Child Life Specialists
Helping Patients & Families Feel More at Ease
A Child Life Specialist is a staff member specifically trained to help reduce the stress and anxiety that often accompanies a child in the hospital.
Child Life Specialists use play to help patients:
- Develop ways to cope with fear, anxiety and separation
- Understand and cope with a new diagnosis or illness
- Adjust to the hospital experience
- Facilitate a sense of mastery and control
- Provide an outlet for self-expression
- Promote normal growth and development
- Provide non-threatening, age-appropriate explanations and preparations
- Provide relaxation and guided imagery to help reduce pain and to promote relaxation
- Provide support for the patient’s siblings
- Offer legacy building and memory making to cope with death/dying and grief
Child Life Specialists are here to help support patients and their families by advocating for their needs and promoting family-centered care.
About our team
As a member of the treatment team, a Child Life Specialist is trained to provide therapeutic play, including medical play, and developmentally appropriate activities utilizing their knowledge of child development theories, play, stress relief, coping techniques and family systems. These techniques can be utilized at the bedside, in the playroom, teen room or in clinic areas.
A Child Life Specialist is trained at the bachelor or master’s level in child life, child development, psychology, therapeutic recreation or another similar field. They have also completed an internship and passed a national certification exam.
If you would like more information on child life you can visit:
Call 504.896.9350.
