Areas Where Child Life Services Are Offered

• Program Description

  The Child Life Department at Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital is a clinically based program which focuses on meeting the needs of hospitalized children and families through education and preparation for medical procedures, emotional support, therapeutic play and developmentally appropriate activities. The mission of the Child Life Department is to facilitate positive adjustment to hospitalization by providing and advocating for services, which are family-centered, psychosocially sound, and developmentally appropriate. The department is staffed by five full time Certified Child Life Specialists who are each assigned a specific patient population. Care plans and pathways for child life services are utilized for patient populations, such as, sickle cell disease, cancer, asthma, and diabetes. Theory-based planning, intervention, and documentation are heavily valued and relied upon. The Child Life staff functions as an integral part of the healthcare team and advocates that healthcare systems and practices are most effective when they are planned, coordinated, delivered, and evaluated through meaningful collaboration among families and professionals across all disciplines. In addition, the Child Life Department participates in several multi-disciplinary committees such as Children’s Miracle Network fundraising, Employee Engagement, Quality Improvement, Pediatric Palliative Care, and Unit Council meetings to name a few. Programs such as: pet therapy, horticulture therapy, pre-surgery hospital tours for patients and their families, multi-disciplinary in-services and many others are planned and facilitated by the department.

• Facility Type

  Children's Hospital Within an Adult Hospital

Complementary Programming

Child Life Staffing

• # Days Per Week Program is Staffed

  7

• # of Child Life Specialists

  9

Internship Availability Information

• Does this program offer internships?

  Yes

• Is the Internship paid? -

• Internship Coordinator Name

  Logan Talbert

• Internship Coordinator Email

  childlifeinternship@fmolhs.org

• Internship Coordinator Phone

  225-374-1550

• Web Site

  www.ololchildrens.org

• Number of Internship Hours Offered

  600

• Internship Application Requirements
  •  Affiliation with a College or University
  •  Completed Practicum
  •  Relevant Volunteer Experience
  •  Relevant Work Experience

• Does this program follow the ACLP recommended application deadlines?

  Yes

• Does this program accept unaffiliated interns?

  Yes

• Does this program require liability insurance for unaffiliated interns?

  Yes

• Does this program accept international interns?

  No

• Number of Open Internship Positions - Fall Cycle

  1

• Number of Open Internship Positions - Winter/Spring Cycle

  1

• Number of Open Internship Positions - Summer Cycle

  0

• Number of Open Internship Positions - Other/Non-standard Cycle

  0

• Does the internship require application materials in addition to the common application?

  Yes

• Does the internship application require official transcripts?

  No information provided

• Does the internship require an in-person interview?

  No

Practicum Availability Information

• Does this program offer practicums?

  Yes

• Practicum Coordinator Name

  Ashley Bares

• Practicum Coordinator Email

  childlifepracticum@fmolhs.org

• Practicum Coordinator Phone

  225-374-1550

• Practicum Program Website

  https://ololchildrens.org/our-network/clinical-specialties/child-life-specialists/child-life-practicum-program

• Total # of practicum hours

  120

• Practicum Application Requirements

  Relevant Volunteer Experience

• Does this program accept unaffiliated practicum students?

  Yes

• Does this program require liability insurance for unaffiliated practicum students?

  Yes

• Does this program accept international practicum students?

  No

• Number of Open Practicum Positions - Fall Cycle

  1

• Number of Open Practicum Positions - Winter/Spring Cycle

  1

• Number of Open Practicum Positions - Summer Cycle

  0

• Number of Open Practicum Positions - Other/Non-standard Cycle

  0

• Does the practicumapplication require official transcripts?

  No information provided

• Does the practicum require an in-person interview?

  No

Fellowship Availability Information

• Offers Fellowships

  No

Volunteer Opportunities

• Are there volunteer opportunities at this hospital?

  Yes

• Hospital Volunteer Program Phone #

  225-374-1550

• Are there child life specific volunteer opportunities at this hospital?

  Yes

• Child Life Volunteer Program Phone #

  225-374-1550

Main Hospital Beds

Satellite Hospital Beds