Hackensack Meridian Health·Neptune Township, New Jersey
The Child Life Specialist assesses the psychosocial and developmental needs of pediatric patients to provide a safe, nurturing environment that supports coping skills. They collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, educate families, and provide individual or group support in accordance with ACLP standards.
Overview Our team members are the heart of what makes us better.
At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed.
With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members.
Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning.
It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community.
Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.
The Child Life Specialist implements child life care providing a safe and nurturing environment where children and adolescents can enrich coping skills, address psychosocial needs, and increase understanding of issues related to medical experiences.
A day in the life of a Child Life Specialist at Hackensack Meridian Health includes: Assesses psychosocial and developmental needs of pediatric patients and develops care accordingly. Participates in interdisciplinary team rounding on assigned units. Educates families about the patient's developmental and coping responses to illness and hospitalization. Provides individual and/or group support for children and adolescents inpatient and outpatient. Provides Child Life Services to patient and family members in accordance with the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP). Maintains records of practices and tracks trends for reporting as requested. Works in collaboration and communicates with the treatment team to enhance care to patients. Completes timely documentation in EPIC as required. Task supervises volunteers, child life assistant or activities assistant. Provides supervision to child life students in accordance with department, educational site and ACLP standards. Maintains child friendly and safe playrooms as designated. Participates in team programming, i.e. task forces and committees within department or hospital. Assists with Child Life and CH Foundation events. Identifies the needs of the patient population served and modifies and delivers care that is specific to those needs (i.e., age. Culture, hearing and/or visually impaired, etc.) This process includes communicating with the patient, parent and/or primary caregiver(s) at their level (developmental/age, educational, literacy, etc.). Provide education about child life services to team members. Other duties and/or projects as assigned. Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.
Qualifications: Education,
Required: Bachelor's degree in Child Life or related field. Completion of Child Life Internship. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Proficient computer skills that include but are not limited to Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office platforms. Licenses and Certifications Required: Must acquire and maintain competencies, certifications and continuing education in order to meet any facility accreditation or individual licensing requirements. Licenses and Certifications Preferred: Certified Child Life Specialist.
Regular contact with HMH personnel, vendors, and/or visitors. If you feel the above description speaks directly to your strengths and capabilities, then please apply today! Starting Minimum Rate Minimum rate of $53,601.60 Annually Job Posting Disclosure HMH is committed to pay equity and transparency for our team members. The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act and does not reflect the full value of our market-competitive total rewards package. The starting rate of pay is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee of a specific offer. Posted hourly rates may be stated as an annual salary in the offer and posted annual salaries may be stated as an hourly rate in the offer, depending on the level and nature of the job duties and credentials of the candidate. The base compensation determined at the time of the offer may be different than the posted rate of pay based on a number of non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to:
Labor
Market
Data: Compensation is benchmarked against market data to ensure competitiveness.
Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree in Child Life or a related field and have completed a Child Life internship. Proficiency in computer platforms like Google Suite or Microsoft Office and strong communication skills are required.
Market context
Child Life Specialist openings in New Jersey are typically tied to pediatric hospitals and health systems that need staff who can support children and families during care. These roles are competitive because employers often look for a bachelor’s degree in Child Life or a related field, a completed internship, and strong communication plus computer skills. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to save time, then confirm internship details and software experience before applying.