2020 Professional Development Subscription

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This exclusive member's only package provides live and on-demand access to all of our 2020 programming. Participants of this package will gain access to webinars across all exam domains, be able to attend both live and on-demand 2020 programming, and earn over 24 PDUs. 

Not able to attend the live event or subscribing mid-year? No problem. All participants  will retain access to live and on-demand 2020 webinars for one year from the date of purchase. With this premium subscription, ACLP's newest webinars are always at your fingertips. 

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Child life specialists are often called upon to help children in the midst of upset. How can we better understand what’s behind these emotional responses? This presentation will examine the three brain states and how to interpret children’s emotional responses and employ new skills which strengthen attunement and build connection.

    Child life specialists are often called upon to help children in the midst of upset. How can we better understand what’s behind these emotional responses? This presentation will examine the three brain states and how to interpret children’s emotional responses and employ new skills which strengthen attunement and build connection. Practical skills that demonstrate positive intent, composure, empathy, and encouragement will help participants build strong connections and attunement with children and families by applying knowledge of the brain state model.

    Participants will be able to:

    - Define the three basic states of brain function and behavioral characteristics of each state (survival, emotional, and executive state).Apply the brain state model to behaviors encountered in child life practice.
    - Recognize skills to use with children when we want to help them gain composure during moments of upset.
    - Examine ways in which to build attunement and connection with children in stressful situations.

    Suggested Domain: Intervention

    This webinar is part of our Emerging Professionals programming. 

    Ruthie Davis

    MA, CCLS

    Ruthie Davis has been an adjunct instructor at Baylor University since 2013, teaching multiple child and family courses including: Child Development, Parenting, Individual Development & Family Relationships, and Child Life Theory & Practice. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Child & Family Studies from Baylor University and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Ruthie has been a Certified Child Life Specialist since 2003 and has worked in pediatric hospitals in both Dallas, TX and Temple, TX. She has leadership experience as both a child life supervisor and child life manager. Her clinical experiences include a variety of patient populations, including intensive care, emergency medicine, trauma, hematology/oncology, and with children of adult patients. She continues on staff as a child life specialist, working weekends at Children's Health in Dallas. Ruthie also worked as a preschool teacher at Baylor's Piper Center for Child Development & Family Studies from 2017-2018

    Joyce Nuner

    Ph.D

    Joyce Nuner has been an associate professor at Baylor University since 2006 in the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences, teaching multiple child and family courses including Prenatal & Infant Development, Children & Families with Special Needs, The Preschool Child, and Child Development. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Stephen F. Austin State University, a Master of Science degree from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a Ph.D. from Texas Women's University. She is largely involved with Baylor University's lab school, the Piper Center for Human Development & Family Studies. Joyce's interests include perinatal bereavement, early childhood education, and children with special needs. 

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits

    This webinar will discuss techniques to integrate current popular gaming technologies into your child life practice. Using photos, videos, and case studies, the presenter will demonstrate how to successfully assess and implement therapeutic interventions that include procedural support, rapport building, peer-to-peer social interaction, chronic pain management, self empowerment, legacy building, and coping. The presenter will also discuss best practices when using gaming technology and how to identify what technology is best for your hospital needs. Suggested Domain: Intervention This webinar is part of our Emerging Professionals programming.

    This webinar will discuss techniques to integrate current popular gaming technologies into your child life practice. Using photos, videos, and case studies, the presenter will demonstrate how to successfully assess and implement therapeutic interventions that include procedural support, rapport building, peer-to-peer social interaction, chronic pain management, self empowerment, legacy building, and coping. The presenter will also discuss best practices when using gaming technology and how to identify what technology is best for your hospital needs. 


    Participants will be able to:

    • -Articulate ways that technology can enhance child life practice
    • -Identify at least two gaming technologies and ways to integrate them into their current therapeutic practice
    • -Identify at least two gaming technologies that would be compatible with their current hospital environment
    • -Describe best practices for the use of gaming technology in the hospital setting


    Suggested Domain: Intervention

    This webinar is part of our Emerging Professional programming. 

