Primary Responsibilities: 

• Assess children and families and identify needs for support during the forensic interview process and mental health appointments, providing strategies and evidence -based interventions to help them cope, while meeting their developmental, emotional, and psychosocial needs. 
• Develop support plans, as needed, for families to address children’s developmental needs, including children with disabilities or delays, while providing guidance to caregivers.
• Provide therapeutic intervention, support, and coping materials for children experiencing stressful events, such as: grief after a death, a mental health crisis, a change in living situation/family dynamic, and/or have been a witness to a homicide or other violent event. 
• Observe and monitor the child’s behavior and emotional responses and advocate for different psychosocial needs that may be impacted by the investigative process while incorporating best practice interventions in collaboration with the MDT. 
• Assess and respond to the needs of families in various child life areas, facilitating developmentally appropriate play outlets for children and support for caregivers. 
• As needed, prepare children and families for off-site medical exams using developmentally appropriate education materials. 
• Create and/or share established education materials across multiple mediums to address developmental needs that benefit current and future families.

• Supervise and facilitate group therapeutic activity sessions and special events.
• Utilize professionalism, collaborate with the MDT, and provide a safe environment during crisis situations.
• Participate in monthly MDT Case Review and other MDT workgroups and staffing's.
• Assist supervisor in the orientation and training of new child life staff, students, and volunteers. For students, only, submit weekly observations and midterm and final evaluations to Child Life Manager. 
• Take on the primary managerial role if Supervisor isn't on-site to guide child life assistants regarding best practices for implementing evidence-based intervention and assessment.
• Oversee Child Life students’ experiences and assessment of their skills through mock medical simulations. 
• Document child life interventions in the electronic case tracking system according to professional standards in a timely manner.
• In collaboration with the Child Life Supervisor, engage in the further development and implementation of the Child Life Program at ChicagoCAC. 
• Participate in local networking and training opportunities for professional development and training of other staff. 
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  

Discretion 

The Child Life Specialist has a mid-level range of discretion and independent decision-making. 

Supervisory Responsibilities 

The Child Life Specialist will take on all managerial responsibilities in the absence of the Child Life Manager. 

Relationships

The Child Life Specialist works closely with the Child Life Supervisor, Child Life Assistants and Students, Mental Health, Advocacy, Forensic Interviewing, and Support Services teams.  

Qualifications 

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in child life or child development related field
• 2-3 years of experience in a child life or human services capacity
• Completion of the required 600-hour child life internship
• Child Life Certification (or attained within six months of hire)
• CPR Certification (or attained within 90 days of hire)
• Excellent written and oral communications skills