This session will include how child life specialists utilize fundamental skills to establish rapport with patients in the FHC by providing non-medical, emotional support. By establishing consistent and trusting relationships with families, child life specialists help decrease anxiety by offering a safe space for open discussion, validation of emotions, and guidance through complex hospital experiences. Unlike medical teams focused on clinical care, child life specialists assess the psychosocial well-being of families, helping them process difficult information and feel seen beyond their diagnosis. Child life specialists are trained to recognize the emotional needs of high-risk pregnancies, prolonged hospitalizations, and help normalize these feelings while offering coping strategies.

Child life specialists introduce interventions for patients to hospital resources such as caregiver events, art activities, and facility dog interventions. Additionally, therapeutic dog visits are led by child life specialists to bring moments of comfort, joy, and relaxation to reduce stress and promote positive mental health practices. These interventions encourage caregivers to take breaks, get out of bed, and engage with their environment in a meaningful way. Whether through distraction, normalization, or psychosocial support, child life specialists ensure caregivers feel supported, informed, and empowered throughout their journey, making a significant difference in their overall hospital experience.

Child life specialists provide bereavement support and facilitate memory making in the FHC by helping families create lasting keepsakes of their child's hand and footprints on charms, canvases and utilizing a 3D printer. These items help to honor and remember the baby in a personal and meaningful way.

Lastly, supporting siblings during challenging conversations, promoting emotional expression, and educational opportunities, are a pillar of child life in the FHC. From preparing siblings for what to anticipate, to diagnosis teaching, child life specialists collaborate with caregivers to create a safe and supportive environment to set siblings up for success.

Suggested Domain: Assessment, Intervention

Credits: 1.0 PDU

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on 10/27/29, regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 10/27/29.

This 90-minute session will explore the use of immersive virtual reality (VR) as a procedural support tool, specifically during pediatric burn dressing changes. Drawing from lived clinical experience, the presenter, a practicing CCLS will describe how immersive therapeutic VR is integrated into her high-acuity procedural workflow.

The first portion of the session will outline the clinical and developmental rationale for exploring immersive VR in a pediatric setting (30 minutes). Participants will learn how the presenter assessed various technology options and ultimately selected a system designed for clinical use, prioritizing factors such as infection control compatibility, pediatric fit, ease of cleaning, and alignment with procedural steps.

To illustrate practical application, real-world case examples will be shared (30 minutes), highlighting how VR supported coping, reduced visible distress, and improved procedural flow. These examples will include children with previous procedural trauma, neurodivergent needs, and high procedural anxiety.

Informed by the Starlight VR Distraction Therapy Report (2022), the session will emphasize that immersive tools are most effective when introduced and supported by trained child life professionals. Participants will learn how therapeutic rapport, preparation, and child-led coping were integrated into each VR-supported interaction.

A practical, hands-on portion (30 minutes) will allow participants to explore and compare different VR headset models. This includes evaluating infection control considerations, fit and comfort for pediatric use, user interface complexity, and clinical usability. The presenter will offer a guided walkthrough of set-up, pre-procedural, intra-procedural and post-procedural support strategies.

By the end of the session, attendees will have both the theoretical foundation and practical insight to assess and implement immersive VR as part of a child life procedural toolkit.

Suggested Domain: Intervention

Credits: 1.0 PDU

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on DATE, regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to DATE.

In this session, the presenters will begin by providing a brief background of pain management and comfort holds in the field of child life. The presenters will define and review key interventions and strategies that are used for pain management and comfort positioning. This will include discussing the importance and impact of utilizing these techniques in hospital settings.

After discussing foundational information, the presenters will share the steps taken at their institution to launch a new "comfort initiative." Topics will include identifying a need, creating a needs assessment, advocating for change, identifying key stakeholders, implementing problem-solving strategies, and data collection. The presenters will share their experiences and materials used in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including surveys, images, graphics, flyers, and education materials.

The session will conclude with time for questions and for attendees to brainstorm ways their institutions can utilize these strategies to launch their own comfort initiatives. Examples of education materials, associated research for varying initiatives, and a road map to success will be provided for attendees to take back to their institutions and utilize as a guide.

Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility, Intervention

Credits: 1.0 PDU

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on DATE, regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to DATE.

As the physical needs of patients are being met by medical staff, emotional needs are often either not recognized or misunderstood. When working with children with Non-Accidental Trauma, nurses and other caregivers are frequently met with behavioral outbursts, non-compliance and other behaviors that are overwhelming and difficult to address. Comorbid neurocognitive and/or emotional/behavioral conditions are common with non-accidental trauma and can affect care of these patients. Commonly, staff in the healthcare environment feel unprepared and ill-equipped to accommodate the unique needs of these patients. When receiving medical care, individuals with trauma are oftentimes met with multiple barriers to appropriate, positive medical care experiences.