    J.J. Bouchard

    BS, CCLS, CTRS

    J.J. Bouchard is a Certified Child Life Specialist, Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and the patient technology coordinator at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He has over ten years of experience integrating gaming technology into his child life practice. In 2015, J.J. founded the patient technology program at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, the first in the world to bring recreational virtual reality to the patient bedside on a daily basis. The program gained international fame for its integration of the AR app “Pokemon Go” into the hospital’s therapeutic environment. J.J.'s work has been featured on NBC Nightly News, USA Today, and Tech Crunch. He has spoken at numerous conferences, including South by Southwest, the Pediatric Academic Society Meeting, the Great Lakes Association of Child Life Professionals Conference, and Penny Arcade Expo. 

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits

    This webinar will elaborate on the impact of incorporating a technology-based staff position into a child life team and how this approach can increase our ability to address the needs of pediatric patients. Technology activities are modern, non-threatening opportunities for play, creative expression, and communication that can serve as a medium for mastery, reflection, and learning. A technology member on the team can add value in attaining clinically-relevant departmental goals. Suggested Domain: Intervention This webinar is a part of our Established Professional programming.

    This webinar will elaborate on the impact of incorporating a technology-based staff position into a child life team and how this approach can increase our ability to address the needs of pediatric patients. Technology activities are modern, non-threatening opportunities for play, creative expression, and communication that can serve as a medium for mastery, reflection, and learning. A technology member on the team can add value in attaining clinically-relevant departmental goals. 

    Participants will be able to:

    -Increase their knowledge of the desired requirements and experiences of a technology specialist.

    -Gain understanding of therapeutic patient activities that require a high level of technological competency and how these can be addressed by a technology specialist.

    -Learn how the proper clinically-based supervision of a technology specialist can guide programming in a clinically sound direction.

    Suggested Domain: Intervention

    This webinar is part of our Established Professionals programming. 

    Diane Rode MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT, CCLS

    Diane Rode is the director of the child life department at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital in New York City. A Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, Ms. Rode has nearly 34 years of experience in the design and development of creative arts modalities and interventions in a children’s hospital, and she consults nationally and internationally with an expertise in clinical supervision, reflective practice, and creative arts and media interventions for children and families in healthcare.

    Luis Borges, BFA

    Luis Borges is the patient technology and media coordinator at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital. He has over 18 years of experience working in a hospital setting with child life specialists, creative arts therapists, and their pediatric patients and families. Working with department leadership and the child life team, he identifies, tests, and implements emergent technologies that can be applied in clinically sound and meaningful ways to meet the therapeutic goals of staff interventions. Mr. Borges is also the KidZone TV production supervisor, where he helps to lead studio staff in finding the best therapeutic value in this convergence of patient and family care, medical education, creativity, and technology.

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits

    A leader’s ability to successfully navigate difficult conversations in the workplace contributes to an environment of trust, respect, and overall clearer communication. Though these benefits are often named by employees when describing an "ideal" workplace, opportunities for open and honest engagement are frequently missed due to a lack of comfort. Mastering difficult conversations is a critical component of managing teams and modeling transparency in a professional setting. This webinar will challenge participants to consider their level of comfort with difficult conversations, and provide takeaways aimed at increasing their confidence, as well as competence, in this vital professional communication skill. Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility This webinar is part of our Established Professional programming.

    A leader’s ability to successfully navigate difficult conversations in the workplace contributes to an environment of trust, respect, and overall clearer communication. Though these benefits are often named by employees when describing an "ideal" workplace, opportunities for open and honest engagement are frequently missed due to a lack of comfort. Mastering difficult conversations is a critical component of managing teams and modeling transparency in a professional setting. This webinar will challenge participants to consider their level of comfort with difficult conversations, and provide takeaways aimed at increasing their confidence, as well as competence, in this vital professional communication skill.

    Participants will be able to:

    -Identify barriers to approaching difficult conversations in the workplace. 

    -Explore factors that contribute to success in managing behaviors and setting expectations through difficult conversations. 

    -Examine practical techniques to use in identifying the "when, where, why, and how?" of engaging staff in difficult conversations.

    Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility

    This webinar is part of our Established Professional programming. 

