Martinez, Andrea Career Exploration Paper

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Mt San Jacinto Community College District *

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Course

103

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Medicine

Date

Dec 6, 2023

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pdf

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7

Uploaded by xndreeaa

Career Exploration Paper CDE-101-1085 Prof. Lorraine Slattery September 13, 2023
Part One Growing up, I’ve always wanted to become a teacher. Each time my teachers would ask me what I wanted to be I would say I wanted to be just like them, but as I grew up, I changed pathways. I have two twin brothers that are younger than me that were diagnosed with ODD and ADHD at the age of 2 years old. I have seen and experienced many things such as them being sent to get locked up in elementary school for having a crisis to seeing my mom in need for help to guide them. It made me furious to see how hard it was to find specialists that were bilingual to help guide them and be supportive towards their disabilities, which made me want to be become a child life specialist to help those parents and children in need for help and support. A child life specialist helps children and their families overcome tough situations that occur. They typically work in hospitals with physicians and nurses assisting children with disabilities, illnesses, trauma, etc. Based on Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health, child life specialists encourage optimum development for children and supply emotional support to them and their families. According to Cleveland Clinic, child life specialists also teach affective coping skills such as play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities. This helps to monitor and observe one's behavior as well as seeing the outcomes of it. To become a child life specialist there are many skills that are needed. Based on Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, it is needed to have a passion for working with kids as well as excellent communication skills. You will need patience for working with kids and emotional skills to help manage families with emotional stress. According to Cleveland Clinic, you will also need child development and great coping skills. This will help with being more understanding towards the child and how they take things as well as helping them get through tough times. In order to become a child life specialist, certain education along with units are needed. According to Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, a bachelor's degree in child life studies or equivalent is needed to become a child life specialist. This can vary from child development, psychology,
early childhood education, or child and family studies. A certification for the Association of Child Life Professionals is also needed. Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health mentioned requiring at least 45 units before graduating and a minimum grade point average of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Professional experience is essential when wanting to become a child life specialist. In order to become a child life specialist previous experience with children is needed. According to Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, an internship of 600 hours of child life specialist is needed from a supervisor. The Association of Child Life Professionals states how a supervisor must have at least 4,000 hours of paid child life clinical experience prior to becoming a supervisor. It is also mentioned that the supervisor's certificate of child life must be kept, and they shall take responsibility for the guidance and educational development given. The salary range for becoming a child life specialist varies from the rank that you're in. According to ZipRecruiter (2023) the salary range of a child life specialist is divided amongst four parts: top earners, 75 th percentile, average, and 25 th percentile. Top earners typically have an annual salary of $68,464 getting $33 an hour. The 75 th percentile have an annual salary of $59,600 getting $29 an hour. The average have an annual salary of $50,083 getting $24 an hour concluding the 25 th percentile having an annual salary of $43,000 earning $21 an hour. Like all other jobs, child life specialists have special duties to do too. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science states that one of the main duties is to advocate for the special needs of children and their families. This is done by supporting and guiding families by providing them with information and help needed. Since child life specialists are in hospitals and hospitals are typically packed, a day in their life is remarkably busy. As mentioned, they go from assisting patients' needs to having interventions with families as well as always being on the go. There is a job announcement for the Riverside County for Social Services Practitioner II/III child life specialist. This job helps pediatric patients find developmental concerns and plans, implements, and
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