My Profile Menu
ACLP recognizes that practicums have become a barrier within the pathway to the child life profession. Pre-internship experiences, such as practicums, are not required by the Child Life Certification Commission and ACLP does not endorse practicums or other pre-internship programs.
Monroe Carell, Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt established the Child Life Program in 1969. It began as a one-person, purely recreational program, and has grown to a large and diverse child life staff. Our Director of Child Life and Volunteer Services and Director of Patient and Family-Centered Care are Certified Child Life Specialists who coordinate and supervise child life specialists and assistants. They also oversee Volunteer Services, Spiritual Care Services, the Family Resource Center, Hospital School Program, Creative Arts team, Facility Dog program and the Friends Gift Shop. Our team works cooperatively with the multidisciplinary healthcare team to meet the needs of pediatric patients and their families utilizing high standards of patient-and-family-centered care. Our program has 29 child life specialists covering all of our inpatient units, intensive care units, three outpatient clinics, Radiology, Perioperative Services, Emergency Department, and consults placed in our Adult Critical Care tower for children with a relative in this area. Our team utilizes developmentally appropriate play, education, and support to normalize the child’s environment, promote optimal growth and development, aid in patient understanding and coping, provide emotional support, and advocate for the individualized needs of a patient and their family.
1970
Free Standing Children's Academic Hospital
A patient referral or consultation is not required for child life programs and services
Outside areas are serviced
Nursing
Managed by the volunteer program
Program is not offered
Offered by the hospital/other department
Program is not offered
Offered by the hospital/other department
Managed by the child life department
Program is not offered
Offered by the hospital/other department
Program is not offered
Program is not offered
Managed by the child life department
Program is not offered
Offered by the hospital/other department
Program is not offered
Program is not offered
Managed by the child life department
35
29
5
2
7
34
Yes
Katie Beard Smith
katie.e.beard@vumc.org
615 421 8915
https://www.childrenshospitalvanderbilt.org/information/child-life-internship
600
Yes
No
No
Yes
2
2
0
0
Yes
No
No
Yes
Katie Beard Smith
katie.e.beard@vumc.org
615-421-8915
https://www.childrenshospitalvanderbilt.org/information/child-life-practicum
120
No
No
Yes
2
2
2
0
No
No
No
Yes
615 936 4575
450
Yes
615 936 4575
450
320
23
120
20
19
0
0
12
0
0
0
0
0
0