    Cristie Suzukawa Clancy, MS, CCLS

    Cristie holds a BA in child development and an MS in child life. As a child life supervisor at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Cristie leads a team of 10 Certified Child Life Specialists and provides oversight for the department’s education programming, including the child life internship. Cristie is an adjunct faculty member at Nova Southeastern University, and is also working to develop courses for Concordia University Ann Arbor's new child life master's program. Cristie currently serves on the ACLP Focus Review Board and Abstract Review Committee.

  • Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Domain: Professional Responsibility; 1.5 PDU's - As child life specialists who’ve practiced for several years know, beyond the bubbles, arts and crafts, and special events that make the job of a child life specialist appear “so fun!”

    As child life specialists who’ve practiced for several years know, beyond the bubbles, arts and crafts, and special events that make the job of a child life specialist appear “so fun!” to outsiders lies a truly unique and often challenging role. Working in a caring profession over time can take its toll on an employee. The impacts of working as a child life specialist have been studied since the early 1990s and include potential for burnout, compassion fatigue, and emotional labor. Research in other psychosocial-focused and/or medical professions has shown the relationship between these variables of professional well-being and career longevity. This presentation is intended to bring awareness of factors that may impact the career longevity of a child life specialist and encourage the exploration of professional sustainability practices.

    Participants will be able to:

    -Review current literature on professional well-bring among child life specialists
    -Explore factors that may influence career longevity among child life specialists
    -Identify practices to promote professional sustainability

    Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility; 1.5 PDU's

    This webinar is a part of our Established Professional programming. 

    Nicole Tanghe, MA, CCLS,

    Nicole Tanghe, MA, CCLS, is a Child Life Specialist III at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She currently works with pediatric patients and their families within the lung transplant program. Her interest in career longevity developed from a personal interest in resiliency and burnout. Nicole serves as a mentor to new staff in the Division of Child Life and Integrative Care and is a clinical supervision facilitator. Nicole was a participant of the ACLP’s inaugural Leadership Academy class in 2015 and is the current Chair-Elect of the ACLP’s Mentor Program Subcommittee.

    Courtney Dill

    MS, CCLS, LMT

    Courtney Dill, MS, CCLS, LMT is a child life specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She is currently working the capacity of training coordinator, where she guides practicum, intern and cooperative students in the Department of Child Life, Education and Creative Arts. Courtney's interest include promoting well being and alternative healthcare.

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits

    In this webinar, we will discuss how to integrate youth voice into the research process. The webinar will focus on the principles of youth participatory action research (YPAR). The webinar will demonstrate the spectrum of YPAR and how to--in a variety ways--involve youth and youth voice into the research process. Additionally, the webinar will discuss potential ethical dilemmas of involving youth voice and ways to overcome these obstacles. Suggested Domain: Ethics This webinar is part of our Established Professionals programming

    In this webinar, we will discuss how to integrate youth voice into the research process. The webinar will focus on the principles of youth participatory action research (YPAR). The webinar will demonstrate the spectrum of YPAR and how to--in a variety ways--involve youth and youth voice into the research process. Additionally, the webinar will discuss potential ethical dilemmas of involving youth voice and ways to overcome these obstacles.

    Participants will be able to:

    -Explain youth participatory action research and its key principles. 

    -Identify ways to integrate youth voice into future quality improvement and research projects. 

    -Identify potential ethical dilemmas of integrating youth voice into the research process. 

    -Problem-solve solutions to ethical dilemmas.

    Suggested Domain: Ethics

    This webinar is part of our Established Professionals programming. 

    Alison Chrisler, PhD, CCLS

    Ali Chrisler’s child life clinical work consisted of working in outpatient surgery and then running a one-person child life program. In the last 10 years, Ali has worked in a number of research and evaluation capacities, including earning her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies.

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits

    You’re a new leader—now what?! The first several years in a leadership position have the ability to set the stage for your success in this role. Years of experience will help you further develop your leadership skills, but what about now, in the beginning? This webinar will identify the skillset essential for a developing leader, as well as assist in formulating a plan for further leadership development, using the framework of my top ten tips: -Moving from peer to supervisor -Keeping the emotion out of it -Communicate, communicate, communicate -Sitting on the decision fence -Having your staff’s back while still holding them accountable -Watch out for your lizard brain -Develop a growth mindset -Allow yourself to be vulnerable -Conflict can be your best friend -Know when to fold ‘em Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility This webinar is part of our Emerging Professionals programming Recording date: 2020

