Child Life Specialist - Pediatric Emergency Department-Days

At NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital of the Children’s Hospital of New York, together with our affiliate Weill Cornell Medicine, we’re committed to improving the health of infants, children, and adolescents through high-quality and comprehensive patient care, medical education, scientific research, and child and family advocacy. Step into a dynamic Child Life Department to work side-by-side with respected leaders in our field. Our Child Life Specialists (CLS) provide support services to pediatric patients based on theirexpertise in child development and the impact that illness, injury, disability, and hospitalization have on this process. Therapeutic interventions and programming elements are designed to reduce distress, increase adaptive coping as well as protect and enhance developmental integrity. Our child life team specializes in helping children and families cope with medical situations by individualizing care to meet their social, emotional, developmental, and educational needs through assessment and therapeutic intervention. At the Children’s Hospital of New York child life specialists are active participants in interdisciplinary team meetings and offer the healthcare team valuable insight into the developmental and psychosocial needs of children and their families. In addition to providing services to pediatric patients and families, our child life specialists also provide targeted support to adult patients who may have children/family needs which require child life intervention.

Support the psychosocial needs of children and families as a Child-Life Specialist at New York’s No. 1 children’s hospital (U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-25 Best Children’s Hospitals). Join a high-functioning team of professionals and bring new meaning to multidisciplinary excellence in our Pediatric Emergency Department.

This position will cover our Pediatric Emergency Department.

The shifts will be 4 days/week – 10 hours/day

Rotating weekends and 1 holiday every other year.

Preferred Criteria:

1-2 years paid professional experience with hospitalized children

Master’s degree in child life or related field  

1 year of child life experience

Required Criteria:

Bachelor’s Degree in Child Life, Child Development or closely related field
Child Life Council verified internship hours (minimum 480 hours)
Certified Child Life Specialist

Association for Child Life Professionals Certification (earned or within 1 year of hire) 
Knowledge of child development, medical terminology, developmental/therapeutic play

Demonstrates understanding of patient centered care

Knowledge of current healthcare environment