Child Life Specialist - Baton Rouge, United States - Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System

Description

Job Description

Promotes and maintains the delivery of quality social services for patients and their families and acts as an advocate for hospitalized children and adolescents in an effort to promote high quality patient health and wellness. The Child Life Specialist markets health care services, develops individualized treatment plans, and creates education training programs.

Responsibilities

1. Patient Care
a. Promotes patient health and wellness by acting as an advocate for hospitalized children and adolescents and providing emotional support during stressful events (e.g., ER visits, admissions, medical procedures). Ensures that children receive appropriate psychosocial preparation for hospitalization and medical encounters by encouraging the expression and understanding of feelings associated with illness and hospitalization through developmentally appropriate activities and stress reduction techniques in an effort to enhance social and emotional development and facilitate recovery.
b. Develops individualized treatment plans based on thorough patient assessment and evaluation of child's developmental level, coping style, social support network, and required medical procedures in an effort toward meeting child and family health care needs.

2. Collaboration and Partnership
a. Assists in marketing health care services for developed programs within the hospital and community, researches and evaluates consumer health and wellness needs, and continuously develops high quality programs to address consumer needs and optimize departmental and hospital performance.
b. Develops positive relationships between the hospital and community agencies, special interest and civic groups, and professional affiliations by acting as a hospital representative. Works through civic groups and public education activities to improve community health and foster the hospital's image as a leader in the health care industry.
c. Promotes compassionate health care services by communicating and interpreting patient and caregiver concerns to staff members through treatment team meetings and consultation. Participates in and coordinates treatment team meetings to identify and address patient and caregiver needs and follows up with discussions regarding treatment goals.
d. Develops required reports and maintains accurate records for use in evaluating departmental performance. Identifies ways of improving current services and consults with supervisors on employee and operational issues and problems.
e. Participates in public health education programs, hospital projects, and community relations programs in an effort to promote the hospital's image as a leader in the health care industry and foster the well-being of others within the community.

3. Quality
a. Creates and presents education training programs and for medical and nursing staff and provides child development training for parents in an effort to promote an understanding of the continuity of child development from infancy to childhood.
b. Promotes and maintains the delivery of high quality mental health care services for patients and their families in a manner that enables them to deal with the impact of illness and distress and achieve maximum benefit from the health care services provided by the hospital.
c. Creates and procures high quality developmentally appropriate activities for children and adolescents in an effort to promote a home environment in the hospital, minimize psychological trauma, and enhance patient health and recovery.
d. Assists in the development and implementation of continuous quality improvement programs and participates in multi-disciplinary continuous quality improvement efforts. Assists in ensuring that all services provided by the department are performed with compassion, understanding, and respect for others.
e. Promotes the quality and efficiency of his/her own performance through participation in staff educational programs, approved continuing education courses, and specialized skill training programs.

4. Other Duties As Assigned
a. Performs other duties as assigned or requested.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor's Degree, Child Life Internship

Special Skills
Child Development, Child Life, Human Development or related field

Licensure
Certification by the Child Life CouncilEligibility to sit for the Child Life Council Certification Exam

About Us

The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System is a leading health care innovator in Louisiana and Mississippi. We bring together outstanding clinicians, the most advanced technology and leading research to ensure that our patients receive the highest quality and safest care possible.

This commitment is grounded in a history that is more than 100 years old, but reflected today by our strategic vision of transforming healthcare through superior performance and excellent patient care.
In the last fiscal year, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System had:

• 1,747 Licensed Beds
• 65,322 Discharges
• 44,592 OR Procedures
• 10,827 Full Time Employees
• 331,360 Inpatient Days
• 1,915 Active Medical Staff
• 229,296 Emergency Visits

As a nonprofit, mission-focused Catholic healthcare ministry, we give special attention to our citizens who are most in need. During the most recent fiscal year, we provided more than $39 million in unreimbursed care and community support to the underprivileged.

Our health system is one of the largest in Louisiana, with hospitals, clinics and physicians located throughout Louisiana and in Mississippi. In fact, we provide care to almost half of Louisiana's citizens, and serve in Mississippi's largest metropolitan area. Because of our size and the partnerships we have with other local organizations, we are able to pool our resources and share cost and service efficiencies and learn from each other, thereby accelerating our ability to improve care and solve challenges.

Since our founding in Monroe, Louisiana in 1911, we have been blessed by the guidance of the Franciscan Sisters. Through their guidance and steadfast example, we have committed to assure that we perpetuate their healing ministry for another hundred years. It is a noble purpose we strive to fulfill every day.

Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we serve patients across Louisiana and Mississippi through a network of hospitals, clinics, physicians, elderly housing and integrated information system. Our health system has partnered with the State of Louisiana as it transforms its healthcare delivery system. The partnership includes inpatient acute care and primary care delivery in Baton Rouge and Bogalusa.

Following in the footsteps of our founders, the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, our team members and physicians are called to provide high quality care and compassion to all people, especially those most in need.

As we look to the future of our healthcare ministry, we chart our course by "going where we are called."