    You’re a new leader—now what?!  The first several years in a leadership position have the ability to set the stage for your success in this role.  Years of experience will help you further develop your leadership skills, but what about now, in the beginning?  This webinar will identify the skillset essential for a developing leader, as well as assist in formulating a plan for further leadership development, using the framework of my top ten tips:

    -Moving from peer to supervisor
    -Keeping the emotion out of it
    -Communicate, communicate, communicate
    -Sitting on the decision fence
    -Having your staff’s back while still holding them accountable
    -Watch out for your lizard brain
    -Develop a growth mindset
    -Allow yourself to be vulnerable
    -Conflict can be your best friend
    -Know when to fold ‘em


    Participants will be able to:

    -Identify leadership skills that are most crucial when beginning in a leadership role

    -Respond to learning opportunities when they uniquely present themselves





    -Experiment with different leadership approaches to problem solving 

    -Formulate a leadership development plan best suited to individual needs

    Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility 

    This webinar is part of our Emerging Professionals programming

    Jill Koss, MS, CCLS

    ACLP Board President

    Jill Koss started as a child life specialist at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, and 29 years later is the director of family support services there. She has been involved in many aspects of ACLP over the years, from Vision-to-Action in 1996; to certification, serving as senior chair in 2009; she has been a mentor in Leadership Mentor Program; was previously on the board of directors, and is currently the president of ACLP. Jill has an MS in child development from Texas Woman's University.

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits

    With ACLP’s increasing focus on research and evidence-based practice, now is the time to become more comfortable having conversations about data. In this webinar, we will discuss the importance of data and how impactful a working knowledge of data analysis can be for drawing conclusions within child life practice, management, and the professional landscape. Because many child life specialists don’t yet feel confident completing their own statistical analyses, we will discuss how to tap into resources to find analytic support and how to communicate your analytic goals when you do. This webinar will increase the data literacy of child life specialists and decrease their hesitation around quantitative data. Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility This webinar is part of our Established Professionals programming.

    With ACLP’s increasing focus on research and evidence-based practice, now is the time to become more comfortable having conversations about data. In this webinar, we will discuss the importance of data and how impactful a working knowledge of data analysis can be for drawing conclusions within child life practice, management, and the professional landscape. Because many child life specialists don’t yet feel confident completing their own statistical analyses, we will discuss how to tap into resources to find analytic support and how to communicate your analytic goals when you do. This webinar will increase the data literacy of child life specialists and decrease their hesitation around quantitative data.

    Participants will be able to:

    -Understand the importance of data analysis that allows us to draw conclusions 

    -Encourage specialists to tap into resources to find analytic support 

    -Build confidence in communicating goals for analysis

    Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility

    This webinar is part of our Established Professionals programming. 

    Danielle Blackburn

    MSBA, CCLS

    Intermountain Healthcare Primary Children's Hospital

    BA in Psychology, Child Life, Azusa Pacific University

    Certified Child Life Specialist: Surgery – Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital & Radiology – Primary Children’s Hospital

    Current Profession: MS in Business Analytics, University of Utah

    Pediatric Data Analyst at Primary Children’s Hospital

    ACLP Data Analyst

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits

    In their daily work, or in volunteer work during crisis situations, child life specialists are often called to provide care to children and families experiencing trauma. The presenter will incorporate her experience of companioning traumatized children and families in a team approach during deployments. Supporting others through traumatic experiences can heighten feelings of vulnerability, as well as the flame of genuine compassion. This calling puts specialists and teams at risk for compassion fatigue, and child life leaders can lessen the impact of vicarious trauma. This webinar encourages leaders to take self-care seriously and support their teams with ongoing personal and professional transformation for helper resilience. Optional Advance Reading: This webinar may be even more generative for those who pre-read Bounce: Living the Resilient Life (Wicks, 2010). Individuals may use Appendix B: An Individual Reflection Guide. Pre-reading could be configured as group professional development with any style of book club discussion format desired; copies might be provided by a hospital’s medical library or an educational fund. Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility This webinar is part of our Established Professionals programming.

