics Unit (BMH) Agency Use Policy and Agency Submittal Disclaimer Bronson Healthcare Group and its affiliates (“Bronson”) strictly prohibit the acceptance of unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party recruiting agencies ("Recruiters") in response to job postings or word of mouth. Unsolicited resumes sent to any employee of Bronson by Recruiters, without both a valid written agreement with Bronson and a direct written request from the Bronson Talent Acquisition Department for a specific job position, will be considered the property of Bronson. Furthermore, no fees will be owed or paid to Recruiters who submit resumes for unsolicited candidates, even if those candidates are hired. This policy applies regardless of whether the Recruiter has a pre-existing agreement with Bronson. Only candidates submitted through a specific written agreement with the Bronson Talent Acquisition Department for a named position are eligible for fee consideration. Bronson Healthcare is a community-owned, not-for-profit health system that has been serving southwest Michigan since 1900. Today, with a workforce of 9,000 people and 1,500 medical staff members, it is the area’s largest employer and leading healthcare system. Bronson provides care in virtually every specialty and offers a full range of services from primary care to critical care at more than 100 locations. Bronson’s exceptionally high quality standards enable us to do what’s right for our patients and their families. We are empowered as individuals and as teams, to apply our skills and experience so that every patient receives safe, timely and effective treatment. What’s more, our state-of-the-art, technology and evidence-based processes give us the tools we need to deliver the right care, at the right time. By putting each patient and their family at the center of our work, we demonstrate the dignity and respect we have for each individual we serve. This unwavering commitment to serving others combined with our unique healing environment helps make the patient experience here an exceptional one. The excellence and Positivity of our employees and medical staff has contributed to Bronson Healthcare being ranked by Forbes as one of America’s Best-In-State Employers (2022-23), by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women (2023) and by the National Association for Business Resources as one of the 2023 Top 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.
Market context
Child life roles in Michigan pediatric care
In Michigan, Child Life Specialist roles in pediatric clinics are typically tied to steady demand for professionals who can support children and families during care. These positions are competitive because employers often look for a related bachelor’s degree, a completed internship under a certified specialist, and eligibility for Professional Child Life Certification within 18 months. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to save research time, then confirm your internship experience and certification timeline before applying.
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