Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is Canada’s hospital for children and youth with disabilities and developmental differences. Serving more than 9,000 families annually through inpatient and outpatient programs and services, our teams are helping to shape the future of pediatric disability care.

As a top 40 Canadian research hospital and academic hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Holland Bloorview integrates care, teaching, research and scholarship to advance practice and improve the lives of children and youth with disabilities and developmental differences. All clinical staff are expected to contribute to the academic agenda through one or more of the following activities: supervising students, teaching, academic service, scholarship and/or research.

Holland Bloorview has achieved 100 per cent in four successive surveys by Accreditation Canada, an unprecedented achievement in safety. We are also proud to be recognized among Greater Toronto’s Top Employers, Canada’s Top Employers for Young People and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

Here, you will find an inspiring, inclusive, innovative and collaborative work environment, competitive compensation and benefits, and programs that support ongoing learning, professional growth and well-being, so you can do meaningful work while continuing to grow your career.

Position Summary:

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Certified Child Life Specialist to develop, implement and evaluate a new CLS model within ambulatory clinics at Holland Bloorview. The CLS will partner with clinical teams, collaborative practice leads, operational leaders as well as clients and families to assess their child life needs. This will help in creating models of service that promote effective, innovative and trauma-informed child life services across ambulatory care.

Working within the Learning Health System, the child life will implement service within care teams as well as to clients and families, evaluate service effectiveness across several domains, and adjust services as necessary.

Child life services promote children and families’ coping and positive adjustment to illness and health care/therapeutic services through a variety of expressive mediums. Child life services will further heighten awareness of and sensitivity to the developmental and psychosocial needs of children and family members among staff, students, volunteers and community professionals. This role will be an integral member of the Needs Based Care team, supporting children, youth and families across ambulatory clinics and programs.

The roles focuses on reducing anxiety, improving cooperation, and creating positive experiences through developmentally appropriate individualized preparation, support and coping strategies for clients with disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, behavioural challenges and other complex care needs.

This is a regular full-time (1.0 FTE) permanent position.

Key Responsibilities:

Direct Care





- Provides therapeutic play opportunities and programming designed to reduce stress, help clients cope with illness and health care services, promote development, and foster independence, a positive self-esteem and a sense of mastery through a framework of client and family-centred care which is goal directed, evidence based and outcome oriented
- Supports and respects the client/family’s rights to make decisions based on their own values, beliefs and experiences; promotes and supports the physical, psychosocial and spiritual well being of clients and families
- Provides pre-appointment preparation using visual schedules, social stories, and desensitization techniques, and diversional activities and celebrations as appropriate
- Helps prepare clients for diagnostic, therapeutic, clinical, dental and other ambulatory care procedures through medical play, demonstration, discussion and various expressive mediums in efforts to promote positive coping, adjustment and cooperation with hospital procedures and experiences
- Provides emotional support to clients during times of stress to include: measures of comfort; clarifying information; coping support during treatment; and post-procedure follow-up to support the resolution of feelings of fear, anxiety and pain
- Provides emotional support to clients, families, and significant others, and plans and implements activities which help to alleviate fears and anxieties regarding illness and health care services
- Observes and assesses clients’ psychosocial behaviour, coping, emotional adjustment, and parent/child relationship, etc., to determine plans for Child Life Services and/or interdisciplinary intervention and necessary referrals
- Collaborates with members of the interdisciplinary teams to plan and implement an individualized intervention program to: foster self-esteem and a sense of mastery; promote coping and enhance individual coping strategies; promote positive interpersonal relationships; prevent behavioural regression; promote optimal development and the achievement of developmental milestones
- Provides support, education and feedback to families regarding developmental and psychosocial needs, appropriate interventions, advocacy, and the ongoing development of positive parenting and coping strategies
- Collaborates with family members and the interdisciplinary team to assess the client’s needs, develop a plan of care, and evaluate this plan. Provides client and family-centred care which is goal directed, evidence based and outcome oriented
- Ensures that a plan of care addressing therapeutic, developmental and psychosocial needs is current for each client
- Documents ongoing assessment,



interaction and evaluation of information in clients’ health record as appropriate
- Communicates with family members and external partners as appropriate to ensure continuity of developmental and therapeutic programming and care

Non-Direct Care

- Co-ordinates the operations and resources of Child Life Services i.e. play and intervention supplies, equipment, and facilities, etc.
- Maintains current and up-to-date statistical records of workload measures for Child Life Services and completes monthly workload reporting as required.
- Responsible for contributing to the ongoing development and evaluation of Child Life Service goals, objectives, safety standards and standards of practice for Child Life profession
- Provides orientation, training, supervision and evaluation of Child Life internship placements
- Provides in-services and educational experiences to students, staff and community agents regarding the psychosocial needs of children and adolescents in hospital with illness and/or disabilities
- Participates in Holland Bloorview's academic agenda (e.g. research, education) aimed at enhancing qualify care for children and families as appropriate
- Maintains ongoing communication with Team-oriented Practice Leader and reports to the Clinical Operations Manager
- Participates in quality improvement activities and supports the maintenance of a safe and healthy work environment for staff, clients and families

Qualifications: Education

- A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, child studies, or health-related study required.
- Master’s degree (M.A., M.Sc., or M.Ed.) or Child Life graduate diploma preferred.

Certification/Licenses

- Hold Child Life Specialist Professional Certification (C.C.L.S.) OR in the process of certifying as a C.C.L.S.
- Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) membership preferred

Experience

- A minimum of two (2) years’ experience working with children and families, including one (1) year experience as a Clinical Child Life Specialist in healthcare setting is preferred
- Experience and comfort working with children with a variety of disabilities
- English language communication skills required to prepare documentation and verbally communicate with all levels of staff and the public
- Ability to develop a sense of trust and positive, supportive therapeutic relationship with infants, children, adolescents and families in a healthcare setting
- Ability to assess development, stress response, coping and behavioural expression in infants, children, and adolescents; identify areas of strength and areas in need of further development; and determine interventions to prevent emotional trauma and promote positive coping, adjustment and progressive development
- Ability to provide preparation prior to medical/nursing procedures; support through procedures; and meaningful resolution following procedures
- Ability to develop strong interpersonal relations and work and communicate effectively with other professionals and various working teams, and work across different program structures

📌 Child Life Specialist, Needs-Based Care (Toronto)
🏢 Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
📍 Toronto