    In their daily work, or in volunteer work during crisis situations, child life specialists are often called to provide care to children and families experiencing trauma. The presenter will incorporate her experience of companioning traumatized children and families in a team approach during deployments. Supporting others through traumatic experiences can heighten feelings of vulnerability, as well as the flame of genuine compassion. This calling puts specialists and teams at risk for compassion fatigue, and child life leaders can lessen the impact of vicarious trauma. This webinar encourages leaders to take self-care seriously and support their teams with ongoing personal and professional transformation for helper resilience. 

    Optional Advance Reading: This webinar may be even more generative for those who pre-read Bounce: Living the Resilient Life (Wicks, 2010). Individuals may use Appendix B: An Individual Reflection Guide. Pre-reading could be configured as group professional development with any style of book club discussion format desired; copies might be provided by a hospital’s medical library or an educational fund.

    Participants will be able to:

    -Aid their teams to access precise resources that help caregivers and relief workers mediate stress and bounce back with self-care protocols supported by accountability partners 

    -Guide their teams to compare and contrast three templates for creating a self-care prevention plan especially relevant to Child Life 

    -Encourage themselves as leaders to incorporate debriefing as a low-cost and non-threatening structured approach to help teams and specialists: a) reflect to understand their emotions and experiences of helping, b) identify ways to better manage caregiver stress, and c) heal as a group.

    -Analyze how a ‘companioning’ model for playroom facilitation (a) can influence how deployed Child Life Specialists stay present to traumatized children in videotaped testimonials, (b) eases role ambiguity by specifying emotional and spiritual elements of childcare, and (c) could be used to debrief facilitated support of children’s needs for safety and coping 

    -Help their specialists and teams consistently boost optimism with resilience-building strategies by utilizing online exercises from positive psychology websites.

    Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility

    This webinar is part of our Established Professionals programming. 

    Susan 'BOON' Murray, Ed.D., CCLS, CTRS

    *Ed.D., Therapeutic Recreation, Temple University (1997)
    *Professor Emeritus (Retired), University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse 

    *Certified Child Life Specialist since 2005 

    *Member, Child Life Disaster Relief
    *Completed eight deployments with Children's Disaster Services since 2/2017 serving families and children experiencing natural disasters, border refugees in a humanitarian respite center, and survivors of a mass shooting

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits

    This webinar reviews terminology and describes clinical guidelines for gender-affirming interventions. Additionally, it describes affirmative, trauma-informed, culturally humble, and strength-based approaches in caring for the population, grounded in core child life principles.

    Transgender and gender-expansive individuals are increasingly visible in society. Recent estimates indicate that approximately 0.7% of youth 13-17 years of age (150,000 individuals) and 0.6 % of adults (1.4 million individuals) in the United States identify as transgender. Recognizing their unique medical and psychosocial needs, clinical care programs for transgender and gender-expansive children and youth are now present in many children’s hospitals across the country. Child life specialists working with transgender and gender-expansive children and youth have the opportunity to create safe and affirming environments, provide comfort and support, and foster communication and connectedness with parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers. This webinar reviews terminology and describes clinical guidelines for gender-affirming interventions. Additionally, it describes affirmative, trauma-informed, culturally humble, and strength-based approaches in caring for the population, grounded in core child life principles. The session will draw upon the experience of Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Gender Support Program and include patient and parent perspectives. 


    Participants will be able to:

    -Differentiate natal sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation


    -Discuss clinical guidelines in the care of gender diverse children and youth 

    -Discuss considerations in the care of gender diverse children and youth for the child life specialist


    -Describe affirmative, culturally humble, and strength-based clinical approaches to gender diverse children and youth

    Suggested Domain: Assessment

    This webinar is part of our Established Professionals programming. 

    Veenod L. Chulani, MD, MSED, FAAP, FSAHM

    Dr. Chulani is section chief of adolescent medicine at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and medical director of Phoenix Children’s Gender Support Program. He is also an associate professor of pediatrics in the department of child health at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix. He completed his pediatric residency training at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, his clinical and research fellowships in adolescent medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and his master’s in medical education from the University of Southern California – Keck School of Medicine. His clinical and research areas of interest are in the areas of health equity promotion and the care of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. He has been involved in numerous local, regional, and national workgroups and initiatives and has lectured nationally and internationally on a host of topics related to adolescent health.