To aid in meeting the needs of patients with a non-accidental trauma and their families, a standardized pathway was developed. This pathway focuses on the early identification of psychosocial factors affecting the child's behavior and ability to fully engage in medical care by the Safe Pathway team. The pathway utilizes a multidisciplinary approach designed to provide a standardized framework for staff to create individualized plans of care for patients that addresses the child's unique characteristics as well as the nature of his/her trauma.

Certified Child Life Specialists, Pediatric Psychologists, and Social Workers are the members of the multidisciplinary team. As experts in the psychosocial and developmental needs of children, adolescents, and families experiencing illness, injury, and treatment, this team can further assess how the patient's trauma may affect their ability to cope effectively during the healthcare experience. This team collaborates with the patient, caregivers, and the healthcare team utilizing a trauma informed care approach. The team serve as primary champions for the pathway and are heavily involved in the educational opportunities offered to help increase staff awareness of trauma related challenges in the hospital setting as well as promoting patient coping with trauma and the hospital environment.

Suggested Domain: Assessment, DEI
Credits: 1.0 PDU

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on DATE, regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to DATE.

Session Content:

As child life professionals, we assist adolescents in processing their healthcare experiences, which includes their current medical and physical state as well as understanding their new “normal.” All of which we do using a trauma-informed approach. As professionals engaging in a therapeutic relationship, we must also avoid judgment, meeting our patients where they are to best maintain that relationship. Yet, we are also in a position to be strong advocates, bringing our knowledge of adolescent development, the effects of trauma and maltreatment, and the influences of culture and environment on the overall development of the individual.

There is a comprehensive body of research that has documented a significant relationship between family violence and adolescent violence (Li, Xiong, Lang, Zhang, 2021). “In their harmful relationships with caregivers, maltreated children may develop the belief that coercion and violence are fundamental to all relationships” (Calvete, 2007, p. 132). We know from recent research that “an aggressive individuals’ deviant processing is guided by underlying mental structures and that these structures take the form of normative beliefs about the social appropriateness of aggression (Calvete, 2007).” So how do we as Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs) support these adolescents when there are complex systemic issues that are contributing to the violent behavior? And what core ethical principles must we also consider? How does the ACLP Code of Ethics guide our practice?

This presentation will explore the influence of family violence on adolescent violence, as well as the underlying mental structures that take the form of normal beliefs about the social appropriateness of aggression, and how we can support these adolescents when there are complex systemic issues that are contributing to their violent behavior, integrating a case example and the personal experiences of a CCLS into the conversation.

Suggested Domain: Ethics
Credits: 1.0 PDU

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on 5/12/29, regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 5/12/29.

The purpose of this session is to present a co-treatment model that combines music therapy and child life animal-assisted interventions to enhance therapeutic outcomes for patients through multi-sensory engagement. Participants will gain an understanding of the unique benefits of this co-treatment model, as well as practical strategies for ethical collaboration, session planning, and integrating facility dogs into therapeutic interventions. Utilizing a multi-sensory approach, guiding participants through an intervention, and highlighting case studies, attendees will learn about collaborating with music therapy, identify benefits of co-treating, and apply examples to clinical practice. Considerations regarding assessment, intervention, and evidence-based practices will be highlighted.

To create thoughtful and collaborative interventions for patients, the presenters first deepened their individual understanding of each others' professions and patient goals. Next, the presenters created an overview of research utilized to develop evidence-based practices for the model. The presenters assessed the challenges of co-treating to develop a protocol for providing combined services. Challenges in prioritization, patient schedules, and availability were highlighted. The main goal was identified as creating thoughtful interventions to reach shared treatment goals while utilizing both professionals' specialties. The presenters developed a model that follows the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation process to ensure consistent outcomes.

Presenters will guide an example intervention with multi-sensory input-, using props to demonstrate how this approach can provide nervous system regulation. Participants will identify how tactile and relational input from the dog enhances the child's participation. The presenters will then guide participants through reflection to enhance understanding.

Lastly, presenters will demonstrate three case study examples from the cardiac/pediatric intensive care units highlighting this model and the benefits of collaboration. These case studies will strengthen attendees' understanding and inspire further exploration of this co-treatment model. Patient information, diagnosis, assessment, intervention, and outcomes will be discussed.

Suggested Domain: Assessment, Intervention
Credits: 1.0 PDU

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on 4/16/29, regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 4/16/29.

This integrative workshop will combine short multimodal presentations, group discussions, experiential learning activities, and simulations to strengthen participants' depth of practice from assessment through documentation. With a focus on supporting our neurodivergent patient population, attendees will delve deep into the assessment, intervention, and documentation components of the certified child life specialist role.

