Goals and Objectives
- To integrate theory and research into practice.
- To understand the value of play in the health care setting and increase the student’s skills in facilitating therapeutic play through planning group and individual activities.
- To recognize the developmental, psychosocial, and medical needs of patients and families and how those needs are incorporated into goals.
- To recognize and understand patient’s and family’s reactions to stress, illness, and pain.
- To develop communication skills with patients, families, and other health care professionals.
- To recognize the importance of working with the interdisciplinary team.
- To continue to develop professional maturity, judgment, and attitude.
- To set goals and evaluate performance.
- To enhance knowledge regarding the psychosocial care of infants, children, youth, and families.
- To demonstrate assessment and intervention skills.
- To increase independence in providing services.
- To develop skills that can be applied to any entry-level position in child life.
Prerequisites
- In the process of receiving a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from an academic institution accredited by an organization that is recognized by either the US Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation or the international equivalent.
- 100 paid or volunteer hours working with well infants, children, youth and/or families.
- 100 paid or volunteer hours working with infants, children, youth and/or families in stressful situations, health care settings and/or programs designed for children with special needs.
- Completed the academic coursework portion of the ACLP eligibility assessment or are actively enrolled in an ACLP endorsed academic program.
- All interns are required to be enrolled at a university during the internship. Intermountain Healthcare requires that you are affiliated with a university or college. Speak to your college's academic adviser to begin the process. (If Intermountain Healthcare and the university cannot reach an affiliation agreement, the student will not be able to do an internship.)
Application Requirements
Application Process
- Strength of connecting knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to written experiences. For more information on KSAs, review the Association of Child Life Professionals guide. KSAs Internship Readiness One Pager (childlife.org)
- Hours and quality of experience (our internship accreditation applicants are required to have 100 hours working with well children and 100 hours working with families in stressful situations or health care setting).
Child Life Internship Program
Family Support Services Department
Primary Children’s Hospital
Attn: Sheri Bothell
100 North Mario Capecchi Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84113-1103
childlife.intern@imail.org
Please call Sheri Bothell at (801) 662-3983 or email childlife.intern@imail.org with any questions regarding our practicum program or the application.
Intermountain Hospitals with Child Life Internship Programs
Primary Children's Hospital and Eccles Outpatient Services
Number of staff: 43
Number of inpatient beds: 289 Level 1 Trauma Center
Inpatient and Outpatient Child Life Services
Number of inpatient beds: 289 Level I Trauma Center
Located in Salt Lake City, Utah
(Accredited Internship site)
McKay Dee Hospital
Number of staff: 4
Inpatient and Outpatient Child Life Services
Number of inpatient beds: 310 Pediatric beds: 12
Level II Trauma Center
Located in Ogden, Utah
Utah Valley Hospital
Number of staff: 6
Inpatient and Outpatient Child Life Services
Number of inpatient beds: 395 Pediatric beds: 16
Level II Trauma Center
Located in Provo, Utah
St. George Regional Medical Center
Number of staff: 2
Inpatient and Outpatient Child Life Services
Number of inpatient beds: 132 Pediatric beds: 12
Located in St. George, Utah