Through a short presentation, workshop participants will explore various common pediatric neurodivergent diagnoses and the potential barriers these diagnoses create for patients as they navigate healthcare experiences in a variety of settings. Small group discussions will be utilized to gather a collective overview of participants' experiences with neurodivergent populations and the biggest challenges they face when supporting these patients and their families.

Utilizing the group's experiences and feedback, a review of assessment tools and strategies will be provided via a short presentation, followed by a hands-on activity that will emphasize the interpretation of data collected through assessment. Workshop presenters will guide participants through the process of connecting assessment data to inform the identification and implementation of targeted sensory, communication, and pedagogical interventions.

A final, brief presentation will provide participants with an overview of possible documentation formats commonly utilized by a certified child life specialist. Hands-on practice opportunities will support participants in applying newly acquired knowledge to various scenarios, during which participants will use strategies taught throughout the workshop to enhance articulation of depth of practice within documentation.

Participants should come prepared to share challenges and successes they've experienced in their practice, as well as a desire to delve beneath the surface to explore, identify and articulate the "whys" behind patient behaviors and child life interventions.

Suggested Domain: Assessment, Intervention, DEI
Credits: 1.0 PDU

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on DATE, regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to DATE.

This presentation will discuss findings and implications from a qualitative research study in which child life specialists were invited to share stories about their work. Data analysis revealed many stories followed a similar pattern, in which child life specialists described the value of their work in terms of the positive impact it was supposed to have. When child life specialists encountered a situation where they felt unable to do "good" child life work, they often described feelings of grief, frustration, uncertainty, and self-criticism. However, some participants narrated these past work experiences in ways that supported self-compassion, including redefining success and focusing on lessons learned. A variety of coping resources, including debriefing with mentors, clinical supervision, professional therapy, and job crafting, were also reported, to manage feelings of burnout and compassion fatigue.

This presentation will also emphasize lessons learned from creating a space for narrative meaning-making to emerge during the research process. Participants frequently emphasized that their child life stories could not be shared or understood by their support systems outside of work. The research interview thus provided an unexpected opportunity to process with a child life peer, creating an encounter that at times resembled clinical supervision and reflective practice. The relational research principles (Clandinin, 2022; Etherington, 2007) that guided this study will be described. During interviews, the researcher practiced an ethics of care that centered the well-being of participants' and prioritized human connection and transparency. During analysis, the researchers (two child life specialists) practiced reflexivity to remain aware of how their personal beliefs and professional experiences might shape their reactions to participants' stories. This presentation will examine how these concepts can be applied by supervisors and mentors to support narrative meaning-making as child life specialists and students talk about clinical experiences in both formal and informal reflective practice settings.

Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility
Credits: 1.0 PDU

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on 3/18/29, regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 3/18/29.

In this presentation, four child life specialists representing different junctures within the journey discuss their experiences as informal leaders, moving from a peer relationship to a leader role, leading leaders, and stepping into leadership roles beyond child life. Information on leadership topics by role include:
Informal leaders: working with students, special projects, time management
Peer to Leader transition: change management, the human experience of leadership, developing new reflective skills
Leading Leaders: delegation of responsibilities, developing trust in people and processes, strategy development, stepping out of the day-to-day responsibilities
Leading beyond child life: self-assessment, confidence vs self-doubt, translating learned skills and experiences into other disciplines, building trust with new teams

The opportunities for growth that come with leadership, as well as the challenges faced at each leadership point will be discussed as a large group and also within small groups led by the presenters. In addition, each presenter will discuss the human experience and how professional identity changes at various points in the leadership journey.

Suggested Domain: Intervention, Professional Responsibility

Credits: 1.5 PDUs

Learning Objectives:

1. By the end of this presentation, attendees will acknowledge the ongoing opportunities to develop leadership skills through formal and informal experiences.
2. By the end of this presentation, attendees will recognize the personal stresses of leadership and those faced by their own leaders.
3. By the end of this presentation, attendees will be exposed to coping strategies that may be beneficial to incorporate into their own journey.

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on 2/5/29, regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 2/5/29.

This webinar will explore the challenges of maintaining boundaries in long-term patient relationships and end-of-life scenarios, which can lead to moral distress. The presenter will share personal experiences of boundary blurring in an ICU setting and reflect on strategies used to prevent burnout and maintain professional resilience.

Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility; Ethics

Credits: 1.0 PDU

Learning Objective(s):

1. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to reflect on a time when their boundaries shifted due to a challenging patient case.

2. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to identify the importance of setting and continuously reevaluating professional boundaries to adjust them to protect their well-being.

3. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to identify ways to decrease moral distress and improve coping through implementing preventative and corrective coping strategies.

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on November 18, 2028, regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to November 18, 2028.